MLB Player News

German (shoulder) pitched two scoreless innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out four.

The right-hander took the mound in a game for the first time since July 31 and showed little rust, striking out the first four batters he faced. German followed by giving up a pair of singles, but he closed the appearance by inducing an inning-ending double play. Overall, he threw 16 of 25 pitches for strikes. Given manager Aaron Boone's comments prior to German's rehab outing, there is a strong possibility that the 29-year-old could return to the big club soon. "See how he responds; at that point, make a decision. But we expect him to be back with us sooner rather than later," Boone stated, per MLB.com. German is expected to work as a reliever upon rejoining the Yankees.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Wednesday that he's hopeful that Berrios (abdomen) will be able to make his next start, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Berrios was removed from Tuesday's start against the Rays due to left abdominal tightness, but he's feeling much better Wednesday. The right-hander hasn't required additional imaging and is slated to play catch ahead of Wednesday's series finale against Tampa Bay. If he continues to progress well, Berrios tentatively lines up to make his next start on the road against the Rays on Monday.

Bieber (shoulder) covered 2.2 innings Tuesday in his rehab start for Triple-A Columbus, giving up an earned run on three hits and a walk while striking out three.

The rehab outing marked Bieber's first start in affiliated ball since June 13, when he pitched through a right shoulder strain that has kept him on the shelf for the past three months. Even though Cleveland is essentially eliminated from playoff contention at this point, Bieber appears to be gearing up for a late-season return to the big club. Cleveland hasn't provided an indication on the next step for Bieber, but he'll likely need at least one more rehab start before slotting back into the big-league rotation. Bieber could have his workload capped once he returns, potentially limiting the appeal of stashing him until he's activated from the 60-day injured list.

Junk is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Junk will pick up a second start after he made his big-league debut Sept. 5 against the Rangers, covering 3.2 innings while giving up five runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk to take a loss. The Halos could get Alex Cobb (finger) back from the injured list for Thursday's series finale in Chicago, so unless the team expands its rotation back to six men, Junk may not draw any additional starts beyond Wednesday's outing.

Montas didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Royals after allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks across 3.1 innings, fanning four.

Montas had won each of his previous three outings and was in a run of four straight quality starts, but he didn't have his best stuff Tuesday. Fortunately for him, the opposing starter, Jackson Kowar, struggled even more -- and that allowed Montas to settle with a no-decision. It's worth noting this was the first time Montas gave up more than three earned runs since June 26.

McKenzie (5-6) picked up the win in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Twins, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over six innings in a 3-1 victory. He struck out seven.

That's now seven straight quality starts for McKenzie since the beginning of August. The young right-hander has a 1.76 ERA, 0.54 WHIP and 48:5 K:BB through 46 innings over that stretch, a remarkable turnaround considering he sported a 6.11 ERA and 1.44 WHIP at the end of July, and he is positioning himself for a key role in Cleveland's 2022 rotation.

Allard (illness) will piggyback starter Glenn Otto in Thursday's game against the Astros, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. He missed his previous start due to a non-COVID illness.

It's unclear how the innings will break down between the two pitchers, or if Allard will get another start -- traditional or piggyback -- this season. As a starter, Allard has a 5.40 ERA and 2.3 HR/9 over 91.2 innings.

Lyles (9-11) earned the win against the Astros on Tuesday after pitching seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Lyles entered Tuesday ranked last in baseball among qualified pitchers in ERA and WHIP, and he was ranked near the bottom in strikeout rate. However, he had his way against one of the top offenses in the league. The 30-year-old had not blanked an opponent during a start all season and was able to reach seven innings for a second straight time, despite his last appearance coming as a reliever. Lyles has now picked up a win in four of his last five outings and owns a 5.20 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB over 162.2 innings. He's lined up for a road matchup against the Yankees at the beginning of next week.

Greinke (11-6) suffered the loss Tuesday against the Rangers after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings.

Greinke was pummeled by the long ball Tuesday night, giving up two-run shots in the first and the third innings and subsequently surrendering a three-run homer in the sixth to give the Rangers an 8-0 lead. It was the third time this season Greinke has given up three or more home runs in a game. The 37-year-old has dropped three straight decisions and has given up 13 earned runs over his last two starts. Greinke now owns a 3.94 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 114:35 K:BB over 164.2 innings.

Anderson got a no-decision during Tuesday's 8-4 loss at the hands of the Red Sox, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Making his return from the bereavement list, Anderson made quick work of Boston's lineup the first time through the order but had some issues on the second go-around, which prompted his early removal. The 31-year-old has now failed to reach five innings in his last two starts, though he received no-decisions in each outing. Anderson currently lines up to face Oakland early next week.