MLB Player News

Severino (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The bullpen session will mark Severino's first mound work since he was pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in mid-August with a right shoulder injury. The shoulder issue was the second setback Severino has experienced this season as he works his way back from his February 2020 Tommy John surgery; he was previously taken off a rehab assignment in mid-June due to a Grade 2 groin strain. Ensuring he's able to pitch without any discomfort in his shoulder is now Severino's greatest concern, but because of the delays caused by his two setbacks, the 27-year-old doesn't look as though he'll have enough time to build back up for a starting role this season. Instead, Severino will likely prepare to join the Yankees as a reliever if and when he makes it back from the 60-day injured list.

Greinke (COVID-19 injured list) resumed throwing off flat ground Monday and could be ready to complete a bullpen session this weekend, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

When Greinke was placed on the IL on Aug. 31, manager Dusty Baker didn't disclose whether the right-hander tested positive for the virus. In any case, Greinke appears to be in the midst of a slow buildup program, as he won't be immediately activated this week when first eligible. If Greinke is able to complete a side session over the weekend, he could slot into the rotation during next week's series in Texas, though Baker may want to see the veteran complete a simulated game or face hitters in live batting practice before the Astros formally activate him. Once Greinke is back in the fold, he could be part of a six-man rotation now that Jose Urquidy has returned from the shelf after an extended absence.

Bubic didn't factor into the decision in Monday's 3-2 win over the Orioles, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.

After working two innings in a relief appearance Thursday, it was thought Bubic would have a limited workload in his next start, but the southpaw tossed 95 pitches (61 strikes) before exiting. While he provided a solid line, he was on the hook for his seventh loss before the Royals took their only lead of the game in the eighth inning. Bubic will carry a 5.07 ERA and 95:53 K:BB through 104.2 innings into his next outing.

Ryu (13-8) picked up the win Monday against the Yankees after firing six scoreless innings, though he was pulled after only 80 pitches due to left forearm soreness, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. He had six strikeouts while allowing three hits and zero walks.

Ryu apparently had the issue crop up while throwing some sliders, but it appears to be a minor concern. The southpaw said after the contest that he doesn't expect to visit a doctor for a checkup on the injury, but he'll still be considered day-to-day until his next turn through the rotation comes up. Ryu is tentatively scheduled to start one half of Saturday's doubleheader at Baltimore, as long as he has no issues during his bullpen session later this week.

The Red Sox optioned Crawford to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.

Summoned from Triple-A to make an emergency spot start after Nick Pivetta was moved to the COVID-19 injured list, Crawford struggled in his MLB debut Sunday against Cleveland, lasting only two innings while surrendering five runs on five hits and two walks. The Red Sox won't require a fifth starter again until Sept. 14, at which point Pivetta or Martin Perez could be ready to return from the COVID-19 IL to step into the rotation. With that in mind, Crawford will most likely remain at Triple-A for the rest of the season.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Gil will likely be called from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in New York, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Nestor Cortes had been lined to start Wednesday's game, but Boone didn't suggest that Cortes nor any other member of the rotation would be replaced to make room for Gil. Instead, look for the Yankees to deploy a six-man rotation for at least this week, affording an additional day of rest for each member of the starting staff amid a heavy schedule of games. With another solid outing Wednesday, Gil could make a case for a more permanent stay with the big club, either as a starter or a high-leverage reliever. Over his first three big-league starts, Gil didn't allow a run over 15.2 innings while posting an 18:7 K:BB.

Urena (3-8) earned the win Sunday against Cincinnati after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out one.

Urena registered his third win of the season and while he piggybacked Casey Mize's start effectively, this wasn't a quiet outing as the boxscore suggested -- he routinely allowed baserunners and was far from dominant. Either way, this was a step in the right direction for Urena, who has been pitching poorly during most of the year. He has tossed three scoreless outings over his last four appearances, but he still owns a below-average 5.95 ERA across 87.2 innings through 20 appearances (18 starts).

Mize didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Cincinnati after tossing three scoreless innings, fanning two.

Mize hadn't tossed such a short outing since July 2, when he also hurled three innings against the White Sox -- though in that game he gave up two earned runs on four hits and a walk while fanning two. Mize has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his last four appearances and while he has struggled to pitch deep into games, at least he's limiting the damage. He owns a 3.95 ERA across six appearances (27.1 innings) since the beginning of August.

Crawford (0-1) was tagged with the loss Sunday against Cleveland after allowing five runs on five hits and two walks while fanning two across two innings.

Crawford only lasted two innings and looked overmatched in his big-league debut, though considering he had posted a 5.52 ERA and 39:8 K:BB in 29.1 innings (six games) for Triple-A Worcester this season, the struggles at the highest level aren't all that surprising. He's not expected to remain in the rotation for an extended period of time, especially considering how shaky he looked in his MLB debut.

Bassitt (face) has been examined by multiple doctors back in Oakland during the Athletics' current road trip and his condition will be reevaluated Monday, the team's official site reports.

Manager Bob Melvin indicated he's received reports Bassitt is progressing well from the surgery he underwent Aug. 24 to repair displaced and fractured bones on the right side of his face stemming from a line drive off the bat of the White Sox's Brian Goodwin. The right-hander has apparently been making such good progress that the possibility of a regular-season return remains in play, and as such, Bassitt's potential timeline to begin a throwing program could be one of the components of the evaluation.