MLB Player News

Quintana (shoulder) tossed a bullpen session Monday and could be activated by the end of the week, the Associated Press reports.

The left-hander's bullpen went well, so there is optimism that he could return to the big club soon. Prior to going on the injured list May 31, Quintana had compiled a 3.78 ERA and 11.9 K/9 over his previous 16.2 innings, so he'll likely have a spot in the rotation waiting for him. That said, the veteran also registered a less-than-promising 1.62 WHIP and 6.5 BB/9 in that four-start stretch, so he remains a risky play in fantasy.

Maeda (arm/groin) is scheduled to throw 50-55 pitches during his rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Given this update, Maeda will likely need at least another start after Wednesday in order to be fully stretched out. That being said, the Twins could opt to bring the right-hander back to the majors before building him all the way back up rather than extending his rehab assignment. The plan for Maeda should become more clear after his outing Wednesday.

McKenzie may be recalled to start for Cleveland on Saturday against the Mariners, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Manager Terry Francona suggested as much Tuesday, and it makes sense that McKenzie, despite his struggles in 2021, will start Saturday over Cal Quantrill. Quantrill did nothing Sunday against the Orioles to earn another start, allowing seven runs (five earned) in 1.1 innings. Having yielded at least five runs in three of his last four big-league starts, McKenzie hasn't fared much better than Quantrill, but he's likely to get yet another opportunity Saturday against a Mariners lineup that shelled him for two homers and five runs May 15.

McCullers (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers landed on the injured list in late May with a sore shoulder. Given the relatively brief nature of his absence, it's possible he only requires one rehab start before returning to action. If that's the case, he'd line up to start next Tuesday against Texas, which would match previous reports that the team expected him back in mid-June.

Kopech (hamstring) is still feeling a bit of discomfort in his strained left hamstring, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Manager Tony La Russa said Kopech still "has a little pinch" in the hamstring when running, and he wants the young pitcher to run without limitations. That said, the hard-throwing righty has made considerable progress in his recovery and will likely be activated from the injured list in the near future.

Baz owns a 2.93 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 43:2 K:BB across the 27.2 innings covering his six starts for Double-A Montgomery thus far in 2021.

The right-hander has been a tough-luck loser on multiple occasions as evidenced by his 1-4 mark. However, his ability to consistently miss bats has led to Baz leading the Double-A South division in strikeouts, while his 1.9 percent walk rate checks in as the second best at the Double-A level and seventh in all of MiLB, Biscuits play-by-play announcer Chris Adams-Wall reports. Baz also impressed during spring training this year, effectively incorporating a changeup into an arsenal that already included a high-90s fastball and slider.

Wentz (elbow) has made three rehab starts for Low-A Lakeland, posting a 7.45 ERA, 1.96 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB in 9.2 innings.

Wentz was assigned to Triple-A Toledo coming out of spring training, but he has yet to debut for the affiliate while the Tigers continue to ease him back slowly from March 2020 Tommy John surgery. While his results with Lakeland haven't been particularly strong, Wentz at least looks to have avoided setbacks in the build-up process. He's covered four innings in each of his last two outings for Lakeland, so he could soon be ready to slot back into the Toledo rotation.

Bundy (1-6) earned the win Monday against the Royals after allowing two runs on six hits while fanning two across 5.2 innings.

Bundy ended just one out away from posting a quality start, but he delivered his best outing of the campaign by a wide margin. He was coming off four straight appearances in which he allowed at least four earned runs, but he bounced back in a big way here. His next start is tentatively scheduled for June 14 on the road against the Athletics.

Maeda (arm/groin) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday.

Maeda threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday, and he'll return to game action during his rehab start Wednesday. The right-hander still doesn't have a clear timetable to return to the major-league rotation, but he could be reinstated from the injured list as early as next week if all goes well.

Bradish has posted a 2.02 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB in 13.1 innings in his three starts for Triple-A Norfolk since being promoted from Double-A Bowie on May 22.

Bradish's control has been a bit shaky in his first three starts for Norfolk, but he's continued to miss bats a steady clip much like he did at Bowie during his first three outings of 2020. One of the prospects the Orioles received from the Angels in the December 2019 trade that sent Dylan Bundy to Anaheim, Bradish should have a chance to make his MLB debut later this summer if he remains on his current trajectory.