MLB Player News

Cease allowed a run on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Royals on Sunday.

Cease failed to complete five innings for the second straight start, but he was more effective Sunday than in his season debut. The right-hander's only damage came on a Whit Merrifield RBI single in the fifth inning. Cease has a 3.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB across 9.1 innings this year. His next start is expected to be Friday in Boston.

Flexen allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings in a no-decision versus the Twins on Sunday.

Flexen labored through his second start of the year, with the biggest hit being a Byron Buxton two-run homer in the fifth. The Mariners' offense took over after that, getting Flexen off the hook. He's pitched to a 4.50 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB over 10 innings. Consistency could be an issue for the 26-year-old right-hander as he attempts to reestablish himself in the majors after a year in the KBO. His next start is expected to be Saturday at home versus the Astros.

Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that he expects German to rejoin the Yankees when a fifth starter is next required April 24 in Cleveland, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

German was unable to carry his stellar results from spring training into his first two turns of the regular season, giving up seven runs on 12 hits and two walks over seven innings en route to taking losses to the Blue Jays and Rays. New York optioned German to its alternate site following Saturday's game in Tampa Bay, but based on Boone's comments, the right-hander's demotion wasn't due solely to his pair of poor outings. With a pair of off days in the next eight days, the Yankees will instead run a streamlined four-man rotation, so German will be parked at the alternate site in the short term to give the team an extra roster spot. German still appears to have the edge over Deivi Garcia and Michael King for the fifth starter's job.

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo confirmed that Ray (elbow) would start Monday's game against the Yankees, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

The Blue Jays will wait until Monday before officially activating Ray from the 10-day injured list, but the lefty received the green light to make his 2021 season debut after he checked out fine during a 63-pitch simulated game Wednesday. Ray will assume the rotation spot of Tanner Roark, who will shift to a long-relief role.

Springs, who fired two scoreless innings during which he allowed just one hit and recorded three strikeouts Saturday against the Yankees, has an unblemished ERA and 5:0 K:BB across 3.2 innings covering his first four appearances.

Obtained in a mid-February trade with the Red Sox, Springs has proven a reliable addition to a talented Rays bullpen thus far. The 28-year-old southpaw's early success is in stark contrast to his performance over the previous two seasons, when he pitched to a 6.66 ERA and 1.86 WHIIP across 52.2 innings with the Rangers and Boston.

Cobb won't make his scheduled start Sunday after the Angels-Blue Jays game was postponed due to inclement weather in Dunedin, Fla.

The two teams plan to make up the game as part of a split doubleheader Aug. 10 at Angel Stadium. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, the Angels plan to push all six of their rotation members back a day in the pitching schedule as a result of the rainout, so Cobb will start Monday's series opener in Kansas City.

McKenzie is scheduled to start Monday's series opener against the White Sox in Chicago, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Cleveland was able to get by with a four-man rotation for the first week and a half of the regular season, but with a jam-packed seven-game slate on tap during the upcoming week, the club will break in McKenzie as a fifth starter. As a rookie in 2020, McKenzie made eight appearances (six starts) for Cleveland, posting a 3.24 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 42:9 K:BB in 33.1 innings.

Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Schmidt (elbow) will seek a second opinion before the Yankees decide the next step in the right-hander's rehab program, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

According to Boone, Schmidt is still exhibiting symptoms of the extensor strain he sustained in late February, which prevented him from starting up a throwing program a month later as had been planned. Boone noted that he remains optimistic Schmidt will avoid surgery to address the elbow injury, but the 25-year-old's lack of meaningful progress in his recovery is concerning nonetheless. Even if the second opinion brings positive news, Schmidt likely won't be ready to make his 2021 debut until at least late May after he was placed on the 60-day injured list prior to Opening Day.

Wacha is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opener Brent Honeywell in Sunday's game against the Yankees, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Though Honeywell was once one of the top starting pitching prospects in all of baseball, Berry notes that the Rays are likely planning on the right-hander covering just an inning or two before giving way to Wacha. As a result of pitching behind an opener, Wacha may struggle to reach the five innings he covered in his Rays debut April 5 against Boston, but the arrangement should improve the 29-year-old's chances of factoring into any decision.

The Tigers transferred Teheran to the 60-day injured list Sunday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Teheran was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday with a shoulder strain, but the Tigers didn't immediately specify how long the injury might keep the right-hander on the shelf. The club's decision to transfer Teheran to the 60-day IL a day later implies that his shoulder injury is a rather significant one, and he'll now be sidelined until at least early June as a result. The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for first baseman/designated hitter Renato Nunez, whose contract was selected from the alternate site ahead of Sunday's series finale in Cleveland. Derek Holland and Michael Fulmer covered most of the innings while filling in for Teheran in a tandem start earlier this weekend, but Spencer Turnbull will most likely be the long-term replacement for Teheran upon returning from the COVID-19 injured list.