MLB Player News

Paxton will undergo an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his forearm/elbow, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

This is a worrisome development for Paxton, who reportedly didn't feel right during his outing against the Rays on Thursday, during which he allowed three runs on one hit and four walks while striking out eight batters across five innings. While the severity of the issue is not yet known, it's worth noting that forearm injuries can often be the precursor to a significant absence. Look for Paxton's status to be updated once his test results are known.

Anderson allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk across 3.2 innings pitched in the 3-2 win over the Phillies in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader. He struck out three and did not factor in the decision.

Thursday marked yet another short start for Anderson as he continues to build up arm strength after missing the beginning of the season with an oblique strain. After tossing 45 and 59 pitches in his first two outings, the 32-year-old upped his pitch count to 78 (44 strikes) while working into the fourth inning for the first time Thursday. Anderson will look to work deeper into the game and pick up his first win when he takes the ball Tuesday against Boston.

McKenzie is listed as Cleveland's scheduled starter for Saturday's game against the Tigers, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

As expected, McKenzie is on track to make his big-league debut over the weekend, filling in for Zach Plesac, who is at the team's alternate camp site after breaking MLB's COVID-19 protocols. The right-hander missed all of 2019 and part of 2018 while recovering from forearm and back strains, though he registered a 2.68 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 87:28 K:BB across 90.2 innings at Double-A in 2018 prior to getting hurt.

McKenzie is expected to be promoted to the majors Saturday.

The Indians have yet to announce a starter for Saturday's game against the Tigers, and it sounds like McKenzie could fill that void. The right-hander missed all of 2019 and part of 2018 while recovering from forearm and back strains, but he compiled a 2.68 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 87:28 K:BB across 90.2 innings at Double-A in 2018 prior to getting injured.

Morton (shoulder) played catch Wednesday as scheduled and is slated to throw another bullpen session Thursday or Friday, the Associated Press reports.

The right-hander seems to be progressing steadily in his recovery, and it's a good sign he was able to play catch Wednesday after engaging in what was described as a "pretty intense" bullpen session Tuesday. The chances of Morton being activated when first eligible Saturday should become clearer after the upcoming throwing session.

Whitley (arm) has yet to resume throwing at the Astros' alternate training site, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

He is still working out, but there has been no word on his diagnosis after visiting a doctor earlier this month after he reported some arm discomfort. Even if he eventually gets back to 100 percent without needing surgery, he has likely missed his window to contribute at the big-league level in 2020.

The White Sox optioned Dunning to their alternate training site Thursday.

Dunning will head back to Schaumburg after turning in a solid-but-unspectacular MLB debut in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Tigers. He worked 4.1 innings in the start, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out seven. The White Sox have a pair of off days coming up next week, so the team will be able to get by with a four-man rotation until Sept. 1. Unless either Carlos Rodon (shoulder) or Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) is back from the injured list by that point, Dunning should be the leading candidate to step back in as the White Sox's fifth starter.

Sandoval (0-3) was tagged with the loss Wednesday against the Giants. He gave up five runs on six hits -- including two home runs -- and two walks while fanning one across four innings.

Sandoval allowed homers to Wilmer Flores in the third inning and Austin Slater in the fourth, essentially putting the game out of reach for the Angels. The 23-year-old lefty has struggled during his time in the rotation this season, posting a 5.40 ERA in 20 innings across four starts. His next scheduled start is set for Aug. 24 in a tough road matchup against the Astros.

Luzardo (2-0) earned the win Wednesday against the Diamondbacks after tossing 6.1 scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and two walks while fanning seven.

Luzardo has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his four starts this season and also posted a new season-high mark for strikeouts, while reaching the six-inning plateau for the first time. It was an encouraging outing for the hard-throwing lefty, who will try to build upon this performance in his next scheduled start, set for Aug. 24 at Texas.

Suarez will be added to the team's active roster Thursday to start against the Giants, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Suarez missed all of summer camp for an undisclosed reason, but he has been ramping up at the team's alternate training site and appears ready to join the big club. It is unclear what kind of pitch limit, if any, the southpaw may be on, but he has plenty of experience as a starter. In 19 appearances last season, Suarez made 15 starts and racked up 81 innings, posting a 7.11 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 72:33 K:BB. With Julio Teheran's move to the bullpen, Suarez could be given the opportunity to make multiple starts, though his performance Thursday could be a determining factor.