MLB Player News

Yesavage (knee) will throw a bullpen session this weekend and is on track to be activated from the 15-day injured list either Sunday or Monday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Yesavage didn't fare well in a rehab appearance Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and one walk over just two-thirds of an inning. However, the Blue Jays are fighting for a wild car spot, so they don't have the luxury of giving Yesavage more time to get sharp. Yesavage could start Sunday against the Rangers or Monday versus the Orioles, but he'll be very limited from a workload perspective.

Lagrange (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list by Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Lagrange has been sidelined for more than two months as he works his way back from a right shoulder sprain. The hard-throwing righty was moved to the bullpen at SWB in early June and posted a 5.02 ERA and 20:8 K:BB over 14.1 innings in a relief role. Lagrange is not expected to be a candidate to pitch for the Yankees this season, but perhaps he could change minds if he looks good in the coming days at the team's top minor-league affiliate.

The Yankees activated Schmidt (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Schmidt has completed the long rehab from an internal brace procedure and will aim to help the Yankees out in a relief role down the stretch. The right-hander made five rehab appearances, allowing three runs with an 11:1 K:BB over seven innings.

The White Sox activated Thorpe (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday.

Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Thorpe has pitched well in 10 rehab starts, posting a 2.85 ERA and 38:13 K:BB over 41 innings. However, rather than throw him into a playoff race, the White Sox will keep Thorpe at Charlotte for the time being.

Jax didn't factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing two hits over five scoreless innings in a 2-1 win over the A's. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

The right-hander was dominant over 67 pitches (46 strikes), but an early hook from manager Kevin Cash nearly cost the Rays when Ty Johnson gave up the tying run in the top of the sixth inning. Jax has been held under 70 pitches in all three of his September starts following a month-long absence due to elbow discomfort, but the strict workload limit appears to be working, as he's given up just one run in 10 innings over his last two trips to the mound with a 9:1 K:BB. Jax will look to stay stingy in his next outing, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Red Sox.

Ober (7-6) took the loss Tuesday against the Yankees after allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.1 innings.

Ober fell behind almost immediately when Cody Bellinger launched a two-run homer in the top of the first, and the Yankees would never relinquish that lead. The right-hander allowed another run on George Lombard's RBI single in the third but kept New York from breaking the game open and departed with one out in the sixth. This outing ended a run of four straight starts in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer.

Fried (5-4) earned the win Tuesday against the Twins after allowing one run on six hits while striking out six over seven innings. He did not issue a walk.

Fried delivered his longest outing since April 22, though he needed only 88 pitches (58 strikes) to complete seven frames. Minnesota's lone run came on Emmanuel Rodriguez's RBI single in the second, and Fried immediately ended the threat by picking Rodriguez off first. Fried didn't issue a walk for the first time since April 11 and retired 15 of the final 18 hitters he faced. The victory was Fried's first since April 27, and he lowered his ERA to an impressive 2.63 with this outing. Fried is scheduled to make his next start at home against the Rays next week.

Houck (elbow) will make a fourth rehab appearance Saturday, and the Red Sox plan to evaluate him following the outing, Perla Paredes of MLB.com reports.

Houck was on the mound Tuesday for a third time during his rehab assignment. He struck out three while allowing one walk in a scoreless seventh inning for Triple-A Worcester. If all goes well Saturday, Houck could join Boston's bullpen for the final days of the regular season.

Johnson (5-8) allowed one run on six hits and a hit batsman while striking out seven and walking none over six innings to earn the win over the Mariners on Tuesday.

This was Johnson's fourth quality start in his last five outings, and he's come away with a win in three of those games. The 24-year-old struggled at times during his early stints in the majors, but he's turned the corner with just 10 runs allowed over 44.1 innings since the start of August. Overall, Johnson sports a 4.88 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 70:39 K:BB through 90.1 innings over 20 games (17 starts) this year. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Twins.

Gilbert (12-10) allowed two runs on six hits, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out seven over six innings to take the loss versus the Angels on Tuesday.

Gilbert collected a second consecutive quality start with this performance. He gave up a solo home run to Josh Lowe, which was just the fourth homer he's allowed on the road this season, compared to 24 surrendered in Seattle. Gilbert is at a 3.69 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 194:46 K:BB through 178 innings over 30 starts. The right-hander is within striking distance of the 200-strikeout mark, and he now heads into next week's start at home versus the Astros.