MLB Player News

Stroman (pectoral) will start Sunday's game against the Yankees, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Stroman completed a bullpen session with no issues Friday to clear the way for his return to the starting rotation. The 28-year-old finished the first half with a 3.18 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 81:31 K:BB over 104.2 innings before left pectoral cramps prevented him from making his final start prior to the All-Star break.

McCreery was traded across town from the Dodgers to the Angels on Friday along with Josh Thole in exchange for cash considerations.

McCreery owns a mediocre 4.04 ERA in 35.2 innings of relief across the two highest levels of the minors this season. The trade opens up a spot on the Dodgers' 40-man roster for A.J. Pollock (elbow), who returns from the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Severino (lat) will be re-examined Saturday and could resume his throwing program if the evaluation is promising, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Severino has been out all season with lat issues and suffered a setback in late June, forcing him to pause his throwing program. Even if he's able to resume throwing Saturday, the Yankees still don't expect him back in action for at least six more weeks. The team is considering having him return as a 75-pitch starter or a reliever, which would lessen his fantasy value but could help keep him healthy through the playoffs.

The Twins plan to activate Odorizzi (finger) from the 10-day injured list to start Saturday's game against the Indians.

Odorizzi developed a blister on his right middle finger in his most recent start July 2 against the Athletics, prompting the Twins to withhold him from his final start of the first half last weekend. The Twins' decision to place him on the IL also prevented Odorizzi from appearing in his first All-Star Game on Tuesday, but the time off has at least allowed the right-hander to overcome the minor issue. Odorizzi shouldn't face a strict cap on his pitch count as he returns to the mound Saturday, though manager Rocco Baldelli has been reluctant to allow the 29-year-old to cover more than six innings in most of his outings this season anyway.

Ramirez (elbow) had a tough time on his rehab start for Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday, allowing seven runs on 10 hits (including four homers) in five innings of work.

Ramirez seems to be close to a return from Tommy John surgery, but his poor outing may cause the Angels to hesitate to bring him back right away. He now owns a 7.91 ERA, an 18:15 K:BB and a 1.76 WHIP in 33 rehab innings. He's allowed to remain on his rehab stint until late July and seems likely to do so unless his next outing is considerably more impressive.

Turnbull (shoulder) was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday to start against the Royals.

Turnbull missed his last scheduled start in late June with shoulder fatigue, but he's good to go following some time off over the All-Star break. He'll look to build on his strong 3.31 ERA in the second half.

Carrasco (illness) has been throwing bullpen sessions and working out at Low-A Lake County, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Carrasco has been cleared to continue ramping up his activity while receiving treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia, the specifics of which he has elected to keep private. The 32-year-old still has an outside chance of returning to the majors this season, but manager Terry Francona indicated there's no set plan and said, "The idea is for him to do as much as he can - or as much as he can tolerate - because it will be good for him. Other than that, we're not pushing him. We're just trying to be supportive."

Valdez (3-5) took the loss after surrendering four runs on four hits and three walks over 0.2 innings Thursday against Texas.

Valdez was hit hard from start, giving up four runs on a groundout and a pair of doubles while retiring just two batters before being pulled from the contest. The 25-year-old southpaw has now struggled over his last three outings, allowing 15 total runs across seven innings of work. His spot in Houston's starting rotation may be in jeopardy soon if he's unable to turn things around quickly.

Lynn (12-4) picked up the win after allowing six hits and two walks while striking out 11 over seven scoreless innings Thursday night against the Astros.

The All-Star break was evidently kind to Lynn, who blanked Houston through seven frames, but he had to overcome mechanical trouble early after a longer-than-normal layoff. Pitching for the first time in seven days, he threw a first-pitch strike to just four of the first 10 batters and needed 59 pitches over the first three innings, which included working out jams in the second and third frames. Lynn eventually righted himself, throwing a first-pitch strike to 18 of the final 19 batters faced and dispatching the Astros on 51 pitches over the final four innings. The 32-year-old right-hander continues to throw the ball well, as he's now given up just two earned runs over his last three outings (22 innings), and he's managed to collect five straight victories. Lynn will head into his next start, Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, with a 3.69 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with a 134:28 K:BB across 122 innings.

Paxton is not among the Yankees' probable starters for this weekend's series against the Blue Jays.

The team currently lists Domingo German, J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka (in that order) for the first series out of the All-Star break. Toronto hasn't gotten to many pitchers this year, but Paxton is an exception (nine earned runs in two starts), and that may have played into the Yankees' decision. Paxton missed most of May with a knee injury and hasn't been quite himself when active this season (4.01 ERA, 1.43 WHIP), with an increased walk rate being the most glaring issue.