MLB Player News

McCullers (back) is expected to make a rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on either Wednesday or Thursday, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros will move McCullers down a rung for his next outing after he issued five free passes over three innings for Triple-A Fresno on Friday. His control had been shaky (nine walks over 14.1 innings) in the weeks leading up to his placement on the DL, but so long as he shows improvement this week, McCullers should be back contributing for the big club in short order.

Blackburn will get a CT scan on his right hand Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Blackburn was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday, and while preliminary tests revealed no structural damage, the A's want to send him for additional tests to make sure there is no hairline fracture. A more concrete timetable for his return should materialize once the test results are known.

Verlander allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out eight over seven innings Friday but came away with a no-decision in a 3-2 loss to the White Sox.

The veteran righty now sports a 2.49 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 69:15 K:BB in 61.1 innings since the All-Star break, and he continues to make contending teams who passed on the chance to trade for him at the deadline regret their decision. Despite his current form, Verlander will be a risky fantasy play next week, as he takes the mound in Coors Field on Wednesday.

Bridwell (7-2) took the loss Friday to the Astros despite allowing just two runs on six hits with five strikeouts over seven innings.

Despite the loss, Bridwell remains steadily effective. He has given up more than three runs just twice in 14 starts this season. This is his fourth start without issuing a walk, and Bridwell's pristine control has been key to his success all year long. He now has just a 1.9 BB/9 to go with his 2.89 ERA.

Eovaldi (elbow) will progress from bullpen sessions to live batting practice next week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Eovaldi has previously stated that he wasn't ruling out a return just before the end of the regular season, and the latest news confirms that he's another step closer to that possibility. The right-hander is now a year removed from Tommy John surgery and has seemingly made consistent progress throughout his recovery. The more likely scenario is that Eovaldi will enter spring training next year as a full participant and ready to compete for a roster spot.

Odorizzi allowed three runs on three hits and four walks despite four strikeouts over 3.2 innings but walked away with a no-decision Friday against the Cardinals.

Odorizzi has failed to complete four innings in consecutive starts and hasn't made it to the fifth in four of his last five. He is now 0-3 in that stretch with a 6.75 ERA and a 17:17 K:BB. Until he can find a way to fix his massive control problems, Odorizzi is going to remain in this funk.

McCullers (back) allowed three runs on five walks and three hits over three innings in a rehab start Friday at Triple-A Fresno, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

More important will be how McCullers feels tomorrow after throwing 59 pitches, but he certainly did not look ready to return to the majors. That said, the Astros were planning on giving him a couple of rehab starts before bringing him back, so this shouldn't impact his timetable. Expect an early September return.

Groome was placed on the minor-league DL with a left forearm strain, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

With Low-A Greenville's season coming to a close in the next couple of weeks, Groome will be out for the rest of the season, although the club stated that the southpaw's arm had no structural damage. The top prospect has compiled a 3.52 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over five starts in the month of August, and should be able to recover from this setback by the middle of September.

Paxton (pectoral) played catch Thursday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

After being shut down for roughly two weeks, Paxton was recently cleared to pick up a baseball again. It sounds like he's a little behind Felix Hernandez (shoulder) in his rehab, but manager Scott Servais suggested both Paxton and Hernandez are about a week away from advancing to mound work. At this point, a mid-September return is looking like a best-case scenario.

Blackburn was put on the 10-day DL with a right hand contusion prior to Friday's game against the Rangers.

Blackburn will miss his upcoming start, but should be able to return for the first weekend in September when the club travels to Seattle. The right-hander is still dealing with soreness after being hit on the wrist by a liner during Tuesday's start. In his place, the club may choose to give Michael Brady a spot start after recalling the right-hander from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.