MLB Player News

Clevinger, who was optioned back to Triple-A after being called up as the 26th man for Saturday's doubleheader with the Twins, will return to start Thursday against the Orioles at Camden Yards, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Clevinger was pitching well before his start Saturday was cut short by rain. The decision to make Clevinger the 26th man for the doubleheader negates the 10-day timetable for a player to remain in the minors after being optioned, thereby giving the Cleveland bullpen more depth for a few days until his eventual return this week.

Rodriguez (knee) threw a bullpen session Sunday, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reports.

This marks the second bullpen session for Rodriguez, but more significant tests await, as the left-hander must still proceed to on-field running and agility drills. "There's a progression that's going on, and all the while still able to keep his arm in shape, which is the obvious positive in all of this," manager John Farrell said. Estimating Rodriguez's timetable for a return is a dodgy exercise, though it appears he's ahead of schedule, given that the initial prognosis had him resting the knee for 3-to-4 weeks.

Morton (latissimus) will throw a bullpen session Monday in Oakland, Mark Eisenhauer of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Morton, who was placed on the disabled list May 28 with a lat strain, told reporters Saturday that he's set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Fresno on Thursday.

McCullers (back) has joined his teammates on the road and will throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday, Mark Eisenhauer of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager A.J. Hinch suggested a possible start against Seattle later this week "if all goes well." McCullers was placed on the 10-day disabled list when he experienced lower-back discomfort while throwing in between starts June 12.

Keuchel (neck) will start playing catch Monday in Oakland as the Astros kick off a seven-game road trip, Mark Eisenhauer of the Houston Chronicle reports.

This will be the first time Keuchel has thrown since the left-hander was scratched from a start June 7. The fact that he's with the team on the road suggests he may return at some point over the next week, but we'll learn more after Monday's session.

Musgrove (4-6) allowed five runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings in a loss Sunday to the Red Sox.

Musgrove was nasty at times, as he was able to induce 10 swinging strikes in just 90 pitches. Unfortunately, he was just too sloppy to make it count. When he missed, he missed badly, as he was touched up for a pair of home runs that accounted for three of the five runs he allowed. This was just Musgrove's second start since returning from a disabled list trip for shoulder discomfort, and he may need another start to get back to midseason form.

Hamels (oblique) will make his next rehab start with Double-A Frisco on Wednesday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

It could be the second and final rehab start for Hamels, who looked excellent in his outing Friday for Frisco, covering three scoreless innings and conceding one hit and no walks. He'll presumably approach 75 pitches Wednesday after tossing 35 his last time out, and even if his performance takes a step back, a return from the 10-day disabled list could be in the offing if he experiences no renewed soreness with his right oblique.

Darvish (6-5) took the loss and allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings Sunday against the Mariners. He struck out six and walked one.

The five runs Darvish allowed mark his highest total in all of 2017, which is actually pretty impressive. Still, that doesn't excuse him for a dismal start, in which he threw a first-pitch strike to just 11 of the 23 batters he faced. Over his last five starts, he's allowed 15 runs in 30.1 innings. However, he still has a 3.35 ERA on the season.

Bergman (4-4) earned the win while allowing two runs on four hits and to walks over 5.2 innings Sunday against the Rangers. He struck out one.

After a brutal start in which he could not get through the third frame, this can be considered a solid bounceback start for Bergman. The only runs he yielded came on a Carlos Gomez two-run homer in the second inning. Two points of concern in Bergman's outing were the lack of strikeouts and the fact that he coerced only two swinging strikes against 22 batters.

The Blue Jays traded Grube to the Indians on Sunday for cash considerations, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

As a 35-year-old with a 6.14 ERA over 55.2 frames with Triple-A Buffalo this season, Grube was little more than organizational filler for the Blue Jays, so moving him will free up more innings for some younger arms. Grube, who has one career appearance in the majors to his name (with the Angels in 2014), doesn't look to have a much easier path back to the big leagues as he changes organizations.