MLB Player News

Rodon (biceps) gave up three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out one over 5.2 innings in Saturday's rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte.

In his last rehab start, he walked four and gave up five hits while striking out three in 3.2 innings. In this latest outing, it seemed like he may have been sacrificing some electricity to try to cut down on the walks. Either way, he has not been impressive on the road back to the big-league rotation. He is expected to make one more rehab start before being activated.

Heaney (elbow) hopes to return later this season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

He has been throwing bullpen sessions and is within a couple weeks of facing hitters in Arizona. That will mark the final phase of his rehab and should last about six weeks, so he could potentially be pitching in games in a little over two months. He had Tommy John surgery last July, so it seemed reasonable to expect him to miss all of 2017, but that timetable now sounds premature. His main goal is to finish the season healthy so he can have a normal winter, but it sounds like a late-August/early-September return to the big leagues is in play.

Meyer was dominant Saturday against the Royals, tossing six scoreless frames while allowing just two hits and a walk with nine strikeouts.

The key for Meyer was issuing a season-low one free pass, as he has walked at least four in five of his nine starts this season. His strikeout upside has always been obvious, and if he can continue to limit the walks, the 6-foot-9 rookie would have wide mixed-league appeal. The Angels have some decisions to make regarding the rotation next week, but Meyer will either face the Yankees in New York or the Red Sox in Boston -- teams that will test his ability to throw strikes.

Perez gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five in 5.1 innings Saturday against the Mariners.

Despite the shaky outing, he was able to pick up the win and improve to 3-6 on the season, as Yovani Gallardo was even less effective for Seattle. The 26-year-old southpaw now sports a 4.72 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through 14 starts, and his 16.8 percent strikeout rate ranks 67th among 84 qualified big-league starters. Despite Perez's struggles and the impending return of Cole Hamels (oblique) to the rotation, the Rangers still lack enough quality options for his rotation spot to be in jeopardy.

Miley (3-4) allowed six runs -- five earned -- on six hits and four walks while striking out eight batters through 5.2 innings during Saturday's win over St. Louis.

Miley certainly wasn't sharp, but Baltimore scored nine runs through the first two innings of the game, so the southpaw was able to put it in cruise control and collect his third win of the year. His 4.29 ERA and 1.61 WHIP aren't moving the fantasy needle, but he could prove to be a valuable contributor in the wins and strikeouts columns going forward. Miley sports an 8.3 K/9 for the year and has potential as a streaming option or low-priced flier in daily contests. A difficult home date against Cleveland is next on tap for Miley.

McCullers (back) threw Saturday for the first time since landing on the disabled list, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Everything apparently went well, and McCullers is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in the coming days before the Astros determine when he'll return to the rotation. If all goes well, the Astros are hoping the 23-year-old will be able to rejoin the big club at some point during their upcoming seven-game road trip.

Bridwell was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday and is an option to start Tuesday against the Yankees, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

With Matt Shoemaker (forearm) heading to the disabled list, Bridwell was brought back to the big club as his potential replacement in the rotation. Bridwell notched a quality start earlier in the season in place of Alex Meyer, so he seems to be a safe bet to fill in for Shoemaker for as long as he is sidelined.

Morton (latissimus) is tentatively scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Fresno on Thursday, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

This is good news for the Astros -- who are also without Dallas Keuchel (neck), Lance McCullers (back), and Colin McHugh (elbow) -- as it appears Morton is inching closer to a return to the big club. He was able to resume mound work earlier in the week, and will work towards a more extensive bullpen before hopefully setting out on a rehab assignment next week. Seeing as Morton has been sidelined all month, he will likely need a couple rehab starts before he rejoins the Astros.

Stroman (7-3) took the loss Saturday against the White Sox despite allowing just three earned runs over seven innings. He struck out five batters and issued just one walk, but he gave up three solo home runs.

It was an uncharacteristic outing for Stroman as Saturday marked the third time in 14 starts that he's allowed multiple long balls. He was relatively effective otherwise, hitting the five-strikeout mark for the sixth time in seven outings. Stroman will have a tough test next time out as he'll get the nod Thursday in Texas.

Manager Bob Melvin said Bassitt (elbow) could wind up in the bullpen once he returns from the disabled list, John Hickey of the East Bay Times reports.

The Athletics are uncertain if Bassitt will be able to effectively return as a starter in 2017, so they are contemplating a temporary shift to the bullpen for the 28-year-old. Bassitt has experienced multiple setbacks while recovering from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent last season, so the A's are looking to proceed cautiously with him. While speaking of Bassitt's possible switch to the bullpen, Melvin didn't rule out a return to the starting rotation following the season.