MLB Player News

German is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

With CC Sabathia (hamstring) expected to land on the disabled list Thursday, German will rejoin the Yankees for the second time in less than a week. The 24-year-old tossed 2.2 innings scoreless innings of relief in his major-league debut earlier in the week before being sent back to Triple-A. While German has worked primarily as a starter in the minors this season, it's unclear how the Yankees will look to use him in his second stint with the club.

McCullers (lower back) could resume throwing as early as this weekend, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

If the Astros are talking about McCullers picking up a ball Saturday for the first time since being placed on the disabled list, that's cutting it pretty close. He's eligible to come off the disabled list next Monday, but given he'll throw for the first time Saturday, fantasy owners should plan on him not being back on time.

Hamels (oblique) could be cleared to make his first minor-league rehab start as early as Friday, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Hamels has been able to get through some simulated innings during the Rangers' road trip, and if he recovers well from Tuesday's session, manager Jeff Banister indicated he'll likely Join Double-A Frisco for a rehab start Friday. Should that happen, Hamels would throw either four innings or 65 pitches before progressing from there. If all goes well for Hamels, he could rejoin the Rangers as early as June 26 against the Indians, though that remains a very tentative timetable. Either way, he appears to be progressing well from an oblique strain that has kept him sidelined since May 2.

Hammel (3-6) pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one run on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Giants.

That makes three straight quality starts for Hammel, who held his opponent to one run for the second time in a row. After a rough start to the season, the righty is showing signs of life. In June, Hammel is 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA over 20.1 innings. He'll take on rookie Brian Johnson and the Red Sox on Monday in his next start.

Bridwell was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Bridwell will join the big club to offer a fresh arm out of the bullpen after Tuesday's 11-inning contest, though his stay likely won't last too long. The 25-year-old has worked primarily as a starter this season, so he should serve as a long-relief option. Michael Morin was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Morton (latissimus) threw 10-15 pitches off a mound Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

This is a big step in Morton's recovery process, as it's the first time he's been able to work off a mound since landing on the disabled list on May 28 with a lat strain. He'll work towards throwing a more extensive bullpen before likely heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment.

Hamels (oblique) could be cleared to make his first minor-league rehab start next week, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Hamels was able to throw two 15-pitch innings Tuesday to glowing reports, with manager Jeff Banister indicating the lefty's cutter and breaking ball both looked sharp. Banister said that Hamels won't necessarily need to throw a bullpen session before being cleared to begin a rehab assignment, but an official determination on that front should arrive by the weekend.

Asher (2-5) was tagged for six runs on six hits and two walks in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the White Sox. He struck out just a single batter over five innings.

The totals from Asher's last four appearances: 17.1 innings, 22 hits, seven walks, 19 runs (all earned). While the early returns were more positive for him, Asher's low upside and homer-prone nature make him a tough own in fantasy. He'll face off with the Cardinals on Sunday.

Ramirez went 6.2 innings against the Yankees on Tuesday, striking out seven while allowing two runs on five hits and three walks. He didn't factor into the decision.

The Angels went on to win in extras, but Ramirez was long gone by then. Still, this was a crucial bounce-back outing for the 28-year-old righty, who'd given up 11 runs on 18 hits over 9.1 innings spanning his last two starts. If you pick your spots -- and get a little lucky -- he can be a serviceable streamer; just don't get your expectations too high, as Ramirez doesn't miss a whole lot of bats despite his mid-90s heat. Sunday's scheduled start against the scuffling Royals checks out as an interesting matchup for him, though Kansas City did score five runs off Ramirez back on April 14.

Bergman (3-4) got pulverized to the tune of nine runs on 10 hits over 2.2 innings in Minnesota on Tuesday. He struck out three without a walk.

This marks the second unmitigated implosion by Bergman this season, joining his 10-run outing in Washington on May 23. If you take those two starts out, he's allowed just seven earned runs over 34 innings (1.85 ERA) in his other six MLB appearances this year, highlighting the boom-or-bust profile he's offered fantasy owners to this point. However, Bergman's tendency to serve up long balls (10 in 40.2 innings on the year) and awful 5.91 FIP suggest that we're likely to see him bust more often as the season continues.