MLB Player News

Morton played catch Friday afternoon for the first time since being placed on the disabled list with a right latissimus strain, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Morton hadn't picked up a ball in 13 days before making about 25 throws from roughly 75 feet. The plan was to have the right-hander throw again over the weekend and work toward pitching off a mound. Given the length of time Morton's been off, a minor-league rehabilitation assignment is a near certainty.

German was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday following the Yankees' 14-3 win over the Orioles.

German pitched 2.2 innings of relief in the win, allowing just two hit and one walk while recording one strikeout. It was the right-hander's job to provide length on a day the Yankees were short-handed, and that's what he did. However, the Yankees will now send him down for a fresher arm in the form of Ben Heller.

Gausman (3-5) allowed seven runs on eight hits and six walks across 3.1 innings in Sunday's loss to the Yankees. He did not record a strikeout.

Most of the damage to Gausman's line was done in the first inning, when he allowed a two-run single to Starlin Castro before Gary Sanchez belted a three-run home run. He ran into more trouble in the fourth, allowing another pair of runs before he was yanked with one out. While this season has been quite frustrating for Gausman and any fantasy owners who have stuck with him, this shellacking is especially discouraging since he had appeared to be on the right track with a 3.65 ERA over his previous four starts. Now the owner of an unsightly 6.49 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP, Gausman will next toe the rubber Friday against the Cardinals.

Quintana (2-8) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks across five innings in Sunday's loss to the Indians. He struck out three.

Quintana did his best to cope with a dangerous lineup, but he was undone by rallies in the second and fourth innings which produced all of the runs on his ledger. He struggled around the plate, throwing just 57 percent of his pitches for strikes, but he allowed just one extra-base hit to help minimize the damage. A pair of disastrous outings to finish the month of May contributed to Quintana's bloated 5.30 ERA and 1.41 WHIP, but looking at the larger sample he has now allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last 10 turns. A contributing factor to his misfortune this season has been a string of difficult matchups -- a theme that will continue has he next takes the mound Friday in Toronto.

Carrasco (6-3) allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk across 5.1 innings during Sunday's win over the White Sox. He struck out four.

While he allowed more baserunners than normal, Carrasco worked around trouble quite effectively until the sixth, when he allowed a two-run double to Todd Frazier just before his removal with one out. Though he was pitching on eight days' rest, stamina appeared to be an issue for the right-hander, who was removed as he began to fade after just 85 pitches. Carrasco still pitched relatively well despite his inability to get deeper into the game, and he got back into the win column after a poor showing in his previous start. Now the owner of a 3.36 ERA and a sharp 1.00 WHIP, Carrasco will look to build on this effort Friday against the Twins.

Rodon (biceps) gave up four runs on five hits and four walks over 3.2 innings during his second rehab start with Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday. He struck out three batters.

Rodon upped his pitch count to 84 on Sunday but struggled mightily to find the zone, tossing only 44 of his pitches for strikes. The left-hander has been roughed up in both of his rehab starts, but the White Sox haven't indicated any plans to alter his timeline for returning from the disabled list. He's expected to make two more rehab starts with Charlotte before being activated.

Manager Bob Melvin said Sunday that Bassitt (elbow) is feeling much better since the Athletics decided to shut him down in May, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Melvin didn't expand much on the extent of the setback Bassitt experienced with his elbow during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, but it appears some time off from throwing provided great relief for the 28-year-old. Bassitt could be cleared to restart his throwing program soon if he continues to show improvement, but the odds seem to be against him returning from the disabled list before the end of the month.

Musgrove (shoulder) will start Monday against the Rangers, Christian Boutwell of MLB.com reports.

Musgrove experienced no further shoulder discomfort after his most recent bullpen session, so he'll rejoin the rotation this week and line up for two starts, with a second likely coming July 18 against the Red Sox. With Musgrove returning to the fray, it's expected that David Paulino will lose out on a starting role and head back to Triple-A Fresno.

Severino (5-2) got the win Saturday, tossing seven innings with eight strikeouts while allowing one run on just two hits and two walks against the Orioles.

Severino coasted through this one, and at just 89 pitches, he likely could've pitched even deeper, but the Yankees didn't want to push their 23-year-old with an already comfortable 14-1 lead at the time. The righty has now gone five straight starts with at least seven strikeouts and allowing two or fewer runs, a stretch in which he's gone 3-0 and lowered his ERA to a team-best 2.75. He'll look to keep rolling next time out when he takes the mound in Oakland on Friday.

The Twins designated Rucinski for assignment Sunday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

With the Twins needing to clear a 40-man roster spot for new fifth starter Nik Turley, Rucinski, a 28-year-old who had given up five runs over 4.1 innings in his previous two appearances with the big club this season, was the casualty. Unless another team elects to bring Rucinski aboard its 40-man roster via waivers or trade, the right-hander probably will remain in the Twins organization and work as a swingman for Triple-A Rochester.