MLB Player News

Odorizzi (hamstring) played catch on flat ground Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Odorizzi left his start Saturday with hamstring tightness, and the Rays hope he misses just two starts. The 27-year-old allowed six runs in 13 innings over three starts to begin the season. Erasmo Ramirez will take his place in the rotation in the meantime.

Mejia may be skipped in the rotation following Wednesday's rainout as Ervin Santana is slated to start for the Twins on Thursday.

The Twins could opt to push back one or more of their other starters, but there has been no indication that they will do so. Thus it's possible Mejia heads to the bullpen for a day or two before returning to the rotation early next week. Mejia took a step forward in his second career start last week, tossing five innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts, although it was against the White Sox.

Rodriguez (personal) was activated from the paternity list Wednesday and will be available out of the bullpen, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

As expected, the southpaw is able to return to the team and even appear in relief if necessary given that he missed his scheduled start Tuesday. Following his activation, Rodriguez appears to be lined up to start Sunday's contest against the Orioles. Brian Johnson was sent back to Triple-A to open up a roster spot.

Hammel (0-1) allowed only one run on six hits and a walk while striking out three over six innings but came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Giants.

It's his first quality start of the season as Hammel has stumbled a bit out of the gates, posting a 4.60 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 9:7 K:BB through his first 15.2 innings as a Royal. The veteran righty could have a tough time turning things around in his next start, though, as he'll face the Rangers in Arlington on Sunday.

Musgrove (1-1) gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Angels.

He threw 73 of 100 pitches for strikes but paid dearly for his mistakes, including a three-run bomb by Albert Pujols in the fifth inning. Musgrove now has a 5.87 ERA and 1.63 WHIP through his first 15.1 innings this season and has yet to pitch six innings in a start, and will need to turn things around soon if he wants to keep his spot in the rotation. His next start will come Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Nolasco (1-2) gave up two runs on eight hits while striking out three over six innings in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Astros.

The long ball continues to plague Nolasco as both runs he allowed Tuesday came on solo shots, and he's now served up an ugly seven homers in just four starts (22.2 innings) to begin the season. The veteran right-hander's 17:3 K:BB is nice, but it comes with the risk of a highly inflated ERA. His next start will come Sunday at home against the Blue Jays.

Darvish (1-2) gave up four runs on three hits and a pair of walks over 5.1 innings in Tuesday's loss to Oakland. He struck out four.

He was cruising along until he hit the sixth inning, when the A's scored all four runs off him while Darvish was able to record just a single out. The Japanese righty has been hit or miss over his first four starts, as he's sandwiched two excellent starts between a pair of four-run efforts. That 23:12 K:BB over 24.2 innings isn't exactly the sort of awe-inspiring figure fantasy owners are looking for, but Darvish should keep getting better as the season wears on. He'll draw the Royals at home on Sunday.

Stroman (1-2) gave up six runs on 11 hits and a walk over 4.2 innings in Tuesday's 8-7 loss to Boston.

His teammates battled back late, but not quite far enough to get Stroman off the hook. This serves as an ugly reminder to Stroman owners of the perils of AL East pitcher ownership -- all those starts against the Red Sox, Yankees and Orioles promise to be no fun at all. Still, Stroman has quality stuff, so outings like this one should be the exception rather than the rule. He'll next face the Angels on the road Sunday.

Gausman (1-1) lasted just 2.2 innings in Cincinnati on Tuesday, giving up eight runs on eight hits and three walks.

Something doesn't smell right about what we're seeing out of Gausman so far. It's not just his unsightly 7.23 ERA and 2.04 WHIP; it's his awful 13:12 K:BB in 18.2 innings. That's a huge departure from last year's 174:47 mark over 179.2 frames. Gausman doesn't seem to be nursing an injury, as his velocity is normal, and he blamed "bad command" and "bad execution" after the game, per Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com. He's not a drop candidate yet because the upside is so tantalizing, but Gausman should be approached with trepidation heading into Sunday's start against Boston.

Severino (1-1) pitched eight innings against the White Sox on Tuesday, striking out 10 while giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits.

He's shown great control to open the year, as this walk-free performance leaves Severino with a spectacular 27:2 K:BB over 20 innings in his first three starts. That's a huge improvement in walk rate (not to mention a major leap in strikeouts), and if he can maintain it, Severino will end up being one of the bargains of the year on the mound. The one area of concern is the long ball -- he's given up four now, including a pair Tuesday.