MLB Player News

Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber was feeling better Sunday after leaving Saturday's start against the Twins with hip soreness. He is planning to throw off a mound Tuesday, with the goal of making his next start Friday against the Rangers.

Manager Terry Francona added Kluber could be pushed back to Saturday, if needed, due to Thursday's off-day.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland delivered his latest theory on why starting pitcher Justin Verlander continues to struggle following another tough outing for the former AL MVP Saturday against the Royals.

"I don't know what Justin will say, but it looks to me like he's pitching a little careful, just not being aggressive with his stuff and pitching a little bit too careful. That's just my observation," Leyland said, per MLive.com. "I'm just saying that's what I see. I'm not going to comment any further on it. That's just kind of what I sense."

Verlander seemed to disagree with his manager's assessment.

"No," he said when asked if he was being "too careful."

Catcher Alex Avila suggests Verlander is having trouble repeating his release point. 

"He was throwing anywhere from 90 to 98 today," Avila said. "That's pretty damn good. … It's about your release point, about repeating delivery and having that same release point. That's the same across the board with everybody. I'm not concerned about his fastball (velocity). He's throwing hard."

Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber feels he will be able to make his next start Friday against the Rangers after leaving Saturday's start against the Twins with a sore left hip.

"In my last start, I felt the hip on one pitch," Kluber said, per The Plain Dealer. "(Saturday), it was kind of constant. It's something minor to work through and get ready for the next one ... I wanted to go more than five innings, but (Indians manager) 'Tito' (Francona) said he wanted to get me out of there because they thought I was altering my delivery."

Francona added, "It was more about protecting Corey. I just felt it was time to get him out of there."

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander was roughed up by the Royals in Saturday's 6-5 loss, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits and four walks while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings.

It was the second time in his last three starts and third in his last seven that Verlander gave up five earned runs. He's 10-7 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 128:49 K:BB ratio going into Thursday's matchup with the White Sox.

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber left Saturday's start against the Twins with left hip tightness, the team announced during the game. Kluber allowed three hits and two walks in five innings while striking out seven before exiting and did not factor into the decision.

Kluber is scheduled to face the Rangers Friday if his hip injury isn't serious.

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento Saturday, to make room on the roster for the recall of Dan Straily. Gray appeared in two games for the A's, throwing four scoreless innings of relief. 

Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander's tight right quad "doesn't appear to be" an issue that will keep him from starting Saturday against the Royals, according to MLive.com. Verlander was forced to leave his last start due to the injury, but he has never been at risk of missing this start. 

Verlander finished the first half of the season with a 3.50 ERA in 126 innings. He is 10-6 in 20 starts, while ranking sixth in the American League with 125 strikeouts. 

What's that? Alex Cobb is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday? Already?

Maybe his absence over the last month feels like an eternity to you, but after originally saying he just hoped to compete again this year after taking a liner off the head June 15, the Rays right-hander now looks like he's going to meet the most optimistic of timetables. He already threw 59 pitches in a simulated game Thursday and is expected to progress to 75 in his second rehab start July 28. Assuming he does, you'd think he'd have a reasonable chance to return for his first turn through the rotation in August.

The way he was pitching before suffering the concussion, compiling a 3.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 13 starts, he figures to be more or less a must-start option in Fantasy down the stretch. I just picked him up for $4 in a fairly deep league -- one where 360 players are rostered -- so check and make sure nobody was crazy enough to drop him in yours.

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at High Class A Charlotte, The Tampa Tribune reports.

Cobb threw 59 pitches in a simulated game before getting the go-ahead to begin the rehab assignment. He has been out since June 15 with a concussion and leg injury. He is likely to need three or four rehab starts, so he will likely need until August to return to the majors.

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb, who threw a simulated game Thursday, is scheduled to make a rehab start with Class A Charlotte Tuesday, the Tampa Tribune reports. Cobb is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday and wil be limited to 60 pitches or four innings in Tuesday's start.

If Cobb's first start goes well, he's scheduled to throw 75 pitches or five innings on July 28.