MLB Player News

Eflin (lat) played catch Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Eflin began a throwing progression after being shut down with a mild right lat strain one week ago. The veteran right-hander is optimistic his absence won't last long, but a clearer picture of Eflin's timetable won't be available until he's further along in his throwing program.

Seymour has a 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB in 15 innings across three starts for Triple-A Durham.

The only Triple-A pitcher with a higher swinging-strike rate than Seymour (19.4 percent) is Spencer Strider (22.6 percent), who was completing a rehab assignment. Seymour is a lefty with a deceptive three-quarters delivery and a knack for keeping hitters off balance by changing speeds and landing all of his pitches for strikes. His fastball has averaged 89.6 mph (touched 91.6 mph) and he has thrown his changeup as much or more than his fastball while mixing in his cutter and seldom-used curveball and sweeper. Seymour is already on the 40-man roster and could join the big-league rotation whenever there is a need.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Scherzer (thumb) is scheduled to meet with a doctor Wednesday after throwing on consecutive days, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Scherzer experienced renewed soreness in his thumb after throwing late last week, but after a brief shutdown, the right-hander was able to start playing catch again. He'll get a checkup Wednesday from a different hand specialist than the one he had been meeting with previously with the hope that he's cleared to ramp up the intensity and volume of his throwing. Easton Lucas should continue to hold down a spot in the rotation until Scherzer is able to return from the injured list, perhaps in late April or early May if he incurs no further setbacks in the recovery process.

Lopez (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The session went off without a hitch and now the Twins will wait to see how Lopez's right hamstring responds Thursday before they determine the next steps. Lopez is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list April 24, and it's possible he's ready to go on that date if he continues to progress.

The Tigers recalled Montero from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.

Montero will get a spot start Wednesday in Milwaukee as the Tigers look to provide their regular rotation members with extra rest. The right-hander was off to a nice start with Toledo, permitting three runs with an 11:1 K:BB over 9.2 frames covering his first two outings.

Crawford (knee) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Crawford opened the season on the injured list with right patellar tendinopathy. Red Sox manager Alex Cora remains unsure of what the next step is in Crawford's progression, but the manager noted Crawford is not "close to being back with us."

Morton (0-4) allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two in five innings in a loss to the Guardians on Tuesday.

Morton's struggles continued, as he's now given up four-plus earned runs in six straight starts (dating back to the end of last season) for the first time in his 18-year career. Walks in the third contributed to the Guardians' first run of the game and they poured on three more in the fifth, including a two-run homer from Steven Kwan. Morton will continue to stick in the rotation while the Orioles' top two starters are on the shelf. He lines up to face the Reds in Baltimore on Sunday.

Allen (1-1) tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in a win over the Orioles on Tuesday, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out six.

Allen mowed down the Orioles, allowing just two base knocks to Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson. After showing poor command in his 2025 debut, Allen has looked like a completely different pitcher. He's given up one run in his last 10.1 innings while averaging just under a strikeout per inning. Allen owns a 2.30 ERA and 1.40 WHIP and lines up for a favorable matchup versus the Pirates this weekend.

Mahle (3-0) picked up the win in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the Angels, allowing three hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out a season-high nine.

The right-hander only ran into any kind of trouble in the fourth inning, when a one-out walk to Mike Trout followed by a Jorge Soler single put runners on first and third, but Mahle buckled down and fanned Travis d'Arnaud and Nolan Schanuel to escape the jam. Mahle has had a brilliant, and more importantly healthy, beginning to the season, posting a 0.92 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 21:9 K:BB through 19.2 innings over four trips to the mound. He's set for a tough test in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home this weekend against the Dodgers.

Kikuchi (0-3) took the loss Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over six innings as the Angels were downed 4-0 by the Rangers. He struck out six.

The southpaw produced his third quality start in four outings to begin the season, but a lack of run support kept Kikuchi out of the win column once again -- the Halos have scored a total of 10 runs in his four trips to the mound. Kikuchi tossed 51 of 79 pitches for strikes before exiting, and he'll take a 4.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 22:10 K:BB through 24 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Giants.