MLB Player News

Springs (elbow) will pitch in the Florida Complex League on May 20, MLB.com reports.

Springs completed a two-inning live batting practice session Wednesday, lining him up to return to the mound in an official game for the first time since April 13, 2023. He'll have a significant ramp-up period before being activated from the injured list, but he is projected to return in late June.

Pepiot (leg) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is likely to throw a simulated game in the near future, MLB.com reports.

The exact next steps for Pepiot are unclear, but he is on the road with the team and is still aiming to return after a minimum term on the 15-day injured list. If he can reach that goal, he would line up to start at some point during the Rays' homestand next week against the Red Sox and Royals.

Gray (2-1) allowed four hits and two walks while striking out three over 6.1 shutout innings to earn the win Wednesday versus the Guardians.

Gray has strung together four straight quality starts after posting just one over his first six outings this season. During his hot streak, the right-hander has allowed just four runs while posting a 20:3 K:BB over 27.1 innings. Gray is at a 2.08 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 52:14 K:BB through 52 innings across 10 appearances (nine starts) in 2024. He'll look to keep it up in his next start, tentatively projected to come on the road against the Phillies.

Carrasco (2-4) took the loss versus the Rangers on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings.

Carrasco traded zeros with Jon Gray for the first four innings, but the Rangers broke through on a two-run home by Marcus Semien in the fifth. This was a small step back for Carrasco, who had posted quality starts in his last two outings. The right-hander is now at a 5.16 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 34:18 K:BB over 45.1 innings this season. He is projected for a home start versus the Mets his next time out.

Stroman (3-2) earned the win Wednesday over the Twins, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out two over six shutout innings.

This was Stroman's second scoreless start of the season, as well as his third quality start. He entered Wednesday with nine runs allowed over his previous 15 innings across a three-start winless skid. The right-hander trimmed his ERA to 3.33 with a 1.42 WHIP and 42:25 K:BB over 48.2 innings through nine starts this season. Stroman's 4.6 BB/9 remains a concern -- it's by far the worst of his career, though his 7.8 K/9 is in line with his career norms. Stroman is projected to make his next start at home versus the Mariners.

Lopez (4-3) allowed three runs on 10 hits while striking out three over 6.1 innings, taking the loss Wednesday versus the Yankees. He did not walk a batter.

The 10 hits allowed were a season high for Lopez, who also received no run support in a 4-0 loss. He gave up a run in each of the first three innings before settling in to keep things relatively close. The Twins' ace is at a 3.93 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 58:8 K:BB through 50.1 innings over nine starts this season. Lopez is lined up for a more favorable road matchup versus the Nationals his next time out.

Crochet (4-4) picked up the win in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over the Nationals, giving up three hits and three walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out six.

The left-hander wasn't exactly efficient, tossing only 56 of 89 pitches for strikes, but Crochet lasted long enough to qualify for the win. After a rough stretch in April, the 24-year-old has allowed only three runs over his last three starts (1.59 ERA) with a stellar 24:1 K:BB in 17 innings. Crochet will look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Toronto.

Mize (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Marlins, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out six.

Jazz Chisholm led off the game with a base hit before Bryan De La Cruz smacked a two-run homer off Mize. The right-hander would proceed to blank the Marlins over his subsequent five innings, allowing just one additional hit, though the Tigers' offense couldn't provide any support in an eventual 2-0 defeat. It's the fourth quality start of the season for Mize, who's allowed just three runs on seven hits over 12 innings in his last two outings. He sports a 3.50 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 32:10 K:BB across eight starts (43.2 innings) this year. Mize is currently in line for a road matchup with the Royals in his next outing.

The Rangers optioned Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

Texas won't immediately replace Leiter in its rotation, but the rookie right-hander will cede his spot on the 26-man active roster to right-hander Shaun Anderson, who was called up from Round Rock and will provide some length out of the bullpen in the short term. Leiter's demotion comes one day after he failed to escape the second inning in the Rangers' 7-4 loss to the Guardians. He's labored in each of his first three big-league starts, giving up 17 earned runs on 18 hits and six walks while striking out seven across 9.1 innings.

The Rangers transferred Scherzer (back/arm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

Scherzer surprisingly avoided the 60-day IL to begin the season after the Rangers were encouraged enough by his recovery from his Dec. 15 back surgery during spring training to keep the door open for him to make his 2024 debut before May 27. Though Scherzer remained on track to meet the Rangers' goal as recently as a few weeks ago, it became clear that his absence would extend into June after he dealt with a thumb issue coming out of his first rehab start April 24 with Triple-A Round Rock. He hasn't been able to do much activity ever since, but he'll play light catch Wednesday while he contends with a nerve issue in addition to ramping back up from his herniated disc surgery. Fortunately for Scherzer, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com relays that the right-hander has had MRIs on his triceps, elbow and neck that all returned clean, so the nerve problem is believed to be something that he'll be able to manage. The Rangers will wait and see how he responds to playing catch Wednesday before mapping out his throwing progression any futher.