MLB Player News

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Monday that deGrom (elbow) is "getting close" to facing hitters, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

DeGrom will throw around 40 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday and is slated for another bullpen session Friday. It sounds as if he should be cleared to face hitters after that, and Bochy added Monday that he anticipates deGrom needing three live batting practice sessions before being cleared for a rehab assignment. Given that timeline, it would seem as though deGrom won't be ready for his season debut until late August, at the earliest.

Mahle (elbow) will make his next rehab start Thursday with Double-A Frisco, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Mahle made the fourth start of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out three and allowing two hits and one walk. The 29-year-old right-hander continues to build up his pitch count while he works his way back from May 2023 Tommy John surgery, and he could be ready to return from the 60-day injured list in early August.

Rodon (10-7) picked up the win Monday against Tampa Bay, yielding one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out 10 over seven innings.

The only damage done to Rodon came on a solo home run by Jose Siri in the fifth inning. The southpaw baffled hitters all afternoon, racking up 37 called plus swinging strikes among his 101 pitches en route to a season-best 10 punchouts. Monday's start was much needed for Rodon, who hobbled into the All-Star break mired in a brutal slump. In six starts leading up to the intermission, the 31-year-old compiled a 0-5 record with a disastrous 9.67 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. Perhaps the break has rejuvenated Rodon, but he remains a high-risk, high-reward fantasy play. He will look to keep things rolling in his next start, which is currently scheduled for this weekend in Boston.

Littell (3-7) took the loss Monday against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out six.

The 28-year-old surrendered three home runs in this one, including back-to-back blasts from Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe in the second inning. Littell has allowed at least one home run in 11 of his past 12 starts, limping to a 5.49 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB during that stretch. The right-hander boasts an elite 4.95 K/BB that ranks in the 94th percentile, but he will need to keep the ball in the yard to find consistency. Littell will look to bounce back his next time out, a start currently scheduled for this weekend against Cincinnati.

Stripling (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday, Janie McCauley of the Associated Press reports.

The right-hander completed five innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, building up to 52 pitches. Stripling has already made three rehab starts but may need one more appearance to build up his pitch count before he returns from the 15-day injured list and slides back into the Oakland rotation.

Medina (elbow) will seek a second opinion on the UCL damage that's sidelined him since July 13, the Associated Press reports.

Manager Mark Kotsay noted Medina would miss "significant time" the day after the right-hander's placement on the IL. The right-hander is hoping he won't need surgery, but it may be unavoidable.

High-A Cedar Rapids reinstated Prielipp (elbow) from its 60-day injured list Monday.

After requiring surgery last July to address a torn UCL in his left elbow, Prielipp opened the season on Cedar Rapids' IL before he was cleared to begin a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League shortly before the All-Star break. He received the green light to rejoin Cedar Rapids after turning in two dazzling rehab outings in the FCL, with the southpaw striking out eight while issuing no walks and allowing just two hits over four scoreless innings between those starts. Prielipp should make his 2024 debut for Cedar Rapids later this week but will likely have his pitch count monitored carefully.

Poteet (tricep) threw lightly from a mound Friday but has yet to be cleared for full bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.

Though he isn't moving quickly through his throwing program after being cleared to start playing catch just over two weeks ago, Poteet has thus far avoided any setbacks with his right tricep strain. He made four starts for the Yankees before landing on the 15-day injured list June 18, but he'll likely have to settle for a bullpen role once he's activated, if New York doesn't choose to option him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre instead.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Pepiot (knee) is expected to be released from a New York City hospital Monday and will fly back to Florida to continue receiving treatment, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Pepiot landed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with an infection in his left knee, but Cash added Monday that while the hurler has some residual soreness, he's walking and moving around fine. The right-hander will be eligible for activation Aug. 3 and looks to have a shot to be back by that date or shortly thereafter.

Crawford dropped to 6-8 on the season in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Dodgers after allowing six earned runs on seven hits while striking out two over five innings.

Crawford had given up just one home run and one run total across his three July starts heading into Sunday's outing, but he struggled to keep the ball in the yard in Los Angeles. He was staked to an early 2-0 lead, which disappeared by the third inning. He proceeded to serve up five solo home runs before all was said and done, while the sixth run he allowed coming on an RBI double by Gavin Lux in the first inning. His two strikeouts were also a season low, as he registered nine whiffs on 77 pitches. Sunday was certainly an outing to forget for the 28-year-old, though he's still been one of the better pitchers in the Red Sox rotation for much of the season. Crawford now owns a 3.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 112:29 K:BB in 117.2 innings and will look to bounce back in his next start, which is expected to come against the Yankees next weekend.