MLB Player News

Francis (forearm) threw a bullpen session Monday and is slated to throw two simulated innings Thursday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Barring any sort of setback, Francis is expected to embark on a rehab assignment shortly after his simulated game Thursday. He will serve as a starter while on his assignment, but he will likely be limited to a long-relief role once he returns to the Blue Jays. The 28-year-old righty posted an 8.59 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 14.2 innings before landing on the injured list April 25.

Whitlock (oblique) will throw live batting practice Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Assuming all goes well during his live BP session, Whitlock will move onto a rehab assignment next week, though it's unclear if he will require more than one start in the minors. The 27-year-old right-hander has been on the injured list since April 17 and just began his throwing program Saturday.

Cole (elbow) completed a bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to throw another bullpen this weekend, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Cole is continuing to progress toward returning after throwing off a mound May 4 for the first time since being placed on the injured list in March. He tossed another bullpen session Tuesday without a setback and is expected to continue to ramp up his throwing efforts in the coming weeks. Cole appears to be on track for an early-to-mid-June return.

Rodriguez (shoulder) "feels much better" and hopes to be reinstated once he becomes eligible May 15, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reported Tuesday.

Rodriguez has battled inflammation in his shoulder throughout May. However, per Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, his move to the 15-day IL was to prevent the issue from developing into anything more serious, and he could return to the O's without a rehab start. Rodriguez has a 4-1 record with a 3.71 ERA through six starts and would likely replace Cole Irvin in the rotation once available.

Marsh (elbow) struck out six and gave up one hit and one walk over four shutout innings Sunday in his rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Royals manager Matt Quatraro said prior to Sunday's rehab outing that Marsh was being targeted for 60-to-65 pitches, but the right-hander fell slightly short of that benchmark with 53 pitches (38 strikes). In any case, Marsh mowed down the Triple-A Iowa lineup in efficient fashion and looks as though he could be ready to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible Friday against the Angels. If the Royals instead decide to give Marsh one more rehab start to increase his pitch count, Daniel Lynch would likely be in store for a second turn through the rotation this weekend.

Eovaldi (groin) was seen playing catch ahead of Tuesday's game against the Athletics, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Manager Bruce Bochy provided a positive update Monday with news that the right-hander isn't dealing with a sports hernia, and Eovaldi is back to playing catch a day later. Barring any sort of setback, the 34-year-old could be good to go without needing a rehab assignment once he clears the 15-day IL on May 18. In the meantime, Jose Urena and Jack Leiter will be deployed as starters when necessary.

Bido will be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to start the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Bido has earned a look after collecting a 2.59 ERA and 39:13 K:BB across 31.1 innings with Las Vegas this season. With Joe Boyle (back) landing on the 15-day injured list, it's possible Bido will be asked to make additional starts for Oakland beyond Wednesday.

Waldichuk (elbow) experienced a setback after throwing a 25-pitch live batting practice April 29 and is shut down for the time being, MLB.com reports.

The left-hander has not thrown since that session and is slated to be reevaluated in the coming days. It's naturally a tough break for Waldichuk, who opened the season on the 60-day IL but had been making uninterrupted progress prior to this recent stumble. Given Waldichuk will almost certainly require a full-length rehab assignment whenever he is cleared for game action, he may be hard-pressed to be ready for activation before mid-June.

Medina (knee) faced hitters during a 20-pitch live bullpen session at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday and came away feeling good, MLB.com reports.

It's another step in the right direction for Medina, who's now slated to head to the Athletics' minor-league complex in Arizona to throw a simulated game Friday. If that also goes off without a hitch, Medina is projected to begin a rehab assignment shortly thereafter.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Leiter will "probably" start the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Athletics, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Michael Lorenzen will start the first game of the double dip and Leiter has already joined the club in Oakland as he lines up for the second contest. The young right-hander struggled in a spot start in Detroit last month in his major-league debut, yielding seven runs over 3.2 frames. However, he's been sharp at Triple-A Round Rock with a 2.84 ERA and 37:8 K:BB over 25.1 innings. While there is obvious risk, Leiter represents an intriguing streaming option Wednesday. He's a possibility to make at least one additional start, as well while Nathan Eovaldi (groin) recovers.