MLB Player News

Ragans (groin) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

A mild left groin strain kept Ragans from making his scheduled start Wednesday versus the Rays, but as long as he gets through Friday's bullpen session without issue, he'll rejoin the Royals rotation Monday against the White Sox. Noah Cameron -- who started Wednesday in Ragans' place -- has already been sent back down to Triple-A Omaha, suggesting the club feels confident Ragans will be ready to go Monday, although Cameron could technically rejoin the big club that day if Ragans goes on the IL. However, all indications are that an IL stint will not be necessary for Ragans.

The Reds recalled Zulueta from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Zulueta will give manager Terry Francona a fresh bullpen arm following Wednesday's doubleheader with the Cardinals. The right-hander has yielded six runs with a 10:5 K:BB across 9.1 frames this season with Louisville this season.

The Royals optioned Cameron to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.

Cameron took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his major-league debut Wednesday against the Rays, ultimately tossing 6.1 scoreless frames on one hit and five walks with three strikeouts en route to picking up a win. With Cameron being sent back down to the minors, the Royals must feel good about Cole Ragans' (groin) ability to make his next start. Cameron has certainly earned the right to be first in line the next time the big club needs a starter.

The Rangers acquired Segura from the Phillies on Thursday in exchange for right-hander Daniel Robert.

A 20-year-old right-handed starter, Segura signed with the Phillies out of the Dominican Republic in January 2022 and reached full-season ball for the first time in 2024. He returned to the Florida State League this season and had produced a 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB in 17 innings with Single-A Clearwater before being dealt to the Rangers. Segura is likely to report to Single-A Hickory with his new organization.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Imanaga (leg) feels "good" and was slated to have a "normal" in-between starts workout Wednesday, 670TheScore.com reports.

Imanaga had to depart Tuesday's outing in Pittsburgh in the sixth inning due to leg cramps. He will focus on staying hydrated in between starts and the Cubs are hopeful it's just a one-time thing. Imanaga is slated to face the Brewers in Milwaukee on Sunday.

Bieber (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session at the Guardians' training complex in Arizona on Friday, MLB.com reports.

Bieber was recently transferred to the 60-day injured list, which is not a concern. It allows for more flexibility with the 40-man roster, and the right-hander is still on schedule for a mid-summer return.

Kershaw (toe/knee) tossed five innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four batters.

Kershaw was originally scheduled to make this start Tuesday, but inclement weather pushed his appearance back a day. The veteran lefty got through four scoreless frames before wilting a bit in the fifth, when he gave up two homers and all three of his runs. Despite the late fade, this was another promising outing for Kershaw, as he got up to 66 pitches and five innings (his first two rehab starts went three frames apiece). Kershaw is clearly making progress toward a return to the big-league club, but he's not eligible to be activated off the injured list until May 17, so he figures to make at least a couple more starts in the minors over the next two weeks.

Eovaldi pitched six innings against the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits and no walks while striking out eight batters in a no-decision.

Eovaldi racked up an impressive 16 swinging strikes and allowed just one extra-base hit, but he got little support from Texas' offense. Nonetheless, this was another standout performance by the right-hander -- he's now picked up a quality start in five of his seven outings so far this season, including in each of his past three appearances. Eovaldi ranks 10th among qualified MLB starters with a 2.11 ERA on the campaign and leads the league with a 0.77 WHIP while posting a sterling 46:3 K:BB over 42.2 innings. He's projected for a road tilt in Boston his next time out.

Severino allowed one run on eight hits and one walk while striking out four batters over five-plus innings in a no-decision against Texas on Wednesday.

Severino retired the first six batters he faced before the Rangers loaded the bases against him in the third inning. The veteran righty got out of that jam, however, and he ended up with just one run on his ledger despite allowing multiple baserunners in each of the final four frames in which he appeared. Severino has now yielded exactly one earned run in three of his past four starts, lowering his season ERA to 3.30. He's lined up to face Seattle the next time he takes the mound.

Smith allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out four batters over five innings in a no-decision against Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Smith endured a rough first inning, allowing a pair of runs on two doubles, a single and a walk. Only one of those runs was earned, however, and the other run Smith surrendered (in the fourth inning) also was unearned. As such, Smith lowered his season ERA to a sharp 2.23, though he's stuck on just one win through six starts. He's tentatively slated for a road matchup in Kansas City his next time out.