MLB Player News

The Athletics activated Stripling (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to start against the Angels on Thursday.

Stripling will rejoin the rotation Thursday in Anaheim after missing two months with a flexor strain. He had a maximum pitch count of 56 in his three rehab outings, so the veteran right-hander will be limited from a workload standpoint versus the Halos.

Ross (back) made a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Nashville and gave up three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings.

Ross tossed 80 pitches (50 strikes) in Wednesday's outing and looks ready to return from the 60-day injured list from a workload standpoint, but it's unclear if the Brewers will turn to him to fill the vacant spot in their rotation. Before landing on the IL on May 21 with a low back strain, Ross turned in unremarkable ratios (4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) over his nine starts, and his recent results at Nashville haven't inspired much confidence. He began a rehab assignment earlier this month and has now made four minor-league starts in total, but he's labored in both of his past two outings, striking out six while allowing 11 earned runs on 14 hits and five walks over 8.1 innings. Milwaukee will require a fifth starter again Tuesday versus Atlanta, but Ross' poor form of late could prompt the team to opt for a bullpen game rather than activating the right-hander.

Hall (knee/forearm) struck out one batter and gave up two earned runs on three hits and two walks over 2.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Nashville.

Hall resumed his rehab assignment with Nashville after he had been shut down for just under two weeks while he recovered from a bruised left forearm, an injury he sustained when he was struck by a line drive in his previous rehab outing July 9. As expected, Hall looks like he'll be built back up for a starting role, as he tossed 49 pitches (26 strikes) in his return to Nashville. He'll likely need at least two more outings in the minors to get fully stretched out before the Brewers potentially bring him back from the 60-day injured list and clear a spot for him in the rotation.

The Giants will call Birdsong up from Single-A San Jose to start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Birdsong was sent to the minors even after striking out 12 while limiting the Rockies to two runs in six innings at Coors Field this past weekend. He'll make a second straight start against Colorado on Saturday, this time at Oracle Park. Birdsong is likely to be sent back to the minors again no matter how he fares Saturday, presuming Alex Cobb (hip) gets through his final rehab start with no issues and is able to return from the 60-day injured list next week.

The Giants are planning to move Hicks to the bullpen and could do so as soon as this weekend, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Hicks made his last start on 11 days' rest but still struggled, yielding four runs on three hits and five walks with seven strikeouts over 3.2 innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. He needed 92 pitches to cover his 3.2 frames and admitted again after the outing that his body feels "a little worn down." Hicks could get one more start Sunday, but if that happens he's expected to throw only three innings or so. The right-hander's conversion from reliever to starter began with a bang as he posted a 2.33 ERA and 48:19 K:BB over 58 innings in his first 11 starts. Since then, though, he's managed just a 6.42 ERA and 42:22 K:BB across 40.2 frames covering nine starts. Hicks' 98.2 innings are already his career high by 21 frames. He will move to short relief soon, but the Giants plan to put Hicks back in the rotation in 2025.

Rasmussen (elbow) gave up one hit and struck out a batter over a scoreless inning during his rehab appearance Wednesday with Triple-A Durham.

Rasmussen has tossed a pair of scoreless frames over his first two rehab outings with Durham and doesn't seem to be showing any signs of rust as he makes his way back from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow in July of 2023. Not only has he yet to issue a walk, but he's also been flashing premium velocity on his rehab assignment; six of his 16 pitches Wednesday clocked in at over 96 miles per hour, and he maxed out at 98.3 mph. Though the Rays envision Rasmussen slotting back into the rotation in 2025, he'll be joining the big club as a reliever this season once he's activated from the 60-day injured list.

The Dodgers activated Kershaw (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list Thursday for his start against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw will make his season debut Thursday after completing a comeback from offseason shoulder surgery. The 36-year-old made three rehab starts, allowing three runs with a 12:2 K:BB over 10 innings. He went four innings and threw 67 pitches his last time out, so he won't go deep into Thursday's start, and there's a good chance his workload will be relatively limited for the remainder of this season. Kershaw was still highly effective in 2023 even with diminished stuff, collecting a 2.46 ERA and 137:40 K:BB over 131.2 frames covering 24 starts.

The Rangers activated Dunning (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Dunning has been sidelined for most of this month with a shoulder issue but is ready to go after making two rehab appearances. The right-hander had been moved to the bullpen shortly before getting injured and will fill a multi-inning relief role for Texas now that he's healthy again.

The White Sox don't plan to move Crochet to the bullpen or shut him down this season while he remains on the roster, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Heyman notes that Crochet will be on a "normal workload as a starter" until the end of the regular season. However, given that manager Pedro Grifol went on record last month that Crochet's workload would be managed, Heyman might just be referring to the pitcher continuing to take regular turns in the rotation. Of course, the White Sox are expected to listen to offers on Crochet leading up to Tuesday's trade deadline, so the plan for the left-hander may change if he lands with a new organization. Interestingly, Heyman adds that Crochet would request a contract extension from the team that acquires him in order to agree to pitch in October. Crochet has already thrown 111.1 innings in 2024, which is 26 more than he had covered in his entire professional career coming into the season.

Mahle (elbow) is scheduled to make the fifth start of his rehab assignment Wednesday with Double-A Frisco.

Mahle has yet to allow a run and has struck out 11 batters over 9.1 innings over the first four starts of his rehab assignment, which has included stops at Double-A, Triple-A Round Rock and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. The 29-year-old has been building up his pitch count slowly as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery, as he tossed 46 pitches and 2.2 innings in his most recent outing for Round Rock on Saturday. Mahle will likely need to push his pitch count in the 65-to-80 range before the Rangers are comfortable bringing him back from the 60-day injured list and slotting him into the big-league rotation.