MLB Player News

Oviedo (elbow) will be reevaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in two weeks to determine his progress, Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com reports.

Oviedo has been shut down over the past month after being diagnosed with a right flexor strain in early April. The Red Sox will determine the next steps for Oviedo's rehab based on what comes out of the upcoming exam with Dr. Meister.

Lowder was removed from Thursday's game against the Cubs with right shoulder discomfort, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Lowder was able to make it through three innings Thursday, giving up one earned run on a solo homer from Michael Conforto. Lowder came out for the start of the fourth but was visited on the mound by a trainer after walking the first two batters he faced in the inning. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but the Reds may send the right-hander in for imaging to determine whether he's dealing with a structural issue.

Hancock could be shifted to a relief role next week when Bryce Miller (oblique) returns, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Hancock has put together a breakout season in the early going, posting a 2.59 ERA and 46:6 K:BB over 41.2 innings in his first seven starts. He struck out a career-high 14 batters against the Royals in his last trip to the hill. However, while Hancock has been the Mariners' best starter so far this season, he also has bullpen experience. Hancock is slated to start Friday's game versus the White Sox, and the Mariners will make decisions on the roles for Hancock, Miller and Luis Castillo in the coming days.

The Mariners could remove Castillo from the rotation when Bryce Miller (oblique) returns next week, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

It's just one option the team is mulling, as Miller and Emerson Hancock are also being considered for the bullpen or piggyback roles. It would be an easy decision to bump Castillo from the rotation if it were based purely on performance, as he's posted a 6.29 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB over 34.1 innings in his first seven starts. However, Castillo has never pitched in relief at the major-league level, while Miller and Hancock both have. A six-man rotation is also under consideration. Castillo will start Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox in what could be his final opportunity to convince the Mariners he should remain in the rotation.

The Mariners are leaning toward activating Miller (oblique) from the 15-day injured list next week in Houston, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Miller threw 61 pitches over five shutout innings in his last rehab start with High-A Everett on Wednesday and declared himself "ready to go" after the outing. The Mariners haven't ruled out giving Miller one more rehab start to get further stretched out, but Jude hears it's likelier Miller's next outing is in the majors. Rejoining the rotation is just one of the scenarios the Mariners are considering for Miller, as the club is also mulling using him in the bullpen or in a piggyback role. Shifting Luis Castillo or Emerson Hancock to the bullpen is also possible, as is a six-man rotation. Seattle will make a decision on its rotation in the coming days.

Skubal could return in as little as 4-to-6 weeks following surgery Wednesday to remove a loose body from his left elbow, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The operation went as well as it could have, with Heyman noting Skubal had just one relatively small loose body extracted from his pitching elbow. Skubal was given an approximate two-month timetable prior to the surgery, but it seems he has a chance to beat that timeline. A clearer picture of the two-time Cy Young winner's potential return date won't be known until he starts ramping up a throwing program, but the early indications for Skubal and the Tigers are encouraging.

Waldron (1-1) earned the win Wednesday over San Francisco, allowing a run on two hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out seven.

After struggling to a 9.88 ERA over his first three starts this year, the Padres elected to use an opener ahead of Waldron on Wednesday. The move paid immediate dividends, as Waldron was nearly untouchable in the San Diego victory -- the Giants' lone run came on a Rafael Devers solo homer in the fifth. Despite Wednesday's performance, it remains to be seen what Waldron's role will be going forward, as Lucas Giolito is expected to join the rotation soon.

Boyle (elbow) struck out four over two scoreless innings in his first rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Durham.

Boyle made his first game appearance in nearly a month while he works his way back from a right elbow strain. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relays that the Rays won't rush Boyle back from the 15-day injured list, so expect the club to proceed slowly with his rehab. Boyle threw 31 pitches in Wednesday's outing and will continue to build up his stamina from there.

Boyd underwent a successful menisectomy Thursday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Boyd did not need a full repair of his meniscus, with Cubs manager Craig Counsell saying the surgery was "minor" and the club hopes to get the left-hander back in around six weeks. Jordan Wicks (elbow) and Javier Assad are candidates to grab Boyd's spot in the Cubs' rotation.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Bieber (elbow) threw a "two-up" bullpen session Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Bieber has been able to throw off a mound on several occasions over the last few weeks, but his workout Wednesday was more rigorous than his prior bullpen sessions. The right-hander essentially threw the equivalent of two innings, with a break in between the frames to simulate a game situation. According to Schneider, Bieber is in line to throw another two-up session next week before moving on to facing hitters for the first time this season. Though Bieber staged a successful return from Tommy John surgery in the second half of last season, he doesn't appear on track to make his 2026 debut until June while he's been brought along slowly since the start of spring training after experiencing forearm fatigue following Toronto's run to the World Series last fall.