MLB Player News

Schwellenbach is listed as Atlanta's starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Orioles in Baltimore.

He will be matched up against former college teammate Cade Povich in a battle between two of the top pitching prospects in both organizations. Schwellenbach hasn't looked sharp in his first two major-league outings, allowing a total of nine runs over 9.2 innings in losses to the Nationals and Red Sox. The young righty's future still looks bright, but he'll be difficult to trust for fantasy purposes Wednesday in a tough matchup.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday that Kremer (triceps) will likely complete a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated from the 10-day injured list, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Kremer threw another bullpen session Monday, and while all presumably went well, the right-hander looks like he'll need some time in the minors to get stretched back out before he returns from the IL. The right-hander has been sidelined for three weeks with a right triceps strain and might require just one rehab start before rejoining the Orioles rotation, so a return from the IL next week looks plausible.

Povich will start Wednesday in Baltimore against Atlanta, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The Orioles will keep Povich around in the big leagues as part of a six-man rotation, though he may not be guaranteed any starts beyond Wednesday with Dean Kremer (triceps) nearing a return from the 15-day injured list. After being called up from Triple-A Norfolk last week, Povich underwhelmed in his first MLB start Thursday against the Blue Jays, yielded six runs on five hits and four walks over 5.1 innings while collecting just two strikeouts.

Williams (elbow) struck out three and allowed two earned runs on three hits and no walks over three-plus innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Columbus.

The Guardians seem to be building Williams up slowly as he works his way back from right elbow discomfort, an injury that first cropped up late in spring training after the 24-year-old hurt himself in a weighted-ball workout. Though Sunday's outing marked his third rehab outing, Williams was lifted after 50 pitches. He'll presumably need at least two more rehab starts to get stretched out to around 75 pitches, at which point the Guardians might be comfortable bringing him back from the 60-day injured list and inserting him into their rotation.

Lively returned to Cleveland on Monday to undergo further medical exams for an undisclosed injury, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

The injury presumably stems from Lively's most recent start in Miami on Saturday, when he was lifted from the game after throwing 65 pitches over five shutout innings. Per the Associated Press, manager Stephen Vogt said that Lively experienced some tightness after sitting for an extended period in the top of the fifth inning, when the Guardians erupted for six runs. Vogt didn't expound any further beyond that, but the fact that Lively temporarily left the Guardians to get examined more closely suggests that his early exit wasn't merely precautionary. The Guardians have off days Monday and Thursday and can get by with a shortened rotation for a bit if they choose, so Lively may not be in line to pitch during this weekend's series in Toronto even if he doesn't require a stay on the injured list. Lively has been a pleasant surprise for the Guardians and fantasy managers alike, as he's won each of his last five starts while ringing up a 2.54 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 28.1 innings.

Blackburn (foot) has shed his walking boot and is expected to begin a throwing program this week, MLB.com reports.

Although the right-hander remains without a timetable for return, this news is naturally encouraging. Blackburn isn't expected back before the All-Star break, considering he may need a full-length rehab assignment whenever he reaches that stage of his recovery.

Stripling (elbow) is set to begin a throwing program Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

Stripling has been shut down from throwing since May 29, so this is certainly noteworthy news. The veteran right-hander will gradually up his throwing distance until he's deemed healthy enough to progress to throwing off a mound. Given the deliberate pace of his recovery, Stripling may not be a candidate for activation before the end of June.

Rodriguez (back) is scheduled to make another rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo, MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez is closing in on a return from the 15-day injured list after the Blue Jays deactivated him April 30 due to thoracic spine inflammation. The Blue Jays appear to be prepping for Rodriguez to take on a starting role upon his return from the IL -- or are at least keeping him available as a rotation option -- as MLB.com notes that the organization wants him to push his pitch count up to 75 before he's activated. In his most recent rehab start with Buffalo last Wednesday, Rodriguez tossed 43 pitches over three shutout innings, then tossed 15 more pitches in a bullpen session immediately upon leaving the game. If he's able to add around 15 more pitches to his workload Tuesday, Rodriguez could get the green light to rejoin the big club as soon as the upcoming weekend. Should the Blue Jays choose to include Rodriguez in their rotation, he would likely unseat Bowden Francis as the No. 5 starter, though even in that scenario, Toronto could deploy the two pitchers as a piggyback tandem like it did earlier in the season.

Myers is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Milwaukee.

With the Milwaukee rotation having been hit hard by injuries of late, Myers was called up from Triple-A Nashville last Wednesday and thrust back into a starting role, despite having turned in an underwhelming 5.40 ERA and 1.46 WHIP through his first seven outings (six starts) with the Brewers this season. Myers slotted into the rotation Friday and proceeded to deliver the best outing of his young big-league career, stymieing the Tigers over eight shutout innings while allowing just four baserunners and striking out five. Unsurprisingly, Myers will get another start on the heels of his big effort, and he could lengthen his leash in the rotation if he delivers another quality showing versus Toronto.

Gasser (elbow) said this weekend that his left UCL is not "broken" but also "not as strong as it should be," Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.

Previously, the damage to Gasser's elbow was reported to be to his flexor tendon, but it would appear the integrity of his UCL is now the bigger concern. Gasser has received two opinions on the elbow, with one doctor recommending surgery and the other rest and rehab. He's headed to meet with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, where he will get a third opinion before he makes a decision regarding surgery. Any type of surgery would end Gasser's 2024 season and could keep him out of a large chunk of the 2025 campaign, as well.