MLB Player News

Kikuchi (shoulder) will make a minor-league rehab appearance with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Kikuchi has been out of action since April 29 due to left shoulder inflammation. The veteran southpaw began tossing bullpens in early July and is now ready to return to game action. According to Bollinger, Kikuchi believes he'll need three rehab starts before returning to the Angels' rotation. That means he's unlikely to be activated until at least mid-August.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Glasnow (back) will begin a rehab assignment after completing Wednesday's live batting practice session, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Glasnow has been shelved since May 8 due to lower back spasms, but assuming he checks out fine following Wednesday's live session, he'll move on to the final stage of the recovery process. Given the length of his absence, Glasnow will likely require at least three rehab starts to build up his pitch count before he's deemed ready to rejoin the Dodgers rotation. Prior to landing on the shelf, Glasnow turned in a 2.72 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 49:13 K:BB across 39.2 innings over seven starts.

Littell did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Blue Jays, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out two over 4.2 scoreless innings.

Littell threw 50 of his 81 pitches for strikes on his way to recording his first scoreless outing since May 15. The veteran right-hander has now held opponents to one run or fewer in four of his last five starts, though the lone exception was an eight-run outing against the Athletics. Despite the recent run prevention, Littell has struggled to miss bats throughout 2026, ranking in the fifth percentile of qualified pitchers in expected batting average and whiff rate. He owns a 4.94 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 68:34 K:BB across 105.2 innings this season and is tentatively scheduled to face the Phillies early next week.

Skubal didn't factor into the decision Wednesday as the Tigers fell to the Orioles 10-9 in 12 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out six.

His first strikeout of the day -- on the first batter he faced, Taylor Ward -- gave Skubal 1,000 for his career, making him the fastest pitcher in franchise history to reach that milestone. The star southpaw held Baltimore scoreless through six frames as Detroit built a 7-0 lead, but Skubal faded in the seventh and left the mound after 92 pitches (56 strikes), when his bullpen imploded. The quality start was his ninth of the season, but if this was Skubal's final outing as a member of the Tigers -- the trade deadline looms before his next scheduled start -- it was a tough way to go out. Through 96.2 innings in 2026, he's produced a 2.79 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 116:14 K:BB, maintaining his Cy Young-caliber numbers even if a six-week absence due to elbow surgery has kept him out of the conversation for a three-peat.

Yesavage (5-5) earned the win Wednesday against the Nationals, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out four over 6.2 innings.

Yesavage's only blemish came in the fourth inning when Jacob Young drove home a run with an RBI double. The right-hander has now recorded a quality start in five of his last eight outings and continues to miss bats at an impressive rate. Through three starts since the All-Star break, Yesavage has allowed seven runs across 16.2 innings while piling up 22 strikeouts. He owns a 3.73 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 91:45 K:BB over 91.2 innings this season and is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday against the Astros.

Rogers didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 10-9 extra-innings win over the Tigers, coughing up seven runs (four earned) on eight hits over six innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.

An anticipated pitchers' duel with Tarik Skubal never materialized, and while Rogers' defense did him no favors, he also got hit hard as half of the knocks off him went for extra bases. The Baltimore southpaw left the game after 94 pitches (69 strikes) with his team in a 7-0 hole, but the Detroit bullpen imploded once Skubal made his own exit. It was the first time since June 9 that Rogers had been tagged for more than two earned runs, and even after Wednesday's outing he sports a 1.99 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 45:12 K:BB in 49.2 innings over his last eight starts. He lines up to make his next trip to the mound at home next week against the Angels.

Jones (2-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings.

Jones was perfect through the first three innings on just 29 pitches before Arizona finally broke through. A leadoff double in the fourth was followed by Gabriel Moreno's two-run homer, and Jones later surrendered another run in the sixth. The three runs matched the combined total he had allowed over his previous four starts. After failing to complete six frames in any of his first seven outings this season, Jones has now reached that mark in three of his last four outings. He'll carry a 3.81 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 58:15 K:BB into his next start, scheduled tentatively for Tuesday against the Brewers.

Rodriguez (10-3) earned the win Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out two over eight scoreless innings.

Rodriguez never faced more than four batters in an inning and retired nine straight hitters at one point during his dominant outing. He generated 15 whiffs despite recording just two strikeouts and limited Pittsburgh to only five hard-hit balls. Wednesday's outing marked the second time this season he has completed eight innings. Rodriguez has now won five of his last six decisions and will carry a 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 88:45 K:BB into his next scheduled start Tuesday against the Padres.

The Astros reinstated Wesneski (elbow) from the injured list ahead of his start Wednesday against the Angels.

Wesneski's start will mark his first appearance on a big-league mound since May 2025, as he's been on the shelf for more than a year recovering from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander has made five appearances in the minor leagues over the past month, however, turning in a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP alongside a 21:4 K:BB in 20 innings. Miguel Ullola was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.

Gusto did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Phillies, allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings.

Gusto breezed through the first two innings before Philadelphia's lineup broke through, scoring six runs over the next three frames. The fifth inning proved especially costly, with Trea Turner launching a solo homer as part of a three-run rally. The six runs marked the most Gusto has allowed in an outing this season. The right-hander exited in line for the loss, but Miami answered with six runs of their own over the next few innings to erase the deficit in the eventual victory. Across eight starts and five relief appearances, Gusto owns a 5.31 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 34:13 K:BB over 39 innings.