MLB Player News

Ziegler is set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in the near future, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports. High-A Brooklyn placed him on its full-season injured list Wednesday.

Ziegler has had terrible luck on the injury front the since the Mets selected him in the second round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft. He's flashed plenty of promise when on the mound, including this season, when he had a 13:2 K:BB over six hitless innings with Brooklyn. However, the 21-year-old is now looking at a second straight lost season after elbow and quadricep injuries limited him to just one start in 2023.

Pivetta (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Pivetta will play catch from 120 feet Thursday, and if all goes well, he'll take a big step forward in his recovery from a right elbow strain by getting back on the mound this weekend. The right-hander will likely need to complete multiple bullpen sessions before he's cleared to face hitters in live batting practice. After that, Pivetta will likely require a brief minor-league rehab assignment to get stretched back out, so he could be hard pressed to make it back from the injured list in the minimum 15 days. A return in the first or second week of May could be realistic, provided Pivetta avoids any setbacks while ramping back up.

The Rangers selected Leiter's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

Leiter is set to start Thursday's game in Detroit in his MLB debut after posting a 3.77 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 25:3 K:BB across 14.1 innings with Round Rock to begin the season. The Rangers are seemingly planning for Leiter to make just one start before heading back to the minors, but he could change minds if he pitches well, particularly with Andrew Heaney's struggles.

Pivetta (elbow) continues to play catch but hasn't yet advanced to mound work, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Pivetta was placed on the 15-day injured list and is first eligible to return Sunday, but he's not yet ready to help a Red Sox rotation that has been hit by the injury bug of late, as Garrett Whitlock (oblique) joined him on the IL this week. It's likely Pivetta will need at least one rehab start before rejoining the club.

Gipson-Long is receiving multiple medical opinions on his injured right elbow before the next step in his rehab program is decided, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

He was examined by Dr. Tim Griffith in Atlanta last week and Dr. Keith Meister in Texas on Tuesday, and Gipson-Long may get a few more doctors to check out his elbow in the days to come. While receiving multiple consultations on his pitching elbow isn't a promising sign for his long-term outlook, Gipson-Long and the Tigers haven't determined a treatment plan just yet. He initially opened the season on the 15-day injured list with a groin strain, but clearly the elbow is the bigger concern now.

Abbott (1-2) took the loss against the Mariners on Wednesday, surrendering two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over six innings.

Abbott was efficient for most of the afternoon, with the exception of the four-seamers he left out over the plate for Cal Raleigh in the second inning and Mitch Garver in the sixth, both of which would end up in the outfield stands. The young lefty hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his first four starts to open the season and actually fanned a season-high six batters Wednesday, though the two home runs he surrendered also marked a season high. Furthermore, Abbott has now gone at least six innings in each of his last two starts and carries a clean 2.70 ERA following the loss.

France came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to Atlanta, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out four.

While his final numbers were solid, three of the hits off France went for extra bases, including no-doubt solo homers by Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuna. The right-hander tossed 51 of 90 pitches for strikes, and while this was his best performance of the season so far, his spot in the rotation only seems safe because Houston lacks healthy options to replace him. France will take a 7.08 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB through 20.1 innings into his next outing, scheduled to come on the road next week against the Cubs.

Miller (3-1) earned the win over the Reds on Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit and one walk over six innings while striking out seven.

Miller was dominant Wednesday, doing much of the work with his four-seamer as he held the Reds to just one hit over six frames. The only run he allowed was a solo homer off the bat of Elly De La Cruz, the first home run he's given up over his last three starts. Miller has dazzled on the mound since taking the loss in his first start of the season and now holds a 0.47 ERA in April to go along with an 18:5 K:BB. Furthermore, the right-hander has now gone at least six innings in three consecutive starts, allowing no more than three hits in each of those outings.

Fried came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Astros, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out two.

The southpaw also uncorked a wild pitch and tossed only 52 of his 96 pitches for strikes, continuing a somewhat shaky start to the season. Fried has managed only one quality start in his four trips to the mound, and while his 7.71 ERA and 1.96 WHIP will come down, his 12:9 K:BB through 16.1 innings has been far from dominant. He'll try to get on track in his next outing, which lines up for a home start against the Marlins early next week.

Criswell is slated to work in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Brennan Bernardino in Thursday's game against the Guardians, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Criswell joined the Boston rotation last weekend against the Angels as a replacement for Nick Pivetta (elbow) and gave up two earned runs over four innings in his Red Sox debut. The right-hander will remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future, but he'll be deployed in bulk relief with the hope that the arrangement generates more favorable results. Expect Bernardino to work no more than an inning or two before giving way to Criswell.