MLB Player News

Strider underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will be further evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a date yet to be determined.

Strider reported discomfort in his right elbow after his second start of the season in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning win over Arizona, and the worst-case scenario seems to be unfolding for the 25-year-old. If Tommy John surgery is deemed necessary, it would be the second for Strider in his young career. He should be considered out indefinitely, with a move to the injured list likely before the weekend is out. Bryce Elder is a candidate to be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to replace Strider in Atlanta's starting rotation.

The Brewers recalled Ashby from Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.

With Jakob Junis (shoulder) headed for the injured list, Ashby will come up from the minors and figures to fill the void in the Brewers' rotation. The 25-year-old lefty didn't pitch at all at the major-league level in 2023 as he worked his way back from a shoulder procedure, and he surrendered three runs across five innings during his first start in Triple-A.

Lewis was placed on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Wichita with a right shoulder impingement, TwinsDaily.com reports.

Lewis was named the Twins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season after going 9-4 with a 2.49 ERA and 118:33 K:BB in 101.1 IP between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids. It's not a good sign that his 2024 season is starting with an injury, though there are no details on the severity of the issue.

Means (forearm) will get the start for Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday against Charlotte, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

Means struggled in his first rehab start Monday, giving up seven runs on six hits and a walk over just one inning. He'll look to have a bounce-back performance Saturday as he works through a left forearm strain that flared up at the start of spring training.

The Guardians placed Bieber (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Saturday.

Earlier Saturday, the Guardians announced that Bieber was diagnosed with ligament damage in his elbow following his second start of the season Tuesday in Seattle and will be headed for Tommy John surgery. Bieber will miss the rest of the season while he recovers from surgery and is set to miss a large portion of the 2025 campaign, an unfortunate development for the right-hander as he heads into free agency this winter. The Guardians will eventually move Bieber to the 60-day IL whenever the team decides it needs to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Peter Strzelecki was called up from Triple-A Columbus and will take Bieber's spot on the 26-man active roster and provide bullpen depth for now, but Strzelecki could be swapped out when Cleveland needs an arm to take Bieber's spot in the starting rotation.

The Guardians announced Saturday that Bieber will require season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

The season-ending injury is a devastating development for the Guardians and for Bieber, who was utterly dominant on the mound in his two starts this season, striking out 20 batters in 12 innings. However, he reportedly battled through pain in his elbow during outings March 28 in Oakland and Tuesday in Seattle, and reconstructive elbow surgery has since been recommended. Bieber will now miss the rest of the 2024 season and likely the start of the 2025 season, given that Tommy John surgery typically entails a 14-to-16-month recovery period.

Grove pitched three innings in relief against the Cubs on Friday, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one batter.

Grove has pitched more than an inning in three of his four appearances this season, with Friday's three-inning outing being his longest to date. He's mostly struggled in the early going, allowing at least three earned runs in all but one of his appearances thus far. Overall, Grove has an 11.74 ERA and 2.09 WHIP over 7.2 frames, and opponents are batting an astronomical .382 against him.

Kopech (0-1) allowed one earned run on one hit and two walks while striking out three to take the loss Friday against the Royals.

Kopech entered the game in the eighth inning of a tied contest and walked the second batter he faced, which ultimately became the game-deciding run. He's now walked five batters across his first 5.1 innings of work, resulting in a 1.69 WHIP. Kopech's usage was also particualrly notable, as he was deployed in the perceived highest-leverage situation rather than being reserved for a save chance. He's still likely to regularly serve as the closer for the White Sox, though the door could be open for another reliever to pick up a handful of saves.

Crawford did not factor in the decision Friday against the Angels, allowing a run on two hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

Crawford faced little pushback through four shutout frames before the Angels pushed a run across in the fifth and knocked him out of the contest. Despite the decent results, the 28-year-old forced just eight whiffs on 42 total swings. Through two starts, Crawford has posted a 12:4 K:BB while allowing one earned run over 10.2 frames. He's currently in line to face the Orioles at home next week.

Canning did not factor in the decision Friday against the Red Sox, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Canning struggled early, yielding all four runs on three homers in the second frame. He faced trouble on several other occasions but managed to limit the damage otherwise. The 27-year-old has given up nine runs over 9.2 innings to go with a 6:4 K:BB. Canning's velocity was down across the board, including his fastball which averaged just 92.5 mph. He's currently lined up to face the Rays at home next week.