MLB Player News

The Pirates designated Wolf for assignment Thursday.

Wolf was optioned to Double-A Altoona early in spring training, and he'll now be squeezed off the 40-man roster ahead of Opening Day. In addition to making a spot start with the Padres last season, Wolf turned in a 4.13 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 124.1 frames at Double-A San Antonio.

Arizona placed Rodriguez (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Rodriguez has been able to resume playing catch since being diagnosed last week with a left shoulder strain, but he's without a clear timeline to make his season debut and will most likely miss beyond the minimum 15 days. Arizona recently bolstered its rotation with the signing of Jordan Montgomery to a one-year deal, but only one of Ryne Nelson or Tommy Henry will likely end up sticking in the rotation as Rodriguez's replacement once Montgomery is fully ramped up and ready to make his Diamondbacks debut.

The Astros placed Urquidy (forearm) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

He suffered the injury during an appearance in a minor-league game in mid-March. According to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Urquidy hopes to start playing catch by the weekend. Even if that happens, he's unlikely to be ready to make his 2024 Astros debut before the end of April.

The Astros placed Verlander (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Verlander's recovery from right shoulder inflammation is going well, as he most recently threw a live batting practice session Tuesday. The plan is for him to begin a rehab assignment soon, which should consist of multiple starts before he's ready to rejoin Houston's rotation.

The Astros placed Garcia (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Garcia will be a candidate to shift to the 60-day IL when the Astros need a 40-man roster spot. He's expected to be out until around midseason while working his way back from May 2023 Tommy John surgery.

The Astros placed McCullers (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Tayler Scott, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land. McCullers is expected to be out until late June or early July as he continues his recovery from right elbow surgery.

The Yankees recalled Gil from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

He was optioned in early March, but Gil wound up winning the Yankees' fifth starter job after Gerrit Cole went down with an elbow injury that forced him to the 60-day IL. Gil is tentatively slated to make his season debut Monday in Arizona.

The Yankees placed Cole on the 60-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation.

The initial timetable for Cole's return from his right elbow injury that cropped up a few weeks ago was 1-to-2 months, but it's clearly going to be closer to the latter end of that span. The hope is that the reigning American League Cy Young winner will be ready to begin a throwing program in a couple weeks, but the Yankees won't rush him for what will be a slow and steady buildup.

The Guardians acquired Kent from the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for international bonus pool money and optioned him to Triple-A Columbus.

Kent was one of two pitchers Cleveland traded for in advance of Opening Day, with Peter Strzelecki also coming aboard in a deal with Arizona. Though both new arrivals will claim spots on the 40-man roster, neither will join the team for Thursday's season opener in Oakland and will instead be ticketed for Columbus. The 26-year-old Kent, who has yet to make his MLB debut, posted a 3.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 34:10 K:BB in 10 starts at Triple-A Round Rock in 2023, but it's unclear whether or not the Guardians intend to keep him on a starter's development track or move him to the bullpen.

The Twins placed DeSclafani (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

After being acquired from the Mariners in January, DeSclafani was expected to open the season as a back-end starter for the Twins, but he was diagnosed with a right elbow strain following an appearance in a minor-league spring training game in mid-March and will be headed for an extended absence. The Twins haven't offered up a firm timeline for his return, but after landing on the 60-day IL, DeSclafani will be sidelined for at least two months.