MLB Player News

Rodriguez (11-7) allowed three runs on four hits across six innings to earn the win Thursday against the Yankees. He walked four and struck out four.

Rodriguez matched his season high with four walks, but he was otherwise effective against New York to earn his second straight win and 11th of the year. The lefty had 13 or more wins in each of his last three seasons in Boston, but he fell back to just five victories in his first campaign with the Tigers last year as he missed significant time due to personal reasons. Rodriguez will look to keep rolling in his next scheduled start, which is slated for next week against the Reds.

Castillo (12-7) earned the win Thursday, allowing four hits and four walks over six scoreless innings against the Rays. He struck out eight.

Castillo wasn't particularly efficient Thursday, issuing four walks and allowing at least one baserunner in all but one of his six innings. However, the 30-year-old ace worked around the traffic and held Tampa Bay scoreless to win his sixth consecutive decision. During that eight-start span, Castillo has posted a 3.24 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 49:12 K:BB across 50 innings. His next start is expected to be at home versus the Angels early next week.

Grove (lat) is set to begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

It has already been determined that Grove will be returning to the Dodgers as a reliever, so this should be a relatively brief rehab stint even though he's been sidelined for over a month due to lat tightness. The 26-year-old right-hander carries a 6.61 ERA and 67:18 K:BB in 64 major-league innings (12 starts, three relief appearances) this season with Los Angeles.

The Angels recalled Diaz from Triple-A Salt Lake to start Thursday against the Guardians, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Diaz has spent all season with Salt Lake, putting up a 4.55 ERA and 1.44 WHIP through 87 innings -- primarily as a multi-inning reliever. He had a solid run with the Angels last season to the tune of a 2.93 ERA over 15.1 frames, and the team will hope to get similar production out of Diaz as he faces a Guardians offense that ranks 27th in baseball with a .689 OPS. Gerardo Reyes was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Nelson was recalled from Triple-A Reno ahead of his scheduled start Thursday versus the Cubs.

Nelson has struggled to a 5.47 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 82:37 K:BB in 125 innings (24 starts) this season at the major-league level. The 25-year-old right-hander makes for an unappealing fantasy streaming option as he matches up against a hard-charging Cubs team.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Cortes (shoulder) will start a throwing program soon but isn't expected to return to game action this season, MLB.com reports.

Cortes has been on the injured list since Aug. 11 due to a left rotator cuff strain. Boone indicated the southpaw will resume throwing this weekend, so he appears to be improving in his recovery, but the Yankees skipper also said that Cortes' season is likely over. If that's the case, Cortes will finish 2023 with a 4.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 67:20 K:BB and 5-2 record over 63.1 innings covering 12 starts.

The Tigers placed Manning on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right foot fracture.

Manning has already been ruled out for the rest of the season, so his move to the injured list is simply procedural. His roster spot will be filled by Trey Wingenter, who was brought up from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move.

Stroman (ribs) threw a 29-pitch live batting practice session Thursday in Arizona, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Stroman has now advanced to facing live hitters as he works back from a rib cage cartilage fracture. On the shelf since late July, the 32-year-old right-hander appears to be nearing a minor-league rehab assignment and might be an option again for the Cubs' rotation in a couple of weeks. When healthy this season, Stroman has posted a 3.85 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 111:50 K:BB in 23 starts covering 128.2 innings.

Cobb (hip) is not listed among the Giants' scheduled starters for their weekend series against the Rockies, Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Kyle Harrison will start Friday and it will likely be Logan Webb on Saturday, but there is a TBA listed for Sunday's series finale. Cobb threw a career-high 131 pitches in a complete game Aug. 29 against the Reds before yielding four earned runs over just three innings in his latest turn Sept. 3 at San Diego. He told reporters after that rough outing versus the Padres that he's been battling a left hip impingement since mid-June. It's possible Cobb is simply being pushed back a bit -- maybe even to fill the TBA on Sunday -- but this is a must-win series for the Giants and they're already thin on starters.

Strasburg (shoulder) and the Nationals are still negotiating the terms of his retirement and his scheduled press conference Saturday has been canceled, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The Nats were planning to honor Strasburg this Saturday in Washington, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic, and there has been talk within the organization of retiring his number. Those things are expected to happen eventually, per Dougherty, but the two sides may be discussing some sort of deferred-money agreement as Strasburg calls it quits at age 35. He is owed more than $100 million on the seven-year, $245 million contract extension he signed in December of 2019, and all of that money is guaranteed because this is an injury-related retirement.