MLB Player News

Allen was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.

The left-hander will make his return to the Guardians' rotation Tuesday against the Pirates, taking the rotation spot vacated by Shane Bieber (elbow). Allen pitched well in his first go-round in the big leagues earlier this season, collecting a 3.47 ERA and 63:24 K:BB over 62.1 innings of work covering 12 starts. The southpaw went just three innings in each of his two starts after being sent back to Columbus, so he might not be ready for a full workload in Pittsburgh.

Kent (oblique) made a rehab start Saturday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, giving up no hits and one walk over two scoreless innings while striking out four.

After tossing three scoreless innings in his season debut for Triple-A Round Rock on April 4, Kent was shut down for more than three months with what was apparently a significant oblique strain. The 25-year-old right-hander is now in the process of getting stretched back out again, and he may only need one or two more starts in the lower levels of the minors before setting back into the Round Rock rotation.

Means (elbow/back) threw another bullpen session Tuesday, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Means hit a bump in the road in his recovery from Tommy John surgery when he suffered a muscle strain in his upper back in late May. However, he began throwing off flat ground last month and resumed mound work last week. The southpaw hopes to become an option for the Orioles sometime in August, but there remains no clear timetable for his activation.

Porter has walked 16 batters in his last 18.2 innings across six starts for Single-A Down East. He has a 2.57 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 67 strikeouts in 49 innings on the season.

The big 6-foot-4 righty has been averaging six days off between starts, yet his control seems to have worsened as the season has gone on. Porter had a 0.53 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 45:15 K:BB in 33.2 innings in nine starts from mid-April through early-June and a 5.30 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in his last six starts.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said in an interview on SportsTalk 790 in Houston on Tuesday that he's unsure whether Valdez (calf) will be ready for his next scheduled start Friday in Oakland.

Valdez had to exit his last start Saturday versus the Angels due to a left calf cramp. The decision for the left-hander to take the ball Friday likely will be determined based on whether he can get through his normal between-starts bullpen session with no issues. Valdez tied a career high with 13 strikeouts against the Angels before the injury.

Frasso has a 3.64 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 64 strikeouts in 47 innings across 15 starts for Double-A Tulsa.

He had a rough stretch from June 2 through July 3, where he gave up 15 earned runs while striking out 12 and walking seven in 9.2 innings across six appearances, but Frasso has been his normal dominant self in his two most recent outings (12 strikeouts in 7.2 frames). The 24-year-old righty logged between 54 and 60 innings in his first full pro season in 2022 and in 2019 and 2018 while at Loyola Marymount, so he could soon set a career high for innings in a season.

Keller (shoulder) retired just one batter and allowed six earned runs on four hits and three walks in his latest rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Omaha.

Keller has now made six appearances for Omaha, but he may not be any closer to being activated from the 15-day injured list than when he first started the assignment June 28. He's been roughed up in each of his last three outings, recording five outs in total during that span while surrendering 13 runs (11 earned) on seven hits and eight walks. Though Keller had been a member of the Kansas City rotation prior to landing on the IL on May 19 with right shoulder impingement syndrome, he may be ticketed for the bullpen once he's reinstated. He's worked in relief in four of his six rehab appearances, including each of the last three.

Houck (face) plans to try to throw off a mound around July 25, MLB.com reports.

The right-hander resumed throwing on flat ground earlier this month following successful surgery to repair a facial fracture -- the result of a comebacker to the face against the Yankees on June 16. "He feels good," manager Alex Cora said last week. "He's been able to do his workouts, keeping his arm moving, which is the most important thing." Houck was showing real promise as a starter before the injury, with his strikeout and walk rates portending better results. He figures to be back in the rotation when ready.

Vines (shoulder) made his most recent rehab appearance Friday at High-A Rome, covering 4.2 innings and striking out five while allowing one earned run on three hits and zero walks.

The outing with Rome was the third of Vines' rehab assignment, which he kicked off June 30 in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The right-hander has been on the shelf all season at Triple-A Gwinnett while he works his way back from a shoulder issue, but he looks on pace to make his 2023 International League debut either this week or next.

Triple-A Gwinnett placed Dodd on its 7-day injured list June 24 with an unspecified injury.

Dodd was included in Atlanta's season-opening rotation and made spot starts with the big club on three other occasions in May and June before being optioned to Gwinnett. Following his most recent demotion, Dodd was roughed up for eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and two walks over four innings in his lone start with Gwinnett on June 22 before he was deactivated two days later. Atlanta hasn't provided any details regarding the nature of Dodd's injury or when he might be ready to return.