MLB Player News

Whitlock (elbow) will make at least two rehab starts before the Red Sox decide whether or not to activate him from the injured list, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Whitlock was hoping to a minimum-length stay when he hit the injured list with ulnar neuritis in late April, but he'll end up missing something close to a month, at least. He's scheduled for starts Tuesday and next Sunday, which means he'd be on schedule to return May 26 against the Diamondbacks.

Falter will pitch behind an opener the next time he takes the hill for the Phillies, which will likely come Monday against the Giants, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

After producing a 3.86 ERA in 20 appearances (16 starts) last season, Falter has struggled to a 5.75 ERA in seven starts this year. His fastball velocity has fallen from 91.6 mph to 90.9 mph, while his strikeout rate has dropped from 21.2 percent to 17.0 percent. He continues to show good control, with his 5.2 percent walk rate a near match for his 4.9 percent mark from last year, but his mediocre stuff has made it hard for him to retire the opposing team's best bats, leading to a 7.71 ERA in the first inning. Pitching behind an opener means Falter will get to skip those best bats the first time through the order and also means he won't have to last five innings to have a shot at a win.

Rodon (back) has begun physical activities over the last two days and will have his readiness to begin a throwing program assessed Saturday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Injuries have thus far prevented Rodon from getting his Yankees career off the ground, including both a forearm strain and chronic back issues. The back problem is the primary one at this point, but he's at least been able to take one small step toward his return after receiving a cortisone shot in early May. His return timeline should become clearer once it's revealed whether or not he's ready to begin throwing.

Rea is starting Sunday's game against the Royals, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Eric Lauer was originally listed as the starter for Sunday's contest, but Lauer is moving to the bullpen for the foreseeable future. Rea has a 4.94 ERA and 22:11 K:BB in 27.1 innings over six appearances this season. The Royals represent a good chance to pick up a win, but there's certainly risk using Rea as a fantasy streamer over the weekend, especially with Lauer available as a long-relief option.

Lauer will pitch out of the bullpen for now and is available for Saturday's game against the Royals, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

Lauer has struggled over his last three starts, with the left-hander not getting out of the fifth inning and allowing at least four runs in each of those outings. It appears Colin Rea will take Lauer's place in the rotation, with Rea now scheduled to start Saturday against Kansas City. Lauer could return to the rotation at some point, but for now he won't provide much fantasy relevance in a multi-inning relief role.

Syndergaard's finger held up over about 50 throws in Saturday's bullpen session, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Per Hoornstra, the next sure sign that Syndergaard will be ready to start Monday's game against the Twins will be if Gavin Stone makes his scheduled start Sunday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. While Syndergaard's health is trending in the right direction, his performance has not, as he has struck out four batters and walked three over his previous 16.1 innings.

Crawford (hamstring) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Friday in San Diego, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

He will follow Garrett Whitlock (elbow) in a rehab outing Tuesday with Triple-A Worcester, with his next appearance expected to come out of the big-league bullpen. Crawford has been effective in long relief and logged a 1.25 ERA, 0.65 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 21.1 innings across his six most recent MLB appearances.

Suarez (ebow) was activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Saturday against the Rockies at Coors Field.

It's not an ideal venue for Suarez's first start of 2023, but at least he's back and healthy. The 27-year-old southpaw logged a 1.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and five strikeouts in nine innings across three rehab appearances. He built up to five innings in his final rehab outing, so he could go deep enough to qualify for the win in Colorado.

Sears' start has been pushed to Sunday vs. the Rangers, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

James Kaprielian, who was just recalled from Triple-A, will slot into Mason Miller's (elbow) spot in the rotation Saturday, pushing everyone else back a day. Sears will matchup against Andrew Heaney on Sunday.

Kaprielian will start Saturday's game against the Rangers, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The team will push its other five starters back a day and stick with a six-man rotation despite Mason Miller (elbow) landing on the shelf. Kaprielian was just recalled from Triple-A, where he made two strong starts after struggling to a 12.94 ERA in 16 MLB innings prior to getting demoted.