MLB Player News

Carrasco (elbow) won't make his scheduled rehab start due to illness, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

A bone spur in his elbow sent Carrasco to the injured list after just three starts, though he appeared to be nearly ready for his return. He was expected to make a rehab appearance over the weekend before returning to the active roster next week, but that timeline has now been pushed back, presumably by at least one start.

Cueto (biceps) left Saturday's rehab start for Triple-A Jacksonville with an apparent lower-body injury, Fish on the Farm reports.

He fell awkwardly after trying to cover first base on a play in the third inning. Cueto gave up six runs on eight hits while striking out zero batters in 2.1 innings before suffering the injury. He also allowed four home runs against Triple-A Memphis in what could have been his only needed tune up before joining the big-league rotation. However, that now seems unlikely given the quality of the performance and the fact he exited with an injury.

Faedo will be called up from Triple-A Toledo to start Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The Tigers need to turn to a spot starter after a rainout forced a doubleheader Wednesday against the Mets. Detroit gets three off days in the 11 days following Faedo's start on Sunday, so Faedo might not get the chance to stick around. The 27-year-old's 5.53 ERA in 12 starts as a rookie last year doesn't inspire confidence, though he owns a 2.50 ERA in five Triple-A starts this season.

Whitley's last start for Triple-A Sugar Land was skipped due to minor right shoulder discomfort, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Whitley has the most name value of Houston's starters at Triple-A, but after a strong first two starts of the campaign, the 6-foot-7 righty has struggled to the tune of a 9.00 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 13 innings over his three most recent outings. J.P. France and Brandon Bielak were chosen for the open rotation spots at the big-league level as Whitley deals with the shoulder issue.

Paxton (hamstring) will be activated from the 15-day injured list and is expected to be reinserted into Boston's rotation sometime during next weekend's series with the Cardinals at Fenway Park, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

He won't be used in the two-game series in Atlanta, but will start one of the following games. Manager Alex Cora didn't rule out the possibility of the Red Sox utilizing a six-man rotation, but Boston has off days Monday and Thursday, so a six-man unit would stretch the length between outings for their starters in the short term. Paxton has a 3.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 17:10 K:BB in 14.2 innings over his last three rehab starts, his most recent of which came Friday with Triple-A Worcester.

Wainwright (groin) was activated Saturday and will make his season debut against the Tigers.

A groin strain sent Wainwright to the injured list to begin the season and will wind up costing him over a month. His 6.23 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in three rehab outings hardly inspire confidence, though those marks do come with a 13:2 K:BB. The 41-year-old righty maintained a respectable 3.71 ERA last season despite the fact that his strikeout rate dropped to 17.8 percent. Guillermo Zuniga was optioned in a corresponding move.

Blackburn's (finger) scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday has been pushed back due to the impending birth of his child, the team's official site reports.

Blackburn had thrown all his pitches during a bullpen session Wednesday that apparently went well enough to garner him clearance to restart his rehab assignment, but his paternity leave will delay matters by a few more days. Manager Mark Kotsay noted the club will have a better feel for Blackburn's return timeline after his child's birth, and it's possible he makes two or more additional starts with the Aviators before being deemed ready for activation.

Wheeler (3-2) took the loss Friday, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits over 5.1 innings during a 5-3 loss to the Red Sox. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Wheeler tied his season high with four earned runs allowed and plunked a batter for a fourth straight appearance. Despite a few sharp outings, the right-hander's overall start to the campaign has left fantasy managers wanting more. He's posted an ERA lower than 3.00 in each of his past three seasons, but he currently sports a 4.26 ERA through 38 innings. Despite the inflated ERA, Wheeler's 46:11 K:BB remains elite and provides optimism that he can turn the corner soon.

Sale (3-2) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings during a 5-3 victory over the Phillies. He struck out 10.

Sale has allowed five or more runs in three of his seven outings this season, but he also has three quality starts and two games with double-digit strikeouts. The left-hander's 6.37 ERA remains inflated due to the seven runs he allowed in his first appearance of the year, but he's surrendered just four runs over his past 12.1 innings and earned the win in back-to-back starts. Sale will look to stay sharp next time out, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game weekend set versus the Cardinals.

Ober (2-0) earned the win Friday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings during a 2-0 victory over the Guardians. He struck out six.

Ober drew a second straight start with Kenta Maeda (triceps) and Tyler Mahle (elbow) on the injured list, and he continues to make the most of his limited opportunities. Friday's outing marked Ober's first quality start of the season, and he's allowed just two runs over three appearances (18.1 innings). Ober's 0.98 ERA and 0.87 WHIP are likely unsustainable, and his 16:6 K:BB isn't eye-popping, but he continues to get results and should remain in the rotation as long as Maeda and Mahle are unavailable.