MLB Player News

Soroka (Achilles) will continue his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old began the rehab stint Tuesday with High-A Rome and threw 45 pitches over four scoreless innings, and he'll move up to Triple-A for his next outing. Soroka hasn't pitched in the majors since 2020 and is likely to require a couple more rehab starts after Sunday before potentially being activated by Atlanta in early September.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed that Paxton (elbow) exited his rehab start Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League due to a left lat strain, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Cora noted that the Red Sox won't know how serious Paxton's injury is until he's evaluated over the next couple of days, but the setback could be a season-ending one for the southpaw, who was making his first rehab appearance Thursday since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April. Because he's likely to require a multi-week buildup program coming off the major elbow surgery, Paxton wasn't on track to come off the 60-day injured list until September. Even if the lat strain proves to be minor, Paxton's return date will be pushed back to some extent, and it's certainly possible that he doesn't make it back to the Red Sox before the regular season ends Oct. 5.

Bello (groin) will make a rehab start at Triple-A Worcester on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Bello made a rehab start at Double-A Portland on Sunday and gave up a run on two hits and no walks while striking out six in 3.2 innings. He's been on the injured list since Aug. 3, so he should have a chance to rejoin the Red Sox following Friday's outing.

Manager Bud Black said Senzatela will undergo an MRI on Friday after the right-hander exited Thursday's 13-0 loss to the Cardinals with a sprained left knee, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Senzatela dropped to 3-7 and was charged with five earned runs on six hits while striking out two over 1.2 innings before he departed the game when he landed awkwardly while attempting to field a Brendan Donovan dribbler down the first-base line in the bottom of the second. The injury looked to be significant, and the initial diagnosis of a sprain could mean that a damaged ACL or meniscus might be in play for Senzatela. The MRI will ultimately reveal the extent of Senzatela's injury, but even if he avoids ligament damage to his knee, a trip to the 10-day injured list appears to be a likely outcome.

Senzatela was removed in the second inning of his start Thursday against the Cardinals due to an apparent left knee injury, John Denton of MLB.com reports. He was charged with five earned runs on six hits and no walks while striking out two in 1.2 innings before departing.

Senzatela suffered the injury when he attempted to make a play on Brendan Donovan's slow dribbler down the first-base line, which ultimately went for a run-scoring infield single. He looked to be in significant pain and required assistance off the field, suggesting a trip to the injured list could be in the forecast. The Rockies are likely to provide an updated diagnosis on Senzatela's injury and a potential timeline for his return later Thursday or Friday.

Paxton (elbow) was removed midway through the first inning of his first rehab start Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League after experiencing lat tightness, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Pitching in a competitive game for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2021, Paxton retired the two batters he faced before exiting the contest on account of another injury. Even if follow-up tests clear Paxton of a lat strain or a more serious injury, he's still likely to be shut down from throwing for at least a few days. The Red Sox already weren't counting on Paxton being ready to return from the 60-day injured list until early September, and the lat issue will likely push his potential season debut back further, if it even happens at all.

The Twins announced Thursday that the MRI taken on Mahle's right shoulder revealed no issue, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. Mahle remains day-to-day with an injury the Twins are describing as "general soreness and fatigue."

After his average fastball velocity was down approximately four miles per hour from his season average during his start Wednesday versus the Royals, Mahle was pulled after 2.1 innings, despite having allowed only one baserunner. Fortunately for Mahle, his shoulder is structurally sound, and he doesn't appear to be dealing with a strain either. He's tentatively lined up to make his next start Aug. 23 in Houston, but the Twins will likely wait and see how he fares during a bullpen session this weekend before locking him in for his next turn through the rotation.

Matz (knee) could throw off a mound this weekend, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, Matz played catch off a mound Wednesday and did some running on the field, so throwing pitches off the mound would mark another step forward in his recovery from a torn MCL in his left knee. Matz is still likely a week or more away from beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so he's not expected to be a rotation option for the Cardinals until September at the soonest.

Atlanta reinstated Fried (concussion) from the 7-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Thursday against the Mets.

Right-hander Freddy Tarnok was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to open up room on the active roster for Fried, who will make his first start since Aug. 6 after clearing MLB's concussion protocol. The southpaw will be facing the Mets for the fourth time this season after turning in a 3.18 ERA and 16:6 K:BB across 17 innings in the previous three matchups.

Kluber did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk over six innings against the Yankees. He struck out eight.

Kluber kept the Yankees off the board until the sixth inning, when Gleyber Torres launched a two-run homer. Even with the solid performance, the righty has struggled lately with a 5.62 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 49.2 innings across his last nine starts. Additionally, the 36-year-old has allowed four runs or more in five of those nine outings.