MLB Player News

Whitlock (hip) has resumed playing catch, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Whitlock has been on the injured list for a week, and the Red Sox are hoping he'll be able to rejoin the rotation after missing the minimum of 15 days. The right-hander is eligible to be reinstated as early as June 24.

Eovaldi (back) is progressing more slowly than expected and is unlikely to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The Red Sox were initially hoping Eovaldi would be back after spending the minimum on the IL, but the right-hander hasn't made as much progress in his recovery as the team had anticipated. A better timetable for his return should come into focus after he's cleared to begin a throwing program.

Lodolo (back) will make a rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Louisville, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The left-hander covered two innings during his first rehab outing Monday at the Reds' complex in Arizona, and he'll make his next appearance at the highest level of the minors. Lodolo is expected to require another rehab start after Saturday's outing but could be back in the big-league rotation by the end of June.

Lopez (wrist) is starting Friday's game against the Mets, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Lopez exited last Friday's start against the Astros due to a right wrist contusion and was unable to make his start Wednesday against the Phillies. However, he'll rejoin the rotation for Friday's series opener against the Mets after getting a few extra days of rest. Over his last three starts, the right-hander posted a 3.12 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 17.1 innings.

McCullers (forearm) reached 91 mph with his fastball Friday and began throwing curveballs off flat ground earlier this week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

These were each big steps for McCullers, as he was at 87 mph with his fastball two weeks ago and had yet to throw his curveball during his rehab. It seems like he will continue with his throwing program in a controlled environment, but now that he is throwing all of his pitches and his velocity is ticking above 90 mph on his fastball, a rehab assignment may not be too far away.

Severino will pitch Sunday in Toronto, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Assuming Severino still feels OK physically, he will make a start this week despite being a late scratch Thursday with an illness. He last pitched June 10 and has a 1.67 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 40:6 K:BB in 32.1 innings over his last five starts. Gerrit Cole will be pushed back to start Monday in Tampa Bay.

Megill was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained right shoulder Friday, and he'll be shut down from throwing for four weeks before being re-evaluated, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Megill was removed from Thursday's start after 3.1 innings due to shoulder discomfort, and he was diagnosed with a strain after undergoing an MRI. The right-hander is likely to be sidelined until at least mid-August, as he'll require a significant ramp-up period following the lengthy shutdown. Max Scherzer (oblique) is hoping to return from the injured list in late June, but it's unclear who will step into New York's starting rotation in the meantime.

Schmidt allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five across three scoreless innings in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Rays. He didn't factor into the decision.

Schmidt received a spot start Thursday after Luis Severino was briefly placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Schmidt had not thrown more than 3.1 innings in any outing this season, so he was limited in length. However, he was very effective and racked up eight swinging strikes on 50 pitches while allowing a single as his only hit. Schmidt had already been pitching well out of the bullpen this season, and after the stellar showing in the starting role, he now maintains a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 20:11 K:BB across 22.1 frames. Severino was activated from the IL following Thursday's game, so Schmidt will head back to the bullpen with Severino in line to take the hill when his next turn in the rotation comes up next week.

Smyly (oblique) has resumed playing catch, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Smyly sustained a right oblique strain in late May and is expected to spend about a month on the injured list. It's encouraging that the southpaw has been cleared to resume throwing, but he'll need to pitch off a mound and ramp up his intensity before he's in the mix to rejoin the major-league club.

McKenzie (4-5) allowed one earned run on seven hits and one walk while striking out six across six innings to earn the win Thursday against the Rockies.

McKenzie allowed a single and double to the first two batters he faced, but he escaped the jam without allowing a run. The only damage against him came in the fifth inning, when he allowed a leadoff triple. Otherwise, McKenzie had an impressive outing -- particularly given that he was pitching in Coors Field -- highlighted by 16 swinging strikes on 93 total pitches. He has now allowed two earned runs or fewer while working six or more innings in four of his last five turns through the rotation.