MLB Player News

Gibson and the Phillies won't play Saturday against the Mets after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Gibson was initially slated to start Friday before the game was called off, and he'll have to wait at least one more day before taking the mound. Saturday's matchup will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, and the right-hander will likely start in one of those two games.

Manning (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Manning has been on the injured list since mid-April, but he's been cleared to return to game action with the minor-league club. He recently threw multiple bullpen sessions of over 30 pitches, but it's not yet clear how many rehab appearances he'll require prior to rejoining the Tigers.

Peterson was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Peterson started the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Atlanta and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings. He has a 1.89 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 19 innings over four appearances (three starts) in the majors this year and will be a strong candidate to step in if the Mets need a spot starter at some point.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Saturday that Paxton is still dealing with posterior elbow soreness, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Paxton resumed throwing bullpen sessions in early April, but is facing a shutdown due to his lingering elbow pain. The southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2021 and isn't expected to appear in games until at least the middle of the summer. It's not yet clear how much he'll be delayed due to his soreness.

Sale (ribs) is behind schedule by a few weeks after dealing with a non-baseball medical issue, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Sale has been out all season with a stress fracture in his ribcage. He was tracking toward returning when first eligible in early June, but a return in late June now seems more reasonable. The exact nature of his medical issue is unclear, but it was enough to pause his throwing progression. He seems to be nearly over the issue now, however, as he's expected to resume throwing soon.

Houck will remain in the bullpen for the foreseeable future, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Houck made three starts to open the year before shifting to the bullpen for his next three appearances. With Rich Hill out after testing positive for COVID-19, there's a path for Houck to return to the rotation, but that job will go to Garrett Whitlock instead. Houck has fallen far short of the standards he set last season, with his ERA rising from 3.52 to 5.14, and his underlying numbers have taken similarly large steps back across the board. If he sorts things out in a multi-inning relief role, it's certainly possible he'll return to the rotation before too long, but his fantasy appeal will be greatly diminished until that happens.

Hill has tested positive for COVID-19, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Hill landed on the COVID-19 injured list Friday, but it wasn't originally clear whether he'd tested positive himself. Now that it's known that he has, it's safe to assume that he'll miss more than just a few days. Garrett Whitlock will step into the rotation in Hill's absence.

Kirby will join the Mariners' major-league roster shortly, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Mariners already called up one prospect straight from Double-A this season, but the Matt Brash experiment ended when the rookie was optioned Thursday after struggling to a 7.65 ERA in five starts. The Mariners will hope for better from Kirby, and there's reason to believe they'll get it, as Kirby doesn't have anywhere near Brash's command issues. Command is instead Kirby's calling card, as the 2019 first-rounder has walked just 4.4 percent of the batters he's faced in his minor-league career. Pair that with his 30.0 percent strikeout rate and there's plenty of reason to get excited, though he'll still have to navigate a big step up in competition. Kirby is expected to start Sunday against the Rays, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, so it's likely the transaction won't become official until then.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Pepiot is "part of the conversation" to serve as a sixth starter for the Dodgers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Pepiot has gotten off to a strong start at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, posting a 2.05 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 26.1 innings over six starts. The right-hander hasn't yet made his major-league debut, but the Dodgers are considering a six-man rotation in May since the team has 31 games in 30 days. Even if Pepiot isn't called up as a sixth starter this month, it wouldn't be surprising to see him join the big-league club at some point in 2022.

Steele will start Monday's series opener in San Diego, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Steele was initially projected to start Saturday against the Dodgers, but the Cubs altered their pitching plans after Friday's matchup was postponed. The southpaw will get a few extra days of rest before taking the mound on the road against the Padres. Over his first five starts in 2022, Steele has posted a 5.50 ERA and 1.89 WHIP in 18 innings.