MLB Player News

Rodriguez (0-1) allowed seven runs (two earned) across 3.2 innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Red Sox. He gave up five hits and three walks while striking out five.

The strikeouts were nice but everything else was a struggle for Rodriguez in the matchup against Boston, which was his team for the last six seasons. The lefty hasn't gotten off to a good start with his new squad, as he now has a 5.87 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across his first two starts. He was better in the spring (3.71 Grapefruit League ERA), so maybe he'll be able to get rolling soon. Rodriguez has another tough matchup on tap, though, as he's slated to face the Yankees on Tuesday.

Ashby is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Ashby worked out of the bullpen in his first two appearances of the season, with his last outing coming Monday against the Orioles. He threw 68 pitches over 3.1 scoreless frames in that contest, so he shouldn't face significant workload limitations in his first start of 2022. The Brewers utilized a six-man rotation through most of 2021, and a strong performance from Ashby this weekend could help push manager Craig Counsell to do so again this year.

Gray (1-1) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing only one hit and three walks over five scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over Atlanta. He struck out five.

After a rough start to the season against the Mets, Gray rebounded in impressive fashion. The right-hander fired 50 of 82 pitches for strikes, and Atlanta didn't get a runner past second base until Gray was out of the game. The 24-year-old will take a 4.00 ERA and 10:5 K:BB through nine innings into his next start, scheduled for Monday at home against the Diamondbacks.

Montgomery (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is lined up to start Friday's game against the Orioles, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Montgomery dealt with left knee inflammation after he was hit by a comebacker in Sunday's start against the Red Sox, but the team has consistently downplayed the severity of the issue. Since Wednesday's bullpen session went as planned, manager Aaron Boone said that Montgomery "should be good to go" in Baltimore on Friday. While pitching through the injury in his season debut, the southpaw allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four in 3.1 innings.

The Blue Jays are planning to have Stripling make a spot start Friday against the Athletics in Toronto if he isn't needed in relief the next two days, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Stripling looks like he'll be in line for just a short-term appointment in the rotation, as the Blue Jays are looking to extend each of their five starters an extra day of rest between outings amid a busy stretch in the schedule. The right-hander last appeared out of the bullpen Sunday, when he was charged with two runs allowed on one hit and three walks over one inning in a 24-pitch outing against the Rangers. Stripling could be capped at around 40-to-50 pitches if he does in fact receive the starting assignment for Friday's series opener.

Fried (leg) said after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Nationals that he feels "fine" after exiting his start shortly after being struck by a comebacker in the sixth inning, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. He intends to make his next start, which tentatively lines up for Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

Fried said Nelson Cruz's line drive to the mound to begin the sixth inning struck him in his right hamstring, but other than experiencing some minor soreness or bruising, the southpaw didn't appear to be in any pain. After Cruz's groundout, Fried allowed back-to-back singles before being pulled from the contest after 78 pitches, six shy of his total from his Opening Day start last week. Fried finished the afternoon with three runs allowed (two earned) across 5.1 innings and was charged with his second loss of the season.

Lynn (knee) resumed playing catch off flat ground Wednesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Lynn noted that he's further along than anticipated in his recovery from the surgery he underwent April 5 to address a tendon tear in his right knee, but the veteran right-hander has several more hurdles to clear in his rehab program before a firmer target date for his return comes into focus. The White Sox aren't counting on him to resume mound work until early May, and from there, Lynn will likely need at least 2-to-3 weeks to build back up from a starting role. For what it's worth, general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday that he doesn't expect Lynn to make his season debut until early June, per Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago.

Hendricks (0-1) tossed 3.2 innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four on his way to a loss versus the Pirates on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old struggled with his command in this one, throwing only 42 of his 78 pitches for strikes. After Willson Contreras gave him a one-run lead with a solo shot in the top of the first inning, Ben Gamel flipped the script in the bottom of the frame, blasting a two-out three-run homer off Hendricks. He later surrendered three more runs and wasn't able to make it through the fourth inning. The right-hander got off to a slow start in 2021, posting a 6.23 ERA through his first seven starts before going on a hot streak in the middle of the season. Hendricks will have a chance to right the ship in his next projected start at home versus the Rays on Monday.

Gore is expected to be called up from Triple-A El Paso to start Friday's game against Atlanta in San Diego, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The Padres won't formally add Gore to the 28-man active roster until Thursday or Friday, but he already left El Paso on Tuesday and joined the team's taxi squad in San Diego. With Blake Snell not progressing from his adductor strain as quickly as hoped, he'll head to the injured list and miss his next start Friday, paving the way for Gore to temporarily slot into the rotation. The 23-year-old lefty endured a turbulent 2021 campaign that included stops at four different minor-league affiliates, but he showed major improvement this spring, as he allowed just five baserunners while striking out 11 over nine Cactus League innings. Gore will likely be on a strict pitch count Friday, but a strong showing against the reigning World Series champions could allow him to stick with the Padres on a longer-term basis even if Snell is forced to miss only one start.

Fried was removed midway through the sixth inning of his start Wednesday against the Nationals, shortly after being struck in the right leg by a Nelson Cruz comebacker to the mound, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. He covered 5.1 frames in the outing and gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out four.

Fried departed with Atlanta trailing 3-0, so he'll be on the hook for a loss or no-decision. Fortunately, he doesn't appear to be dealing with any sort of a major injury. He was able to face two batters after Cruz's groundout, and he didn't exhibit any sort of limp while walking off the field. Fantasy managers will still want to ensure Fried is feeling fine coming out of his next bullpen session, but he looks on track to make his third start of the season Monday or Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.