MLB Player News

Whitlock was removed from Sunday's game against the Orioles with right pectoral tightness, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Whitlock delivered a scoreless sixth inning and returned for the seventh, but he quickly exited with an athletic trainer due to the injury. Overall he was charged with an earned run on a hit and a walk with zero strikeouts. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but the 25-year-old will have Monday's scheduled off day to aid in his recovery before potentially missing additional time.

German (shoulder) could rejoin the Yankees in the coming days, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

German made his second minor-league rehab appearance Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three over two innings. His next outing is expected to be out of the Yankees bullpen, where he is likely to remain for the rest of the campaign. German has made 21 appearances for the big club this season, with 18 of those coming as a starter.

Taillon (ankle) could make a minor-league rehab start during the coming week, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

Taillon tossed a bullpen session Saturday, and his next step is expected to be a short rehab start within the next several days. If that goes well, the right-hander could subsequently return to the Yankees rotation, per Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record. Taillon's last big-league appearance was Sept. 6 against Toronto, when he gave up three runs in seven innings and suffered the loss.

Cueto (elbow) could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento later this week, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The Giants plan to have Cueto complete a bullpen session Monday before determining his next step, but the right-hander seems to be making good progress in his recovery from a strained elbow. Though he landed on the injured list Sept. 1 with the elbow issue, Cueto looks like he'll be ready to slot back into the San Francisco rotation during the final week of the regular season.

Junk will start Wednesday's game against the Astros, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 25-year-old gave up one earned run in 4.1 frames during his previous start last week, and it appeared he was set to lose his rotation spot with Alex Cobb back from the injured list. Junk will instead receive at least one more turn through the rotation. He's allowed two earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and one walk in eight innings across his first two big-league starts.

Boyd (elbow) is scheduled for a second visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache early next week, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Boyd recently had a visit with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, and he's now scheduled to check in with Dr. ElAttrache, both of which are known for their experience with Tommy John surgery. A decision has yet to be made on whether the left-hander will require the procedure, but it appears to be a possibility and leaves his availability for 2022 in question.

Ryan (wrist) will make his next start in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Ryan was pushed back from starting Sunday while recovering from a bruised right wrist, but he'll rejoin the rotation Wednesday after receiving a couple extra days to recover. The 25-year-old has pitched well through his first three big-league starts with a 2.12 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB in 17 innings.

The Yankees could activate Severino (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list as early as Monday, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

Severino impressed during his most recent live batting practice session Friday, but it's unclear if that'll be enough for him to rejoin the big club, or if he'll need to complete another bullpen session or two prior to being reinstated. Regardless, Severino is slated to fill a relief role for the Yankees upon his return, and he may need to prove himself in lower-leverage scenarios before manager Aaron Boone trusts him in bigger spots. Severino's last big-league appearance came during the 2019 postseason, as he missed the entire 2020 season while requiring from Tommy John surgery last February. He's been sidelined throughout the 2021 campaign while continuing his recovery from surgery and having experienced groin- and shoulder-related setbacks during his rehab assignments this summer.

Valdez (finger) will start Monday's game against the Angels, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Valdez was considered questionable to start Monday while recovering from a cut on the index finger of his left hand, but he'll rejoin the rotation after being scratched from Thursday's scheduled start. The 27-year-old has a 3.26 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 109:50 K:BB across 116 innings this season.

Bassitt (face) could be activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday to start the Athletics' series finale against the Mariners in Oakland, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Sidelined since Aug. 17 after taking a line drive off the face and suffering facial fractures that required surgery, Bassitt initially looked like he could be at risk of missing the rest of the season. The right-hander has made tremendous progress in his recovery, however, and after tossing a simulated game Saturday without issue, he looks to be on the cusp of rejoining the 28-man active roster. The Athletics will likely have Bassitt complete a bullpen session Monday as a final test of his health before reinserting him into the rotation. Since he's slated to return from the IL without completing a rehab assignment beforehand, Bassitt could be subject to a limited workload in his first start in more than a month.