MLB Player News

Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, with his procedure involving the insertion of an internal brace that could help him return in 9-to-12 months, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Maeda will miss the rest of the 2021 season and likely most of the 2022 season. The inclusion of a brace could speed up his recovery from a typical 12-to-16 month timeframe, but it may be well into next year before there's a clearer timetable for his return. After dazzling during an 11-start sample in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Maeda took a big step back in 2021 before suffering the season-ending injury in August. Over 106.1 innings, Maeda went 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 113:32 K:BB.

McKenzie (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

McKenzie dealt with right shoulder fatigue for a week and a half, but he'll return to the mound as the starter in Thursday's series finale against the Royals. Across his two starts prior to his absence, he posted a 0.60 ERA, 0.27 WHIP and 19:1 K:BB in 15 innings.

The Twins transferred Maeda (forearm) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Maeda's move to the 60-day IL was merely a formality after the Twins announced last week that he would require a season-ending surgery for his right forearm. The Twins haven't provided details on the nature of the procedure, making it unknown if Maeda will have a realistic shot at being healthy for the start of spring training in 2022. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Joe Ryan, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of his first MLB start Wednesday against the Cubs.

The Twins selected Ryan's contract from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Cubs, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

One of the prospects Minnesota received in the July 22 deal that sent Nelson Cruz to Tampa Bay, Ryan is expected to get a trial in the Twins rotation for the final month of the season as he aims to secure a starting role with the big club in 2022. Between stops at St. Paul and Durham this season, Ryan was one of the most dominant pitchers at the Triple-A level. Over 66 innings, the 25-year-old righty held opposing hitters to a .173 average while compiling a 3.41 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 92:12 K:BB.

Freeland was removed in the second inning of his start Wednesday against the Rangers with an apparent injury, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports. He retired three hitters and walked two of the five batters he faced before departing.

Freeland lasted only 21 pitches before heading to the dugout after a meeting with a trainer on the mound. An explanation for his early exit isn't yet known, but expect manager Bud Black to provide more details on the matter after the game.

Urquidy (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle

The 26-year-old will start in place of Zack Greinke (undisclosed) in Friday's series opener against the Padres. Urquidy has been sidelined since late June due to right shoulder inflammation, but he recently made three rehab appearances and posted a 1.50 ERA and 0.50 WHIP in 12 innings.

The Rockies placed Gray on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right forearm tightness, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

After exiting his start against the Dodgers over the weekend with the forearm issue, the Rockies were initially optimistic that Gray wouldn't miss a turn through the rotation. His ability to complete a bullpen session Tuesday without incident seemingly backed up that sentiment, but Gray's forearm was evidently still bothering him a day after the workout, prompting the Rockies to deactivate him. Chi Chi Gonzalez, who has made 16 starts this season before recently shifting to the bullpen, likely represents the top candidate to step in to make a spot start for Gray in Thursday's home game against Atlanta.

The Rangers activated Arihara (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Rockies in Texas.

After securing a spot in Texas' Opening Day rotation and making seven starts, Arihara had been on the shelf since early May after he developed an aneurysm in his right shoulder that required a procedure. The surgery was initially expected to threaten Arihara's availability for the remainder of the season, but he was able to progress quicker than anticipated in his recovery. After checking out fine following a pair of two-inning rehab outings in the minors, Arihara will rejoin the Texas rotation, but expect him to serve as more of a glorified opener than a traditional starter, at least for the series finale with Colorado. Glenn Otto could be a candidate to work in bulk relief behind Arihara, who tossed only 30 pitches in his final rehab start and isn't built up enough to work deep into Wednesday's contest.

Bieber (shoulder) tossed a 36-pitch, up-and-down bullpen session Friday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Much to the chagrin of fantasy managers who have held Bieber since he was shut down in mid-June with a right shoulder strain, Cleveland has been easing the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner along slowly while he recovers from the injury. While the club hasn't mentioned shuttering Bieber for the season, the fact that he has yet to even face hitters two and a half months since being placed on the IL suggests he may be two weeks or more away from being ready for game action. If Bieber does make it back from the IL in 2021, there's a good chance his pitch count in any starts could be more limited than usual.

Civale (finger) is scheduled to make his third rehab start at Double-A Akron on Wednesday.

Civale has looked sharp in both of his first two rehab outings and most recently pitched for High-A Lake County last Friday, when he struck out four over 4.1 shutout innings. After building up his pitch count to 58 in that outing, Civale should get stretched out to the 65-to-75-pitch range Wednesday in what will most likely mark his final rehab start. Civale has been on Cleveland's injured list since late June with a sprained right middle finger, with the injury disrupting what had been a solid campaign for the 26-year-old. Over 97.2 innings with the big club, Civale posted a 10-2 record, 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 76:23 K:BB.