MLB Player News

Houck was optioned to Triple-A Worcester after Tuesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

The 25-year-old pitched Game 1 of Tuesday's twin bill and took a no-decision after giving up two runs over four innings, and he'll once again be moved off the big-league roster after a start. Houck has made his past six appearances for the Red Sox, but he's bounced between the majors and minors while the team takes advantage of the roster rules to maintain flexibility. He served as the 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader, so he'll be eligible to rejoin the Red Sox without missing a turn through the rotation. Houck has a 3.12 ERA and 46:7 K:BB across 34.2 innings for Boston this season.

Bieber (shoulder) completed a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

It's Bieber's second bullpen session since landing on the shelf in mid-June, and he continues to throw all fastballs off the mound. The 26-year-old is scheduled for another bullpen session Friday as he continues to push for a return in September. The next step for the right-hander will be to mix in all of his pitches during his mound work.

Hendricks (14-5) tossed six innings of one-run ball to record the win Tuesday against the Reds. He allowed three hits and three walks while striking out three.

After a rough outing his last time out in which he allowed nine earned runs, this was a nice bounce-back effort for Hendricks, and it also helped snap a 12-game losing streak for the Cubs. The righty is unquestionably the ace of Chicago's staff, but he hasn't been as sharp this year compared to recent seasons. His current 4.04 ERA would be a new career worst, as he's been below 4.00 in each of his previous seven MLB campaigns. Hendricks still has time to whittle away at that figure, and he certainly will if he pitches like he did Tuesday night. Hendricks is tentatively lined up to make his next start Monday against the Rockies.

Urena (groin) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday and threw 13 pitches in a scoreless inning, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It's not the type of length you'd expect from a starter to begin a rehab assignment, so it's worth keeping an eye on his workload in subsequent outings. Urena landed on the shelf with groin tightness in mid-July, and a shift to the bullpen would allow for a shorter rehab stint and quicker return to the majors since he wouldn't need to build up to a starter's workload. For now it's unclear how the Tigers plan to utilize the right-hander once he's healthy.

Manager Jayce Tingler said Tuesday that Darvish (back) is playing catch, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Darvish landed on the shelf with lower-back tightness over the weekend, so the fact he was never shut down from throwing bodes well for his recovery. The veteran right-hander will be eligible to be activated during the upcoming series against the Dodgers, which begins Aug. 24, though it's uncertain if he'll be ready to pitch by that point.

Manager Jayce Tingler said Paddack (oblique) could throw off a mound soon, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Paddack has been throwing off flat ground for nearly two weeks, and he's nearly ready to resume mound work. The 25-year-old is eligible to be activated off the injured list but remains without a timeline for his return. The right-hander may also require a rehab assignment before rejoining San Diego's starting rotation.

Greene (shoulder) started for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday during the third inning, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 22-year-old was scratched from his start last week due to irritation in the AC joint of his right shoulder, but he was able to retake the mound a week later. However, Greene was ejected during the third frame after throwing a fastball behind Johan Camargo, who hit a homer off him earlier in the contest. Overall the right-hander surrendered four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk across 2.2 innings.

Bassitt was struck in the head by a line drive and carted off the field during Tuesday's start against the White Sox, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Bassitt was hit on the right side of the head by a line drive off the bat of Brian Goodwin during the second inning, and he remained down on the field for multiple minutes while bleeding profusely before being helped onto the cart. The right-hander is being transported to the hospital but is conscious and aware.

Garrett was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Garrett was tagged for three runs on three hits and six walks over three-plus innings during Monday's start, and he'll return to the minors following the rough outing. The 24-year-old has struggled in eight outings for the Marlins this season with a 5.03 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 32:20 K:BB across 34 innings.

Mikolas (forearm) is expected to return from the 60-day injured list to start Friday's game against the Pirates, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Mikolas missed the start of the season with a shoulder injury and returned to make just a single start in late May before being shut down with a tight forearm. He's now ready to go after making five rehab appearances and will be getting an extra day of rest in his return to major-league action, as his final rehab outing happened Saturday.