MLB Player News

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Monday that Lauer is an option to start Wednesday's game versus the Red Sox in place of the injured Max Scherzer (forearm/ankle), Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays announced over the weekend that Lauer would shift to the bullpen to accommodate the return of Trey Yesavage (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Lauer has yet to make a relief appearance since that announcement, and he could immediately slide back into the rotation when Scherzer's turn comes up. Any reappointment to the rotation could be short-lived for Lauer, however, with Jose Berrios (elbow) nearing a return from the injured list. The left-handed Lauer owns a 6.75 ERA and 1.54 WHIP alongside a 19:12 K:BB across 22.2 innings this season.

The Blue Jays placed Scherzer on the 15-day injured list Monday due to right forearm tendinitis and left ankle inflammation.

Scherzer's move to the IL comes three days after he was lit up for seven runs in just 2.1 innings in a loss to the Guardians, which brought his ERA up to 9.64 over five starts on the season. Toronto had been listing Scherzer as its starter for Wednesday's game in Boston, but with the team opting to shelve the veteran rigth-hander, a spot in the rotation could be reopened for lefty Eric Lauer, who was recently moved to the bullpen. Scherzer will be eligible for activation May 10, but the Blue Jays haven't indicated whether he'll be ready to return at this time. For his part, Scherzer doesn't believe he's in line for a long-term absence, as he told Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca that he expects to take the next 5-to-7 days to rest up and heal before resuming a regular throwing program.

Nett was reinstated from Triple-A Las Vegas' 7-day injured list Saturday and worked in long relief Sunday in the team's 4-0 win over Salt Lake, striking out five over 3.2 scoreless innings while yielding one hit and one walk.

Nett missed the first month of the season while recovering from a rotator cuff injury, but he looked sharp while piggybacking starter Mason Barnett in his 2026 debut. Once he gets fully stretched out, Nett should settle into a spot in the Las Vegas rotation, and he may not have to wait long before receiving his first call-up to the majors. Nett was added to the Athletics' 40-man roster over the winter after submitting a 3.75 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 116:48 K:BB in 105.2 innings at the Double-A level in 2025.

Weiss appears in line to move to the Houston bullpen after Kai-Wei Teng was named the team's starter for Tuesday's game in Baltimore, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Weiss was ineffective in two starts after entering the Astros rotation, allowing a total of four runs on eight hits and eight walks over seven innings. Teng isn't fully stretched out to handle a typical starter's workload, so Weiss could be needed in long relief Tuesday. Weiss has collected a 6.50 ERA, 2.17 WHIP and 22:14 K:BB over 18 innings covering two starts and five relief outings this season.

Henriquez walked two batters and struck out one in a scoreless relief inning versus the Cubs on Sunday.

After Justin Wrobleski gave the Dodgers six scoreless frames, Henriquez took the mound in the seventh. The right-hander threw only 11 of his 24 pitches for strikes and issued a pair of free passes, but he managed to escape the inning without being scored upon. Henriquez has flashed big-time heat again this season, as his fastball velocity is averaging 100.5 mph. That hasn't yet led to massive strikeout numbers -- he has a 9:5 K:BB through 8.1 frames spanning nine outings -- but Henriquez does seem to have established a low-leverage role in the Dodgers bullpen. He doesn't have a hold or a save on his ledger, but over his past six appearances he's yielded only one earned run across 5.1 innings.

Teng has been named the Astros' starting pitcher for Tuesday's game in Baltimore, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Tuesday had been Ryan Weiss' turn in the rotation, but Weiss appears headed back to the bullpen. Teng has pitched well as a multi-inning reliever this season, collecting a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 16:6 K:BB across 16.2 frames. The right-hander made seven starts last season for the Giants and was deployed mostly as a starting pitcher in the minors, so he shouldn't require a lengthy period of time to get fully stretched out. However, with Tatsuya Imai (arm) poised to return from the injured list, Teng's stint in the rotation could be brief.

Priester (wrist) struck out two and allowed zero hits and issued three walks across 2.1 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Nashville.

Though he emerged from his second minor-league outing with a solid box-score line, Priester once again struggled to find the strike zone. After spotting just 12 of 29 pitches for strikes in his first outing with Nashville on Wednesday, Priester was even more inefficient Sunday (18 strikes on 45 pitches). The right-hander's velocity was also down in Sunday's appearance, with his sinker topping out at 92 miles per hour after averaging 93.2 mph with the Brewers in the 2025 regular season. Though Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy previously said that the 25-year-old would need at least three starts in the minors before coming off the 15-day injured list, Priester's shaky control through his first two rehab outings suggests he'll likely need more time than that to shake off the rust as he works his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome.

Strider (oblique) struck out seven and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks across five innings Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett.

In what was likely the third and final start of his rehab assignment, Strider delivered another strong outing to convince Atlanta that he's ready to return from the 15-day injured list. The 27-year-old built up to 82 pitches (50 strikes) Sunday, inducing 16 whiffs while maxing out at 96.9 miles per hour with his fastball. Assuming his oblique checks out fine following his next bullpen session, Strider will tentatively line up to make his season debut with Atlanta during its upcoming weekend series in Colorado.

Lodolo (finger) allowed two hits and struck out seven over five scoreless innings for High-A Dayton on Sunday.

Lodolo, who's been on the 15-day injured list since Opening Day due to a blister, kicked off a second rehab assignment Sunday. The left-hander was sharp, throwing 39 strikes among his 51 pitches. His first rehab was cut short when the blister resurfaced as he tried to throw a slider during a start for Dayton on April 2, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. There was no data or reporting on how many sliders Lodolo used Sunday.

Rodriguez (shoulder) threw to live hitters in Arizona on Friday, and the Angels are evaluating how he came out of that session before determining the next step in his throwing program, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Rodriguez reportedly threw the equivalent of three innings in the live session Friday. The right-handed hurler felt "good" while throwing, according to manager Kurt Suzuki, but the team still wants to see how he recovers before determining his next step. Rodriguez could be headed for a minor-league rehab stint soon, and there's a chance he'll be able to join the Angels sometime in May.