MLB Player News

The Astros announced Friday that McCullers (shoulder) began a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

After landing on the injured list May 19 due to right shoulder inflammation, McCullers was shut down from activity for about a week and a half before being cleared to begin ramping up again. While McCullers doesn't necessarily appear to be headed for a long-term absence, the Astros could elect to have him build up slowly as a means of buying time to decide on what his role will look like moving forward. With Hunter Brown (shoulder) tracking toward a mid-June return from the IL and with Peter Lambert and Kai-Wei Teng emerging as viable back-end starting options, the Astros may not be willing to reopen a rotation spot for McCullers once he's ready for activation. McCullers struggled mightily over his eight starts prior to landing on the shelf, posting a 6.86 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 39.1 innings.

Javier (shoulder) recorded two outs -- both via strikeout -- and was charged with two earned runs on two hits and two walks in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Corpus Christi.

Javier made his first appearance at any level in nearly two months, as he's been on the Astros' injured list since April 10 due to a Grade 2 right shoulder strain. Given the long layoff, some rust was to be expected from the right-hander during the rehab outing, but he still fell short of the Astros' goal of reaching at least two innings and 30-to-35 pitches, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Javier needed 28 pitches just to generate two outs, though on a positive note, his fastball velocity sat around his pre-injury levels at 92-to-93 mph during the outing, per Javier Gonzalez of PelotaCubanaUSA.com. The 29-year-old will probably require at least three more rehab starts to build up his pitch count and re-emerge as a viable option for the Houston rotation.

Mize (adductor) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Detroit placed Mize on the 15-day injured list Friday due to right adductor inflammation, but his ability to step back on the mound just a few days later suggests that he's tracking toward an abbreviated stint on the shelf. The Tigers haven't decided on Mize's next steps, but assuming he bounces back well from the side session, he'll likely advance to facing hitters by the weekend. He's eligible to return from the IL on June 12 and could be activated without requiring a rehab assignment beforehand.

Pallante (6-4) earned the win Wednesday against the Rangers after allowing one run on three hits and two walks across 5.2 innings. He struck out five while also hitting a batter and tossing a wild pitch.

Pallante was just one out away from recording what would've been his third quality start over his last four appearances. The 27-year-old right-hander had some command issues, as evidenced by his third wild pitch of the season, but he continues to deliver results. Over his last four starts, Pallante owns a 2.95 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP across 21.1 innings. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Mets next week.

Gore (4-5) was tagged with the loss Wednesday against the Cardinals after allowing four runs on nine hits and three walks across 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

Gore was coming off back-to-back quality starts against the Angels and Royals, allowing just one run over 12.1 innings in that span, but he couldn't keep that streak going and didn't even complete the fifth inning Wednesday. The four runs allowed were the most Gore had surrendered since May 7, when he gave up five in a loss to the Yankees. Now sporting a 2.77 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over his last five starts, Gore will aim to bounce back in his next outing, scheduled for next week on the road against the Royals.

Springs didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Cubs. He allowed four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, and a walk across 3.2 innings while striking out three.

Springs has given up at least four earned runs in three of his last five appearances, and he's failed to pitch past the fifth inning in his last two starts. Over that five-start stretch, the 33-year-old southpaw owns a 5.19 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, but perhaps the most concerning stat is the seven homers he's conceded over the 26-inning sample. Springs will aim to bounce back in his next start, scheduled for next week at home against the Brewers.

Rea didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the A's. He tossed 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, striking out three.

Rea came just two outs short of posting a quality start, and he delivered a very similar line to that of his previous outing on the road against the Pirates, where he also allowed two runs across 5.1 frames. However, Rea has allowed multiple runs in each of his last five appearances and only has one quality start over that stretch, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with a 17:10 K:BB across 26.2 innings in that span. Rea is slated to make his next start next week on the road against the Rockies, which is far from the ideal matchup with which to try and curtail his struggles.

Montgomery (elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Montgomery continues to grind away at his rehab from left UCL surgery. He's looking at an early August return.

Gallen (3-5) allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out one over five innings to take the loss versus the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Kyle Tucker's two-run home run in the second inning was the difference. Gallen didn't get much help -- the Diamondbacks managed just two hits and two walks in the whole game. Gallen has allowed at least four runs in five of his last seven outings, which makes him a risky option for most fantasy managers. On the year, he has a 5.32 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 43:20 K:BB through 64.1 innings over 13 starts. The veteran right-hander's next start is projected to be on the road versus Miami.

Lorenzen (2-8) allowed eight runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings to take the loss Wednesday versus the Angels.

Lorenzen continues to be a magnet for crooked numbers. He fell short of completing four frames for the second start in a row Wednesday and has given up 32 runs (31 earned) across 26.2 innings over six starts since the beginning of May, including 15 runs over 13.1 innings on the road. Lorenzen has an 8.01 ERA, 1.99 WHIP and 48:22 K:BB through 14 outings (13 starts) this season. He is tentatively projected to start at home versus the Cubs next week.