MLB Player News

Drake's next start will come with Triple-A Round Rock, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reported Saturday.

Drake is one of the top pitching prospects in the Rangers organization, and he's accumulated a 2.44 ERA and a 70:22 K:BB in 12 starts with Double-A Frisco this season. The 24-year-old was an 11th-round pick in the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

The Yankees optioned Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

The transaction creates an opening on the 26-man active roster for right-hander Marcus Stroman (knee), who will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Sunday against the Athletics, per Max Goodman of NJ.com. Winan made a spot start against the Reds this past Monday and took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits and no walks while striking out one batter in 4.1 innings.

Eflin was removed from Saturday's game against the Rays due to lower-back tightness, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Eflin was rocked for four runs on 28 pitches (18 strikes) in the first inning, and his back issue may have contributed to his poor outing. He'll go to the clubhouse to undergo further testing, and the Orioles should provide an update on the veteran right-hander in the near future. Scott Blewett took the mound for Baltimore at the top of the second frame.

Hicks (toe) could be activated from the 15-day injured list within the next couple of days, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Hicks was roughed up in his first rehab outing with Triple-A Worcester this past Sunday, when he allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in two-thirds of an inning. He rebounded in his second appearance Friday, tossing one scoreless inning and allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two batters. Part of the trade package the Red Sox received in return in the mid-June deal that sent Rafael Devers to San Francisco, Hicks is expected to slot into a middle-innings role in the Boston bullpen once he's activated from the IL.

Shields (undisclosed) was reinstated from Double-A Somerset's 60-day injured list Saturday.

Shields was placed on the 60-day IL in mid-March due to an undisclosed injury. He made four rehab starts across three minor-league levels and posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB across 12 innings.

White Sox manager Will Venable said Saturday that Cannon (back) could return from his rehab assignment and start as soon as Sunday against the Giants, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Cannon landed on the 15-day injured list in early June due to a lower-back strain. He was cleared to make a rehab start with Triple-A Charlotte, and in his lone outing Tuesday he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two across three scoreless innings. Cannon went 2-7 in 12 games (10 starts) with a 4.66 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 51:21 K:BB across 63.2 innings prior to his stint on the IL.

The Astros reinstated McCullers (foot) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start against the Cubs on Saturday.

McCullers was been out of action since mid-June due to a right foot sprain, but he showed enough progress during his bullpen sessions to skip a rehab assignment and will rejoin the Astros' rotation Saturday. Nick Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land following Friday's game to make room on the 26-man roster for McCullers.

The Rays recalled Rock from Triple-A Durham on Saturday.

The Rays will bring up Rock to bolster the bullpen, designating Forrest Whitley for assignment in a corresponding move. Rock has spent the entire 2025 season in Triple-A, where he has a 3-5 record in 15 games (14 starts) with a 4.81 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 63:30 K:BB across 73 innings. He'll be available out of the Rays' bullpen and could make his major-league debut as soon as Saturday against the Orioles.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Friday that Gasser (elbow) has begun throwing live batting practice and could begin a minor-league rehab assignment "soon," MLB.com reports.

Gasser has been on the shelf all season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent June 24, 2024. Though the left-hander is seemingly nearing the finish line in the rehab process, he'll likely continue to build up the volume and intensity of his live BP sessions over at least the next couple of weeks before heading out on a rehab assignment at some point after the All-Star break. Gasser is likely to require close to the full 30-day rehab window to get stretched back out and hone his command post-surgery, so he shouldn't be expected to return from the 60-day injured list until some point in August and September. The Brewers have ample rotation depth on hand at the big-league level, so any contributions that Gasser makes for Milwaukee in 2025 could come as a reliever.

Burns is slated to make his next start for the Reds on Monday against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Burns will unsurprisingly stick around in the Cincinnati rotation after he fell short of a quality start but nonetheless impressed in his MLB debut this past Tuesday against the Yankees. The rookie became the first starting pitcher in the expansion era to strike out the first five batters he faced in a debut outing, and he added three more punchouts over five innings while yielding three earned runs on six hits and no walks. The 22-year-old righty will tentatively line up for two starts during the upcoming week, with his second turn expected to come on five days' rest July 6 in Philadelphia.