MLB Player News

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Jax (elbow) is expected to make a rehab start for Triple-A Durham on Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The right-hander threw live batting practice with no issues and is now on the cusp of returning to game action. Jax landed on the injured list Aug. 9 due to the elbow issue and received an injection a couple days later. He was only briefly shut down from throwing and may need just one outing in the minors before being cleared to rejoin Tampa Bay's rotation.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Schmidt (elbow) will be preparing to return from the 60-day injured list as a reliever, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports. "That can always change as the weeks and month unfolds, just depending," Boone said, regarding Schmidt's potential role. "But that's kind of how we're looking at."

Since Boone made those comments, the Yankees have placed Max Fried back on the IL with a bone bruise in his elbow, but with Carlos Rodon (elbow) returning from the IL on Tuesday, the team will have a five-man rotation intact. As such, the Yankees' plans for Schmidt may not have changed, but the 30-year-old right-hander will still need to complete his throwing progression and a rehab assignment before being available for the big club in any capacity. Schmidt has been limited to throwing off flat ground since cutting a live batting practice session short Aug. 4 after experiencing some forearm cramping, but Boone expects Schmidt to get back on a mound at some point this week.

Hagenman (rib) was sent to Single-A St. Lucie on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.

Hagenman has been on the shelf all season after suffering a fractured rib during spring training. He's finally ready to pitch in games again and could be an option for the Mets bullpen in September.

Gray (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Fredericksburg on Tuesday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

Gray will be making his first appearance in a game since spring training and his first regular-season action since he made three rehab starts late in the 2025 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace in July 2024. The righty suffered a flexor strain in March and opened the season on the 60-day injured list, but he's finally been cleared to pitch in games again. Gray could make some starts for the Nationals in September if he can avoid further setbacks as he gets stretched out in the minors.

Atlanta recalled Smith-Shawver from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

Per Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Smith-Shawver will start Wednesday's game against the Twins, giving the regular members of Atlanta's rotation extra rest. It's unclear what the plan is for Smith-Shawver's role beyond that, but it could depend on how he fares Wednesday. Smith-Shawver has looked sharp after coming back from Tommy John surgery, and he allowed just two runs with a 13:4 K:BB over 11 innings in his last two outings with Gwinnett.

The Cardinals optioned Mathews to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.

Mathews held the Reds to one run over four innings in the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Reds. There's not currently room for the left-hander in the Cardinals' rotation, so he'll return to Memphis for now until another opportunity arises.

Glasnow (back) is scheduled to make another minor-league rehab start Wednesday, and he could then rejoin the Dodgers' rotation during a road trip that begins Aug. 25 and ends Aug. 30, MLB.com reports.

Glasnow tossed 67 pitches in his most recent rehab outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 14, and he dominated with 3.2 hitless frames while striking out eight batters. The star right-hander is expected to toss five innings or approximately 75 pitches in his upcoming rehab appearance Wednesday, which is likely to be his last before being activated from the 60-day IL, assuming he doesn't have any setbacks. That puts Glasnow on track to return to the big-league club as soon as Aug. 25, when Los Angeles kicks off a three-game series in Atlanta.

Sugano (12-6) took the loss Monday, allowing seven runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings against the Dodgers. He struck out three.

The right-hander struggled against the Dodgers offense, notably serving up homers to Max Muncy in the third inning and Shohei Ohtani in the fifth frame. Sugano had been strong in his previous five starts before Monday, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB across 29.1 innings. Overall, the 36-year-old owns a 4.70 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 69:27 K:BB across 118.2 innings (22 outings) and is tentatively scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Guardians.

Snell (1-1) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over six innings against the Rockies. He struck out five.

Snell was solid at Coors Field, working through traffic in the third inning and limiting the Rockies to one run across six frames to pick up his first win of the season. In two starts since returning from an almost three-month absence while recovering from a procedure to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, the southpaw has allowed two runs in 12 frames with a 15:4 K:BB. Snell will look to remain in the win column next time out, tentatively scheduled for Sunday against the Pirates.

Junk (6-8) took the loss against Philadelphia on Monday, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two batters over five innings.

Both of the runs Junk allowed came in the third inning, when he walked two batters and yielded three hits. The left-hander was inefficient overall, needing 88 pitches to get through five frames, but he still managed to keep Miami in the contest against All-Star Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez. Junk has given up two or fewer runs in each of his past five starts, posting a strong 2.28 ERA with a 15:6 K:BB over 23.2 innings during that stretch. He's lined up to make his next appearance at home against Washington.