MLB Player News

Cobb (hip) struck out three while allowing one hit and no walks over two scoreless innings in his first rehab start Friday with High-A West Michigan.

Cobb was shut down at the start of spring training due to right hip inflammation and has taken longer than expected to move past the injury, but he's finally reached the last stage of a lengthy recovery process. He was sharp Friday in his first start at any level in 2025, retiring all six batters he faced on 24 pitches. Cobb will likely need close to the full 30-day rehab window to get stretched out for a starting role, so he's not expected to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list until late June.

Clemmey has posted a 3.15 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 67:38 K:BB through 11 starts and 45.2 innings for High-A Wilmington this season.

The 67 Ks leads the South Atlantic League, and they've been coming in bunches -- the 19-year-old has fanned exactly nine batters in three of his last five starts, and he had a 10-strikeout performance back on April 10. Clemmey's control remains erratic, as he's issued multiple walks in every start so far in 2025, but his mid-90s fastball and slider both grade out as potential plus pitches. If the 6-foot-6 southpaw can find some consistency in his mechanics, he could still have a future as a starter, but in the long run his most likely path to the majors is as a high-leverage reliever in the Tanner Scott mold.

Gipson-Long (elbow/hip) rejoined the Tigers over the weekend and is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list to start or serve as a bulk reliever Tuesday or Wednesday against the White Sox, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Jack Flaherty got the ball for Monday's series-opening win and Casey Mize is slated to start Thursday's finale, but the Tigers have yet to name starters for Tuesday and Wednesday. Detroit is expected to go with a bullpen game for one of those contests, while Gipson-Long looks on track to cover the majority of the innings in the other game in some capacity. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April and then left hip surgery in July, but he finally looks to be healthy again after completing an extended rehab assignment. Between stops at Single-A Lakeland and Triple-A Toledo, Gipson-Long tossed 16.1 innings over five starts and logged a 2.20 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB. He covered 5.1 frames and threw 53 pitches in his final outing with Toledo on Thursday, so Gipson-Long will likely be operating with a restricted workload when he makes his 2025 Tigers debut Tuesday or Wednesday.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Blackburn is likely to move into a relief role after the right-hander started in Monday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Dodgers, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.

The Mets opted to go with a six-man rotation this week featuring Blackburn, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Monday's contest to make his 2025 debut with the big club. Despite missing more than two months of action due to right knee inflammation, Blackburn was effective in his start, striking out three batters while scattering three hits and one walk over five scoreless innings. The performance apparently won't be enough to compel the Mets to keep Blackburn around in the rotation, as off days the next two Mondays will create a built-in rest day for each for the team's five starters and will lessen the need for a sixth starter. The Mets have a stretch of 13 games in 13 days from June 17 through June 29 in which they could look to add a sixth starter back into the mix, but Frankie Montas (lat) could be ready to return from the 60-day IL by then and may be prioritized over Blackburn.

May allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five batters over six innings in a no-decision against the Mets on Monday.

May gave up a homer to Francisco Lindor on his second pitch of the game but sailed pretty smoothly thereafter, allowing just one additional run over his six frames. The right-hander tossed an efficient 88 pitches (58 strikes) but induced just five whiffs, though he did manage a respectable five punchouts. May has recorded a quality start in three of his past five outings and has a 3.77 ERA during that span. He's lined up to make his next start on the road against St. Louis.

Blackburn pitched five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Monday, allowing three hits and issuing one walk while striking out three batters.

Blackburn was activated from the injured list Monday afternoon after missing over two months to begin the campaign due to a knee injury. The veteran right-hander faced a tough task on the road against one of the league's top offenses, but he shined with five scoreless frames during which he didn't allow any extra-base hits. Blackburn was in line for the win upon his departure, but the game ended up going to an extra frame after Edwin Diaz blew a save chance in the ninth frame. Blackburn was able to toss 77 pitches (49 strikes) in his season debut, so his limitations weren't major despite the extended time off. He's lined up to face the Rockies in Colorado in his next start.

Flaherty (4-6) earned the win Monday against the White Sox after allowing one run on four hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out four.

While Flaherty did match a season low in punchouts, he mostly cruised while delivering his third quality start in a row. The veteran right-hander has begun to rebound from a shaky start to the season, which saw him produce a 4.61 ERA through his first eight outings, as he owns a sharp 2.22 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 26:6 K:BB over his last four outings (24.1 innings). Flaherty is set to face a difficult task this weekend versus the Cubs, who boast an .800 OPS against right-handed pitching since the start of May.

Singer (6-4) took the loss Monday against the Brewers after allowing three runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out four.

It wasn't the most efficient outing by Singer, who needed 97 pitches to cover five innings while issuing at least three walks for the third time in his past four starts. The veteran right-hander hasn't fanned more than four in any of his last seven appearances, during which he owns a lackluster 5.45 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 21:17 K:BB over 36.1 innings. Things won't get much easier for Singer in his next scheduled start versus the Diamondbacks, who sport a .799 OPS against right-handed pitching for the season.

Civale (1-1) earned the win Monday against the Reds after allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk in 5.1 innings. He struck out five.

Civale has given the Brewers some quality innings since coming off the injured list, having now surrendered five runs over his last 14.1 frames. The veteran right-hander set a new season high in punchouts despite yielding a season-worst seven hits Monday, and he now carries a 3.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 12:4 K:BB across his last three outings. Civale is tentatively lined up to toe the slab this weekend versus the Padres, although it remains to be seen if Brandon Woodruff (ankle) will be ready to make his season debut and potentially change the current arrangement of Milwaukee's rotation.

Severino (1-5) took the loss against Minnesota on Monday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out one batter over 5.2 innings.

Severino didn't give up any homers, but four of the nine hits against him were doubles. He also didn't miss many bats, notching a modest eight whiffs and just one punchout while throwing 97 pitches. The eight runs were a season-worst mark for the right-hander, who came into Monday having allowed two or fewer runs in three straight outings. Severino will look to bounce back in his next start, which is lined up to be a home matchup versus Baltimore this weekend.