MLB Player News

The Red Sox reinstated Fitts (pectoral) from the 15-day injured list, and he will start Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

The right-hander was originally expected to make his second minor-league rehab start Tuesday, but he'll instead re-enter Boston's rotation after a six-week absence due to a pectoral strain. Fitts threw 38 pitches across three innings during his lone rehab appearance, so he'll likely have some workload limitations in his first couple outings back in the majors. He made three starts prior to the injury and had a 3.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB over 17 innings.

Olson (finger) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

He threw off flat ground for the first time Thursday and will advance his rehab Wednesday with a bullpen session. Olson has been out since May 17 with right ring finger inflammation.

Cobb (hip) threw a bullpen session Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

He was struggling fielding his position during live batting practice in early May and then got a series of injections in his hip last week. It's still very early in the ramp-up process for Cobb, who hasn't pitched in a game at any level yet this year.

Ragans (groin) threw a "competitive" bullpen session Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Ragans is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list this Sunday, but the Royals haven't officially confirmed that he'll be ready to go by that day. That said, after checking out fine following the bullpen session, Ragans looks to be on track for a minimum-length stay on the shelf. The Royals may want Ragans to complete another bullpen session or possibly a live batting practice session before deciding on his next step. Daniel Lynch will make his second start Tuesday against the Reds but is likely to move back to the bullpen once Ragans is activated.

Verlander (pectoral) threw around 40 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Verlander said he is "trending forward," and there are a couple more boxes to check before he can determine if he'll be ready to rejoin the rotation sometime next week. He had an uncharacteristic 9:8 K:BB in 15 innings over his three most recent starts before landing on the IL.

Cecconi won't start as scheduled Wednesday against the Dodgers due to mild groin tightness, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

It's not believed to be a serious injury, but the Cecconi will be pushed back from making his third start of the season Wednesday. The Guardians could have the right-hander pitch this weekend versus the Angels, but team off days Thursday and Monday would allow Cleveland to simply skip his turn through the rotation to provide Cecconi some extra rest.

The Athletics designated Cusick for assignment Tuesday.

The right-hander has spent the season with Triple-A Las Vegas after missing out on the Opening Day roster, and he's now been jettisoned from the 40-man roster after posting a 6.75 ERA over 14.2 innings with Las Vegas. Cusick is likely to pass through waivers unclaimed and could stick around at the Athletics' highest-level affiliate.

Triple-A Norfolk placed Castillo on its 7-day injured list May 13 due to an unspecified injury.

After being acquired from the Mariners on May 7 and claiming a spot on the Orioles' 40-man roster, Castillo has yet to make his organizational debut. He may have gotten hurt during his final appearance with Triple-A Tacoma on May 3, though any potential injury didn't prevent him from passing a physical before the trade was made official. Once he's healthy, Castillo should occupy a spot in the Norfolk rotation.

Gasser (elbow) was cleared to resume throwing bullpen sessions back in mid-April, MLB.com reports.

Updates on Gasser's status have been limited since the conclusion of spring training, as he's remained in Arizona to conduct his rehab program for his June 2024 Tommy John surgery. He advanced to throwing off flat ground out to 120 feet by the end of camp and has presumably been ramping up the intensity of his bullpen sessions over the past six weeks. The next step in Gasser's recovery process will be facing live hitters, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to do so. Gasser is unlikely to make his return from the 60-day injured list until August or September in a best-case scenario.

Ashcraft allowed two hits and one walk while striking out one across three scoreless relief innings Monday against the Diamondbacks.

Ashcraft was promoted to the majors Monday and immediately made his debut working out of the bullpen. He pitched with the Pirates down by five but managed a scoreless outing and preserved the team's bullpen. Ashcraft may remain in a long-relief role for the time being, but as one of the organization's best prospects, he should have a chance to enter the rotation at some point during the summer.