MLB Player News

Rodriguez is expected to enter Thursday's game in Pittsburgh in relief after starting pitcher Aaron Civale (hamstring), Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Previous reports had pegged Rodriguez as likely to make a start this week, but the Brewers have decided to go ahead and activate Civale from the injured list and have Rodriguez come out of the bullpen. Rodriguez is stretched out to provide length, if needed, but Civale is in line to throw 75-to-85 pitches Thursday, so Rodriguez might not be needed for more than an inning or two.

Eovaldi (4-3) took the loss Thursday against the Yankees, throwing six innings and surrendering a walk, five hits and just one run while striking out six.

Eovaldi continues to defy Father Time and furthered a monster start to the season that's seen him give up just three earned runs across his past six starts. He may have come out on the wrong end of a pitcher's duel with Carlos Rodon on Thursday afternoon, but Eovaldi's season-long stats continue to sparkle as one of the bright spots for the up-and-down Rangers. After this outing, the 35-year-old ranks fifth in MLB with a 1.60 ERA and first with a 0.79 WHIP, among qualified starters.

Civale (hamstring) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Thursday's game in Pittsburgh, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Civale is slated to throw 75-to-85 pitches in what will be his first start for Milwaukee since he went down with a strained left hamstring in late March. The veteran hurler made two rehab starts with Triple-A Nashville, tossing nine scoreless innings with a 5:2 K:BB. Carlos Rodriguez is expected to work in long relief once Civale exits the contest.

The Giants placed Verlander on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a right pectoral strain, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Manager Bob Melvin revealed Wednesday that Verlander was bound for the IL and that transaction is now official. The veteran hurler began experiencing pectoral soreness prior to his last start over the weekend against the Athletics and was unable to make enough progress in between outings to avoid the IL. Verlander will be eligible for activation June 3, but it's too soon to know whether he will be ready to go on that date.

Olson (finger) threw on flat ground Thursday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Thursday marks the first time Olson has done any sort of throwing since he landed on the injured list Monday due to inflammation in his right ring finger. The right-hander is confident he won't need to spend much more than the 15-day minimum on the IL, though he'll need to start throwing off a mound soon for that to be a realistic possibility.

Quintana (shoulder) will throw roughly 45 pitches in a bullpen session Thursday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The bullpen session will include two "up-downs" to simulate rest in between innings. The Brewers will make a determination on the next steps for Quintana based on how the hurler feels during the session and how he recovers. Quintana has been sidelined since mid-May due to a left shoulder impingement.

Giolito will not pitch Thursday after Boston's game against Baltimore was postponed due to inclement weather.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Friday. Giolito will start the second of those games, while Brayan Bello will take the ball in the afternoon contest.

Povich and the Orioles won't play the Red Sox as scheduled Thursday, as the game was postponed due to rain.

The two clubs will make up Thursday's contest during a doubleheader Friday, and Povich will start the earlier of the two games, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. The 25-year-old lefty has already faced the Red Sox once this season, giving up three earned runs and punching out eight batters in 4.1 innings during his season debut March 31.

The Rockies placed Dollander on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right forearm tightness, retroactive to Monday.

Dollander pitched well during his most recent start Sunday, giving up just one run and striking out six batters in 4.2 innings, but he appears to have come away from his outing with a forearm issue that will sideline him for a couple of weeks. Juan Mejia will come up from Triple-A to fill the open roster spot, though it's unclear who will take Dollander's place in the starting rotation.

Rocker (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Friday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Rocker has been sidelined since late April with a right shoulder impingement but has been cleared for rehab games after getting through a live batting practice session earlier this week. He will need multiple rehab starts, assuming the Rangers intend to bring him back as a starting pitcher, but Grant raises the possibility that the club could accelerate Rocker's return by having him pitch in relief.