MLB Player News

Verlander revealed after Sunday's start against the Athletics that he was dealing with a physical issue that affected his velocity and mechanics, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Verlander intimated that he was experiencing the issue before the start began and the Giants were aware he was compromised but were comfortable with him taking the ball. The righty averaged only 91.3 mph with his four-seamer in the outing, walking five and allowing two runs over four innings. Verlander declined to offer more details on what injury he's battling, but he said he's "pretty optimistic" he'll be able to make his next scheduled start Saturday on the road versus the Nationals. The 42-year-old was limited to only 17 starts last season because of shoulder and neck problems.

Rom (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Rom made a rehab start with Memphis on Sunday, tossing four scoreless innings with a 4:2 K:BB. Coming back from soreness in his surgically repaired left shoulder/biceps, Rom yielded only two runs (one earned) with a promising 17:2 K:BB across 13 rehab innings. He'll give St. Louis rotation depth at Memphis.

Mathews (shoulder) has been sent to the rookie-level Florida Complex League Cardinals to begin a rehab assignment.

It had been reported that Mathews would make a start for the FCL Cardinals last week, but it appears his first appearance for them will come this week. The left-hander has been shelved since mid-April with mild left shoulder soreness but is now ready to pitch in games. Mathews will eventually move back up to Triple-A Memphis once the Cardinals feel he's ready.

Palmquist is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Phillies at Coors Field.

Palmquist will remain in the rotation for at least one more turn after he was summoned from Triple-A Albuquerque last week to take over the starting spot that belonged to Bradley Blalock, who had been filling in for the injured Ryan Feltner (back). The 24-year-old southpaw made his MLB debut on the road Friday in Arizona, taking a loss while giving up five earned runs on six hits and one walk over four innings. Palmquist won't make for a comfortable streaming option Wednesday when he pitches at Coors Field for the first time, and he could be at risk of a demotion to Triple-A after the start if Feltner is able to make a minor-league rehab appearance within the next few days and is deemed ready to return from the injured list the following week.

Parker (knee) will make his next start Tuesday versus Atlanta at Nationals Park.

Parker's previous start (also against Atlanta) was cut short last Wednesday, when he was struck in the left knee by a 107.2 mile-per-hour comebacker off the bat of Austin Riley midway through the fifth inning. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com, Parker was able to make his between-starts bullpen session Friday without issue, so he's not expected to be operating with any restrictions Tuesday. Through his first nine starts of the season, Parker owns a 3-3 record, 4.32 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 32:24 K:BB across 50 innings.

Atlanta activated Strider (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Atlanta is idle Monday, but Strider is expected to make his return to the rotation Tuesday with a start against the Nationals on the road. The right-hander missed nearly a month of action with a strained hamstring and was cleared to return after completing a 65-pitch simulated game last week. Strider probably won't be ready for a full workload Tuesday, and his velocity was down a tick during the sim game. However, he gets a favorable matchup Tuesday and is also lined up for a second start later this week at home versus the Padres, so fantasy managers will want to include him in active lineups.

Gordon is scheduled to start Monday's series opener versus the Rays in Tampa.

Gordon will be awarded a second turn through the rotation after he was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land last Wednesday to make his MLB debut. He settled for a no-decision in his first start after giving up three earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings in the Astros' 4-3 win over the Royals. The Astros are likely to continue maintaining a six-man rotation this week, but Houston may have room for just one of Gordon and Ryan Gusto if manager Joe Espada decides to scale the rotation back to five men next week.

Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis said Sunday that the organization has put together a draft of the rehabilitation calendar for Bieber (elbow), Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Willis and other decision makers were pleased with the results of Bieber's live batting practice session Friday, and the coach said the next phase of the right-hander's rehab could begin "very soon." A likely opening scenario involves Bieber appearing in a rookie-level game in the Arizona Complex League. Looking out further, the pitcher could move his rehab to minor league affiliates in what will likely be a multi-week progression.

Greene (groin) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Sunday, Charlie Goldsmith of MLB.com reports.

Greene was enthused following the outing, noting no issues with his strained right groin and displaying good velocity. The right-hander will throw another session this week, but the Reds haven't announced when Greene is projected to return from the 15-day injured list. He's eligible for activation Friday.

Gil (lat) is on track with his throwing program and is targeting a return to the mound within the next 1-to-2 weeks, per MLB.com.

Gil sustained a right lat strain in late February, resulting in a trip to the injured list to begin the campaign. The right-hander kicked off a throwing program in late April and appears to be making gradual but steady progress toward a return. If Gil continues to move forward without any setbacks, he could be pitching for the Yankees sometime in June.