MLB Player News

Oviedo (lat/elbow) struck out three and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks over 3.1 innings in his rehab start with Double-A Altoona on Friday.

Oviedo has now completed four starts during his rehab assignment, which began June 30 in the rookie-level Florida Complex League before he moved up to Single-A Bradenton and then Altoona. He built up to 53 pitches in Friday's outing and may need to make another appearance or two in the minors before he's stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload. According to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Oviedo returned to Pittsburgh on Monday to meet with team doctors and complete a bullpen session, but he's expected to resume his assignment at Altoona or Triple-A Indianapolis later on this week.

McDougal has a 1.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB in 52.2 innings over his last 10 starts across High-A and Double-A.

McDougal earned a promotion from High-A Winston-Salem to Double-A Birmingham on June 18 and hasn't skipped a beat, registering a 0.89 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB in 30.1 innings through six starts for the Barons. The 6-foot-5 righty had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and it wasn't until this year that he started throwing enough strikes to start, as he logged a 13.6 percent walk rate at Single-A and High-A in 2024. McDougal has big-time stuff, boasting a triple-digit fastball and a hammer curveball. He'll need to be added to the 40-man roster this season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and McDougal is trending toward being a prominent part of the White Sox rotation in 2026.

Mejia has a 2.17 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 47:22 K:BB in 37.1 innings in the Florida Complex League.

A 6-foot-3 righty who signed with Baltimore in January of 2024, Mejia won't turn 19 until spring training and has as much upside as any pitcher in the lower levels. According to Josh Norris of Baseball America, Mejia's fastball has been up to 102 mph and he shows off multiple offspeed pitches that will be between 60-grade and 80-grade pitches in time. Given how hard he throws and how young he is, Mejia's risk of arm injury is elevated, and his 13.8 percent walk rate illustrates the difficulty of reining in such an electric arsenal. He only recorded two outs while walking three batters and giving up three unearned runs in his most recent start Thursday.

Sproat could be an option for the Mets' bullpen if the team doesn't trade for any high-leverage relievers at the deadline, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

General manager David Stearns has gone this route in the past during his time in Milwaukee, breaking in future aces Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta in relief roles. The Mets are actively working to acquire established bullpen arms however, and using a prospect like Sproat in high-leverage spots during a playoff push would appear to be Plan B. Sproat has had an erratic season with Triple-A Syracuse but is locked in right now, tossing 23 scoreless innings over his last four starts with a 27:6 K:BB.

Ritchie struck out six while giving up three runs on five hits and two walks over six innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday.

Making his first Triple-A start since getting promoted last week, Ritchie looked a little nervous as he served up solo shots in the first and second innings, but the right-hander settled into a groove after that. It's the first time since May 23 he's completed six innings in a start, but he hadn't been tagged for multiple homers in an outing since April 16. Ritchie has a combined 2.50 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 85:28 K:BB in 86.1 innings across three levels this season in what has been a very successful first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023. The 22-year-old isn't yet on the 40-man roster, but Ritchie is one step away from making his big-league debut for an Atlanta squad that is currently missing Chris Sale (ribs), Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) and Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) from its rotation.

France (shoulder) threw 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two in a Florida Complex League rehab start Monday.

France has slowly ramped up his throwing intensity, most recently throwing live batting practice in mid-July. He's been sidelined the entire 2025 season, so he's likely to have a lengthy rehab stint. An exact timeline for his return has yet to be established, but France should debut at some point late in the season.

Bieber (elbow) will make a rehab start Tuesday at High-A Lake County, MLB.com reports.

Bieber, who threw two innings (32 pitches) in a rehab start in the Arizona Complex League last week, is targeted for three innings and between 40 and 45 pitches Tuesday. That path suggests at least two more rehab outings for the right-hander before he rejoins the Guardians' rotation.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Lowder (forearm/oblique) is doing rotational stuff and is expected to start throwing this week, MLB.com reports.

Francona added that Lowder is going to have a "pretty big buildup." The organization is hopeful the 23-year-old right-hander will be available for the Arizona Fall League.

Greene (groin) threw a side session Monday and is scheduled to make a rehab start in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Greene is expected to throw two innings and 30 pitches Wednesday. If all goes well, Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said the right-hander will follow up with another side session and then a start at Triple-A Louisville on July 29. Greene tentatively appears on track to return from the 15-day injured list in the first or second week of August.

Gomber (0-4) took the loss against St. Louis on Monday, allowing five runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out six batters over 5.2 innings.

Gomber got through three scoreless frames before the Cardinals scored twice against him in the fourth. St. Louis struck for another run in the fifth, and Gomber entered the sixth inning trailing 3-2. The southpaw was unable to make it out of the sixth, as the Cardinals put up two more runs against him on four singles (two of which didn't leave the infield). Gomber is still looking for his first victory of the campaign, and he's taken the loss in each of his past three starts. On a positive note, Gomber's 5.2 frames and six punchouts Monday were both season-high marks, so he at least appears to be healthy after missing over two-and-a-half months to begin the campaign due to a shoulder issue.