MLB Player News

The Astros announced Friday that McCullers (shoulder) began a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

After landing on the injured list May 19 due to right shoulder inflammation, McCullers was shut down from activity for about a week and a half before being cleared to begin ramping up again. While McCullers doesn't necessarily appear to be headed for a long-term absence, the Astros could elect to have him build up slowly as a means of buying time to decide on what his role will look like moving forward. With Hunter Brown (shoulder) tracking toward a mid-June return from the IL and with Peter Lambert and Kai-Wei Teng emerging as viable back-end starting options, the Astros may not be willing to reopen a rotation spot for McCullers once he's ready for activation. McCullers struggled mightily over his eight starts prior to landing on the shelf, posting a 6.86 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 39.1 innings.

Javier (shoulder) recorded two outs -- both via strikeout -- and was charged with two earned runs on two hits and two walks in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Corpus Christi.

Javier made his first appearance at any level in nearly two months, as he's been on the Astros' injured list since April 10 due to a Grade 2 right shoulder strain. Given the long layoff, some rust was to be expected from the right-hander during the rehab outing, but he still fell short of the Astros' goal of reaching at least two innings and 30-to-35 pitches, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Javier needed 28 pitches just to generate two outs, though on a positive note, his fastball velocity sat around his pre-injury levels at 92-to-93 mph during the outing, per Javier Gonzalez of PelotaCubanaUSA.com. The 29-year-old will probably require at least three more rehab starts to build up his pitch count and re-emerge as a viable option for the Houston rotation.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Jobe (elbow) is expected to resume facing hitters in live batting practice "in a few weeks," Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Jobe has been conducting his rehab from last June's Tommy John surgery at the Tigers' facility in Lakeland, Fla., but he met up with the big club this week for its series versus Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. He threw a lengthy bullpen session Tuesday in front of the Tigers' medical team and coaching staff, with Hinch noting afterward that the Detroit brass came away encouraged from the workout. Hinch said that Jobe has now completed about 10 or 11 bullpen sessions, setting the stage for him to take the next step forward in the rehab process by facing hitters. The Tigers remain hopeful that Jobe will be able to return from the 60-day injured list at some point after the All-Star break.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Baez (ankle) has been shut down from baseball activities for an unspecified length of time, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Initially placed on the 10-day injured list April 29 due to a right high-ankle sprain, Baez hadn't progressed as quickly as the Tigers had hoped while conducting his rehab program at the team's facility in Florida. After meeting with an ankle specialist Monday, Baez was advised to put his rehab on hold and rest up for the time being. Once he eventually starts ramping up again, Baez is likely to require a minor-league rehab assignment before rejoining the Tigers, so he's still expected to be multiple weeks away from being activated.

Mize (adductor) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Detroit placed Mize on the 15-day injured list Friday due to right adductor inflammation, but his ability to step back on the mound just a few days later suggests that he's tracking toward an abbreviated stint on the shelf. The Tigers haven't decided on Mize's next steps, but assuming he bounces back well from the side session, he'll likely advance to facing hitters by the weekend. He's eligible to return from the IL on June 12 and could be activated without requiring a rehab assignment beforehand.

Gasper is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Orioles.

Gasper had started the previous three games and six of the last eight tilts, but he'll take a seat for Thursday's matinee. Carlos Narvaez is doing the catching for the Red Sox in the rubber match.

Kurtz went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a walk and a strikeout in Wednesday's extra-inning win over the Cubs.

Kurtz had been mostly silent throughout Wednesday's game, but he stepped up when it mattered most and launched a single to left field that scored Alika Williams in the 10th inning. This was Kurtz's fifth straight game with an RBI, a stretch in which he's also hitting .444 with a 1.545 OPS.

Gore (4-5) was tagged with the loss Wednesday against the Cardinals after allowing four runs on nine hits and three walks across 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

Gore was coming off back-to-back quality starts against the Angels and Royals, allowing just one run over 12.1 innings in that span, but he couldn't keep that streak going and didn't even complete the fifth inning Wednesday. The four runs allowed were the most Gore had surrendered since May 7, when he gave up five in a loss to the Yankees. Now sporting a 2.77 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over his last five starts, Gore will aim to bounce back in his next outing, scheduled for next week on the road against the Royals.

The Red Sox selected Kahnle's contract from Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Kahnle exercised an opt-out clause in his minor-league contract earlier this week, and the Red Sox have decided to add him to the big-league roster rather than let him reach free agency. The veteran reliever has collected a 1.40 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB in 19.1 innings at Worcester and will fill a middle-relief role in Boston.

Springs didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Cubs. He allowed four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, and a walk across 3.2 innings while striking out three.

Springs has given up at least four earned runs in three of his last five appearances, and he's failed to pitch past the fifth inning in his last two starts. Over that five-start stretch, the 33-year-old southpaw owns a 5.19 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, but perhaps the most concerning stat is the seven homers he's conceded over the 26-inning sample. Springs will aim to bounce back in his next start, scheduled for next week at home against the Brewers.