MLB Player News

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Diaz (oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment during the first week of June, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Per MLB.com, Diaz is in the midst of a running and hitting progression as he works his way back from a left oblique strain, which sent him to the injured list May 5. He looks as though he could be ready to hit against live pitching at some point during the upcoming week, and if all goes well, the Astros could map out a rehab assignment for the 27-year-old backstop soon thereafter. Christian Vazquez has been serving as Houston's primary catcher since Diaz hit the shelf.

Meyers went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the Astros' 8-5 win over the Cubs on Sunday.

Meyers opened Sunday's scoring with a solo home run of Shota Imanaga in the second inning. It was Meyers' first extra-base hit since returning from the 15-day injured list Tuesday and his second home run of the season. He is slashing .231/.293/.385 with one steal and five RBI across 58 plate appearances this season.

Ragans (elbow) struck out three batters and allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk across 4.1 innings Saturday in his rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.

Seeing his first game action in two weeks, Ragans came through with a positive outing at Omaha, recording 13 outs on 68 pitches (44 strikes) while averaging 95.2 mph with his fastball during the start. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, manager Matt Quatraro said that Ragans is scheduled to return to Kansas City this week for further evaluation before the Royals decide on the lefty's next steps. Quatraro noted that a return from the 15-day injured list after just one rehab start is a "possibility" for Ragans, who could re-enter the rotation as soon as Friday's road game against the Rangers.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Hader (biceps) is in line to return from the 60-day injured list in the first week of June, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Hader has thus far looked sharp through his first six rehab appearances between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, covering six innings and striking out nine batters while giving up one earned run on four hits and no walks. Brown said that the left-hander is scheduled to pitch for Corpus Christi again on Sunday, then will require two more tune-up outings in the minors before getting cleared to return from the IL. Assuming Hader checks out fine from a performance and velocity standpoint during his upcoming appearances, he'll likely slide back into the closer role for Houston immediately upon being activated.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Altuve (oblique) is expected to resume swinging a bat "in the next day or two," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve traveled with the Astros to Chicago for their series versus the Cubs but is slated to fly to Florida later Sunday as he begins his rehab program for the moderate left oblique strain that recently sent him to the injured list. He's already started playing catch again, but swinging the bat will represent a more meaningful step forward in his recovery from the oblique injury. Altuve still has multiple checkpoints to hit before being deemed ready for game action, but he seems to be making quicker progress than the Astros may have initially anticipated.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after Sunday's loss to the Pirates that Guerrero (elbow) is "definitely a possibility" to play Monday against the Marlins, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Guerrero was lifted from Sunday's game immediately after being hit on the inside of the right elbow by a pitch during his fifth-inning plate appearance, but X-rays conducted afterward returned negative. Though Guerrero avoided a fracture and was diagnosed with a contusion, Schneider acknowledged that the 27-year-old was experiencing some numbness in his middle and pinky fingers because he was hit on the nerve of his elbow, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports. The Blue Jays will wait and see how Guerrero's elbow responds to treatment overnight before likely reassessing his condition during a pregame workout Monday. If Guerrero is able to take batting practice without too much discomfort, he could be given the green light to start in the series opener against Miami.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Pirates that Cease will undergo an MRI on his left hamstring, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Cease (3-3) was dealt the loss after striking out eight batters and yielding two earned runs on four hits and one walk over 4.2 innings before exiting due to what the Blue Jays described as hamstring discomfort. Though Schneider said that early testing on Cease's hamstring has been positive, the Blue Jays will send the right-hander in for further imaging to get a better understanding of the severity of his injury. Once the results of the MRI are available, Toronto will decide if Cease will be able to make his next start or if he requires a stint on the injured list. Cease is tentatively lined up to make his next turn through the rotation Friday in Baltimore.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said that Castillo will start Monday's game against the Athletics in Sacramento and will be used as part of a tandem with Bryce Miller, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

In his last appearance Tuesday against the White Sox, Castillo pitched in relief for the first time in his 10-year big-league career, covering 2.1 frames and allowing two earned runs behind Miller, who started and worked the first 5.2 innings. The two will be deployed in the opposite order for the upcoming turn through the rotation, and while Castillo should have a higher innings floor as a starter, his poor form of late could result in Wilson leaning on Miller to handle the larger share of the pitching workload. Though the Mariners are taking a fluid approach to the back end of the rotation, Castillo may need a positive showing against the Athletics to avoid a demotion into a more traditional bullpen role. He'll head into Monday's start with a 6.41 ERA and 1.55 WHIP on the season, with both ratios being the worst marks of his career by a considerable margin.

Seager (back) isn't slated to be re-evaluated for "probably another week," Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Seager hasn't played since May 13 and currently resides on Texas' 10-day IL. He had been tabbed for live BP on Sunday, but that session was postponed. There had been some hope that Seager could return during the Rangers' upcoming homestand, which begins Monday, but that now seems to be off the table. His timeframe for resuming game action is hazy and probably won't gain clarity until he's re-evaluated.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said that Miller will pitch out of the bullpen behind starter Luis Castillo in Monday's game against the Athletics in Sacramento, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Since being activated May 13 following a season-opening stint on the injured list, Miller has looked sharp over his first two starts, covering 5.1 and 5.2 innings in those outings while posting a collective 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB. The Mariners used Castillo for 2.1 innings out of the bullpen in Miller's latter start, and while the two will work in tandem once again Monday, the order that they pitch will be reversed. Seattle will likely let Castillo work a little bit longer in a starting role than he did as a reliever his last time out, but Miller could still end up covering the bulk of the innings, given that he's been the better performer of the two thus far. Pitching out of the bullpen may also increase Miller's odds of earning his first win of the season, after the Mariners held him to fewer than 85 pitches as a starter in both of his previous two starts.