MLB Player News

Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.

Jimmy Price of AstrosFuture.com noted that Janek was pulled early from a game Friday after he came up limping while scoring from second base on a single, so the 23-year-old catcher could be nursing some sort of lower-body injury. Before landing on the shelf, Janek had gotten off to a rough start to the season at Corpus Christi, slashing .135/.179/.216 with one home run and four stolen bases while striking out at a 35.9 percent clip over 78 plate appearances.

The Astros announced Monday that Trammell (groin) has begun a running progression in addition to taking part in light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Trammell is working his way back from a left groin strain, which sent him to the 10-day injured list April 21. He looks like he has a few more boxes to check in the recovery process before advancing to a minor-league rehab assignment and a return to the Astros' active roster. Trammell opened the season as a non-roster player for the Astros but reached the big leagues April 10 when Houston's outfield depth was tested by injuries. Before getting hurt himself, Trammell acquitted himself well over his 10 games with the big club, slashing .345/.424/.448 over 33 plate appearances.

The Astros announced Monday that Loperfido (quadriceps) has started light running and light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Joe Espada previously said on April 20 that Loperfido had been cleared for baseball activity, and though the outfielder appears to have since added some running work to the mix, he's not been able to take any other meaningful steps forward in his recovery from a right quad strain. The Astros are expected to continue to turn to Zach Cole and Dustin Harris to serve as their primary options in left field while Loperfido remains on the shelf.

Allen (back) went 2-for-7 with a double, two walks, three runs and two RBI while playing in a pair of rehab games with Double-A Corpus Christi over the weekend.

Houston placed Allen on the 10-day injured list April 20 after he began experiencing mid-back spasms, but he should be ready to rejoin the big club by the middle of May. He's expected to continue his rehab assignment through the end of the week, though it's unclear whether he'll stick around with Corpus Christi or move to a different affiliate.

The Astros announced Monday that Wesneski (elbow) is continuing to complete regular bullpen sessions as part of his throwing progression, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Wesneski could soon be ready to face hitters in live batting practice, as he's been throwing off a mound at the Astros' spring training facility in Florida for more than a month while he continues his rehab program for Tommy John surgery, which he underwent May 23, 2025. The right-hander will eventually require a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated from the injured list, so he won't be a realistic option to make his 2026 debut for the big club until some point after the All-Star break.

The Astros announced Monday that Javier (shoulder) will begin a throwing progression this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Javier had been shut down from throwing since landing on the shelf April 10 with a Grade 2 shoulder strain. Fellow starter Hunter Brown was placed on the injured list with the same injury April 7, but he appears to be much further along in the recovery process, as he's been able to throw off flat ground out to 120 feet and could throw his first bullpen session later this week. Given that general manager Dana Brown recently said that the Astros are hoping to get Brown back from the IL around early to mid-June, it's fair to expect Javier's absence to stretch into the latter half of June, if not July.

The Astros announced Monday that Blanco (elbow) is continuing to complete regular bullpen sessions as part of his throwing progression, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Still on the mend from June 2025 Tommy John surgery with an internal brace as well as a repair of the flexor tendon of his forearm, Blanco remains at the Astros' complex in Florida to conduct his rehab. He's been throwing off a mound for more than a month now, so Blanco could soon be ready to take the next step in his progression by facing hitters. Blanco is hopeful to return from the 60-day injured list at some point in 2026, though he likely won't be a candidate for activation until after the All-Star break.

Anderson has gone 4-for-7 with two home runs, two walks and one stolen base over three rehab games for Single-A Lakeland since Triple-A Toledo placed him on its 7-day injured list April 5 due to an unspecified injury.

Anderson had recorded a hit in each of his first four games of the season with Toledo before hitting the shelf. The 24-year-old infielder looks poised to return to the Toledo lineup soon, though it's unclear if he'll be activated for the start of the affiliate's six-game homestand against Memphis or if he'll continue his rehab assignment in the Florida State League.

Merryweather (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with the Twins' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate Tuesday, Theodore Tollefson of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Merryweather has been shelved since spring training with a left hamstring strain, but he's finally ready for game action. The veteran reliever is signed to a minor-league contract with the Twins and will eventually move up to Triple-A St. Paul.

Povich is slated to start Thursday's game against the Marlins in Miami, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.

With Trevor Rogers (illness) hitting the injured list, the Orioles summoned Povich from Triple-A Norfolk last Friday to fill the opening in the rotation. Povich stumbled in a tough matchup with the Yankees on the road, striking out four batters over four innings but yielding five earned runs on seven hits and two walks en route to taking a loss. The lefty will get a more favorable draw for his upcoming turn through the rotation, but given that he maintains a 5.14 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 208.1 career innings in the majors, he won't be a comfortable lineup option for fantasy managers looking to protect their ratios.