MLB Player News

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Wednesday that Merryweather "had a little setback," in his recovery from a left oblique strain and has yet to resume throwing off a mound, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

The right-hander was previously nearing a bullpen session but is now currently back to just playing catch after being shut down for a few days. Merryweather will continue to work toward throwing off a mound, though it doesn't sound like the Blue Jays have an exact date in mind for when that milestone could be reached. With all of this in mind, the reliever doesn't seem likely to be activated until late July at the earliest.

Manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that it's "safe to assume" that Pruitt (elbow) won't return before the All-Star break, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pruitt has been on a rehab assignment since mid-June, and he's posted a 9.53 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 5.2 innings across five appearances (four starts) between Low-A Fayetteville and Triple-A Sugar Land. However, he'll still need more time to recover following September elbow surgery, so he's unlikely to return until mid-July at the earliest.

Thornton was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo prior to Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Thornton's demotion comes as no surprise, as he's allowed a combined eight earned runs across his last four relief appearances. Newly acquired Trevor Richards will take his spot on the 26-man roster.

Montero allowed three earned runs on five hits over two innings in a loss to the Yankees on Tuesday. He struck out one.

Montero's struggles continued Tuesday, as he pitched to plenty of contact, the most damaging which was a three-run home run by former Rangers teammate Rougned Odor. The struggling right-hander has now given up multiple earned runs in four of his last five appearances, ballooning his ERA and WHIP to 6.64 and 1.47, respectively, across 39.1 innings.

Lange (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday and optioned to Triple-A Toledo.

Lange landed on the IL in mid-June with a right shoulder strain. The right-hander pitched a scoreless inning during a rehab outing with Toledo on Tuesday, and he'll remain in Triple-A for the time being. Lange holds a 7.31 ERA through 16 major-league innings this season, but he remains a candidate to rejoin the Tigers' bullpen later this summer.

Pitching coach Dave Bush said Wednesday that Brasier has still not cleared concussion protocols after being hit in the head June 4, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Brasier resumed baseball activities in late June, but per Bush, he's yet to throw off a mound as he continues to be monitored for his concussion. It sounds like he'll be limited to ground work until he's officially out of the concussion protocol, which means he's likely up to a month away from returning to the Boston bullpen.

Fleming (calf) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list ahead of the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Although Collin McHugh will serve as the opener in Wednesday's nightcap, Fleming will likely serve as the primary pitcher after he spent just over the minimum amount of time on the injured list with a right calf strain. The lefty has made 13 appearances (six starts) for the Rays this year, and he's posted a 3.39 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 66.1 innings. Left-hander Ryan Sherriff was sent down in a corresponding move.

McHugh will serve as the opener during the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

McHugh most recently tossed three scoreless innings against the Blue Jays and struck out six in that appearance, and he'll take the mound to begin Wednesday's nightcap. The right-hander has posted a 1.87 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 33.2 innings across 19 appearances (three starts) to begin the season.

Mayers tossed a scoreless inning to pick up the hold against Boston on Tuesday. He allowed one walk and struck out one batter.

The righty reliever had some issues with his control -- only eight of his 17 pitches were strikes -- but he nonetheless kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard and served as an effective bridge between starter Shohei Ohtani and closer Raisel Iglesias. Over his past nine outings, Mayers has racked up a 15:4 K:BB across 10 innings while posting a 1.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.

Jax was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.

Jax made his first career start against the Royals on Saturday and allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three in five innings to take the loss. While the right-hander could be an option to return to the Twins as a starter or reliever at some point, he'll head to the minors ahead of the All-Star break after right-hander Michael Pineda (forearm) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Wednesday's start against the White Sox.