MLB Player News

Merryweather suffered a left oblique strain Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The 28-year-old was never a likely candidate to be included on the Blue Jays' season-opening roster, and the timing of the injury likely means he won't be ready for the start of the season. Merryweather has yet to make his major-league debut and is expected to serve as an emergency depth option once healthy.

The White Sox added Burdi to their player pool Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Burdi has dealt with injuries -- Tommy John elbow surgery followed by a dislocated knee -- which have cost him much of the last two seasons. He's got a power arm and was thought to be near major-league ready in 2017 before the injuries, so he could make his MLB debut in 2020.

Pressly didn't pitch Tuesday due to an undisclosed ailment, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Pressly was scheduled to throw Tuesday, but manager Dusty Baker revealed that he was unable to do so because of an undisclosed ailment. The nature and severity of the issue are unclear, as is whether or not his availability for Opening Day will be affected. The Astros are scheduled to begin the regular season against the Mariners on July 24.

Manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday that Pruitt is "ailing" for an undisclosed reason, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear what issue Pruitt is dealing with, but Baker listed him among two other teammates that have been limited with apparent injuries. Whether the ailment impacts Pruitt's availability for the start of the regular season remains to be seen. The 30-year-old made 14 appearances (two starts) for the Rays last season, posting a 4.40 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 47 innings.

Stiever (forearm) was added to the White Sox's 60-man player pool Tuesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Stiever was battling forearm soreness back in spring training, and it's unclear whether the issue is still bothering him. The 23-year-old righty is an interesting prospect. He would seem unlikely to make his big-league debut this year as he's yet to pitch above High-A, though he did look quite good at that level last season, posting a 2.15 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 28.0 percent strikeout rate in 12 starts for Winston-Salem.

Mata joined the Red Sox's player pool Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Mata will give Boston extra pitching depth this season, though he's unlikely to play a major role. The 21-year-old is yet to reach Triple-A and struggled to a 5.03 ERA in 11 starts for Double-A Portland last season, though that figure came with a strong 3.27 xFIP, as his 25.2 percent strikeout rate and 52.1 percent groundball rate offset a poor 10.3 percent walk rate.

Alexander could start the season working in a tandem with Michael Fulmer, who would serve as the team's opener, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Nothing is set in stone at this point, but manager Ron Gardenhire did mention the idea of using Fulmer as an opener in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. The lefty Alexander can work multiple innings and would make a natural choice to pair with the righty Fulmer. Alexander made 13 appearances (eight starts) for the Tigers in 2019 and turned in a 4.86 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 53.2 innings.

Blach (elbow) is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Blach experienced elbow soreness during Thursday's summer camp workout and had two opinions on the injury over the weekend. After consultation, he'll elect to undergo Tommy John surgery, which will sideline him for the entirety of 2020 and most or all of the 2021 season as well. The southpaw was a long shot to make the Orioles' major-league roster, but he'll now have a lengthy recovery timeline ahead of him before he's healthy enough to return.

Fulmer's (elbow) role at the start of the season remains unclear, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The delayed season has bought Fulmer the time to return from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent back in March of 2019, without missing any more time. The Tigers may not be comfortable giving him a starting role right away, however, with manager Ron Gardenhire mentioning the possibility of using him as an opener until he builds up stamina. The 27-year-old was an unexciting option in his most recent healthy season, posting a 4.69 ERA and a 19.7 percent strikeout rate back in 2018, and his stock takes a further hit if he winds up making only eight or nine true starts this season.

Dubin was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday for an undisclosed reason, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After a solid season in 2019, Dubin was added to the Astros' 60-man roster for developmental purposes. However, he'll now be sidelined for an undisclosed reason. The 24-year-old posted a 3.58 ERA and a 151:46 K:BB over 110.2 innings in the minors last year.