MLB Player News

Green has been confirmed as the opener for Friday's game in Kansas City, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

He has not recorded more than five outs in an appearance since April 3, so Green won't be out there for long. Luis Cessa and Nestor Cortes seem like the most likely options to serve as the primary pitcher behind Green, as David Hale threw four innings in Tuesday's game.

Giles (wrist) tossed a scoreless inning in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox. He surrendered a base hit and recorded a strikeout in the 16-pitch appearance.

Giles wasn't available for the series opener Monday due to a sore right wrist, but the Jays' willingness to use him in the 10th inning of a tied ballgame Wednesday implies that his health is no longer a concern. With a 1.31 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB in 20.2 innings, Giles has performed about as well as his backers could have hoped, but the 20-30 Jays' losing ways have presented him with just 11 save chances.

Cordero was designated for assignment Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays decided to claim Zac Rosscup off waivers from the Mariners, so Cordero was cast off the 40-man roster less than two weeks after being claimed by Toronto. He will be exposed to waivers once again.

Yarbrough was recalled from Triple-A Durham and will start Thursday's game against the Indians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Yarbrough was expected to come up to pitch in this game, but he was expected to be used behind an opener, which will not be the case. Yarbrough logged a 2.14 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 30:3 K:BB in 21 innings across four starts since being demoted to Triple-A. The Rays will likely look to limit him to two times through the order, but he threw six innings (80 pitches) in his last start for the Bulls, so he might go deep enough to qualify for the win. It is unclear whether Yarbrough will remain in the rotation without an opener going forward.

Manager Aaron Boone said that Green will likely serve as the Yankees' opening pitcher for Friday's game against the Royals, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The Yankees will likely wait and see which pitchers are needed in relief in Thursday's series finale with the Orioles before formally locking in Green -- or anyone else -- as the opener Friday. Assuming Green does in fact receive the nod, he would likely cover one or two frames before Boone turns the game over the bullpen. Luis Cessa, David Hale and Nestor Cortes are all multi-inning relievers who could be called upon after Green exits.

Cordero isn't listed on the Blue Jays' lineup card for Thursday's game against the Red Sox, signaling that he's been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Cordero will surrender his spot on the active roster with the Blue Jays activating Clayton Richard (knee) from the 10-day injured list to start the series finale. The righty reliever was only up with the big club for two days, appearing in Wednesday's contest and giving up a run on two hits in 1.1 innings.

Lakins was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Tyler Thornburg (hip) landed on the injured list, so the Red Sox needed bullpen reinforcements. Lakins has a 4.02 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and 15:10 K:BB in 15.2 innings at Triple-A. He will be used in low-leverage spots.

Johnson (elbow) will likely need two more rehab appearances with Triple-A Pawtucket, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.

Johnson pitched in relief for the PawSox on Tuesday and allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in 1.2 innings. "He was very inconsistent with his delivery, not consistent with his breaking ball," manager Alex Cora said. "We'll see how he does with the next one. We need him to get right. Physically he felt better. As far as the other stuff, be consistent with the windup. His arm speed wasn't there. So he probably needs a few more." Johnson has been on the injured list since April 6.

Norris allowed just two runs over six innings but did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Marlins. He gave up six hits and no walks while striking out five.

This was a step in the right direction for Norris, who coughed up six runs on seven hits across 5.1 innings in his last start. The lefty has been a bit up and down this season, and he now has a 4.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 33:11 K:BB through 46 innings. Norris will look to build on this positive outing his next time out, which is scheduled for Monday against the Orioles on the road.

Chapman picked up the save against the Orioles on Wednesday, working around a walk to post a scoreless ninth inning and preserve the Yankees' 7-5 victory. He struck out one.

It was the 13th save of the season for the dominant lefty, who has been locked in lately. Chapman hasn't given up an earned run since May 9, lowering his ERA to 1.83 and his WHIP to 0.92 to go along with 31 strikeouts over 19.2 innings. He has very much retained his customary status as one of the most reliable closers in baseball to start 2019.