MLB Player News

Rodriguez (shoulder) showed increased velocity in a minor-league rehab appearance Monday and could return to the big club this weekend, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The outing with Triple-A Salt Lake was Rodriguez's second as he rehabs from a shoulder injury. Angels manager Joe Maddon indicated that the appearance went well while suggesting that Rodriguez is on the verge of a return. "His velocity was up, breaking ball felt very good and he felt upbeat and positive after he was done," Maddon said. "So we're looking to get him back relatively quick. He's on the verge of getting back up here."

Young (2-4) earned the win in relief Tuesday against the Mets. He gave up one run (unearned) on one hit across one inning.

Young gave up a run in the top of the 10th inning following an RBI double from James McCann that scored Jose Peraza. However, the Diamondbacks responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame, allowing Young to earn his second victory of the campaign. The left-hander has given up runs in four of his last six outings, though, and he's looked far from dominant on the mound of late.

Diaz blew a save opportunity Tuesday against the Diamondbacks after giving up one run on three hits while fanning one in one inning.

Diaz entered the game in the ninth inning with a one-run lead, but he was unable to hold things down and blew the save when Josh Rojas delivered an RBI single that scored Nick Ahmed. This outing ended Diaz's perfect run, as he had gone 9-for-9 in save chances before Tuesday. That said, his role as the team's closer shouldn't be at risk.

Mejia won't pitch Wednesday against the White Sox after the game was postponed due to inclement weather, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Mejia was expected to make his first career start Wednesday. However, Mejia will now start Friday's game against the Orioles, while Aaron Civale will serve as the starter Saturday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Since Mejia hasn't recorded more than seven outs in any of his three relief appearances with Cleveland and hasn't started from Triple-A Columbus since May 12, he may not be asked to work deep into Friday's game. If that's the case, Eli Morgan could be called on to serve as a primary pitcher behind Mejia.

May (2-2) blew an extra-inning save and was tagged with the loss Tuesday against Arizona after giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk in one-third of an inning.

May entered the game in the bottom of the 10th inning with a one-run lead, but he was woeful on the mound and ultimately let the game slip away when Josh Reddick connected on a walkoff two-run double. May might not have too many high-leverage opportunities going forward based on his performances, as he's gone 1-for-3 in save chances so far.

Howard won't pitch Wednesday against the Reds after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Wednesday's contest will be made up in late June, so it's not yet clear whether Howard will serve as a starter in the team's upcoming series against the Nationals. The right-hander has started in each of his last two appearances and has allowed three runs on three hits and seven walks while striking out nine in seven innings during that time.

Crochet struck out two over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to Cleveland.

On the day it was announced that Crochet would make only single-inning appearances, the left-hander shut down Cleveland over two perfect innings. His usage may be more about pitch count than innings. He needed just seven pitches to dispatch Cleveland batters in the seventh inning, then came out for a second frame.

Voth (2-0) picked up the win in Tuesday's 11-6 victory over Atlanta, giving up two runs on one hit and one walk over three innings of relief. He struck out three.

After Stephen Strasburg (neck) lasted only 1.1 innings before being forced from the game, Voth was called in and pitched well until serving up a two-run shot to Ronald Acuna in the fifth. If Strasburg once again misses time, Erick Fedde (COVID-19) would be the likely replacement in the rotation, with Voth remaining in his long relief role -- especially considering he's got a 5.25 ERA and has been tagged for five homers over his last 12 innings.

Sulser allowed a hit and a walk while recording a strikeout over a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save during Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Twins.

The right-hander received his first save chance of the season and came through despite allowing a couple baserunners. Sulser had five saves for the Orioles before losing the closer's role last season, but he's primarily been limited to middle relief in 2021.

Treinen (1-2) took the loss in Tuesday's 3-2 game with the Cardinals, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout in 1.1 innings.

Treinen pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and returned for the ninth but allowed two straight hits to push the go-ahead run across the plate in a tie game. The righty has now surrendered four runs in two innings over his last two appearances and has seen his ERA rise from 1.80 to 3.27 in that stretch.