MLB Player News

Rodriguez did not factor into the decision Sunday, tossing seven scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit and zero walks in a 2-1 loss against the Orioles. He struck out six.

Rodriguez was perfect through 6.2 innings before giving up a single to Ryan Mountcastle. He retired the next batter -- Ramon Urias -- to end the frame and keep the game scoreless. The left-hander has now allowed just one run over his past three outings (21 innings) after posting seven runs through his first two starts (10 innings). During his stellar three-game stretch, Rodriguez has surrendered 12 hits and one walk while striking out 19. His next start is tentatively scheduled for a rematch against the Orioles.

The Guardians optioned Gaddis to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.

As expected, Gaddis will return to the minors after he was called up from Columbus to serve as the Guardians' 27th man for Saturday's doubleheader with the Marlins. Though he turned in a scoreless two-inning relief appearance in Cleveland's 6-1 loss in Game 1, Gaddis' poor body of work in four starts with the big club earlier this season has removed him from consideration for a spot in the Guardians' rotation at this time. Instead, Logan Allen -- who was promoted from Triple-A to take the hill for Sunday's series finale with Miami -- will at least temporarily settle in as the Guardians' new No. 5 starter.

Maeda (ankle) is listed as the Twins' probable starter Wednesday against the Yankees, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The veteran right-hander is still scheduled to throw a bullpen session Monday, which should provide final confirmation for his ability to start Wednesday's contest. Maeda exited his previous start Thursday in Boston after being struck in the left ankle by a comebacker, but it doesn't appear the injury will force him to be pushed back in Minnesota's rotation.

Kaprielian allowed three earned runs on four hits over one inning of relief while recording a strikeout in a loss to the Rangers on Saturday.

It was the second straight relief outing for Kaprielian after making his first three appearances of the season as a member of the starting rotation and pitching to a 12.15 ERA and 3.4 HR/9 in the process. The struggling right-hander tossed 24 pitches during his one frame Saturday, and with Paul Blackburn's (finger) season debut potentially being pushed back into early May due to a blister that caused his latest rehab start to be postponed, Kaprielian could be set for a spot start Thursday against the Angels.

Winn has a 7.88 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in 16 innings for Triple-A Round Rock.

The 23-year-old righty has averaged four innings per appearance while walking 13 and striking out 16. The results haven't matched Winn's prospect pedigree to date at Triple-A, where he has a 6.49 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 145.2 career innings.

Springs (elbow) is scheduled to undergo his season-ending Tommy John surgery Monday in Texas, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The operation will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister, one of the renowned specialists for athletes who are dealing with arm-related injuries. The Rays will provide an update after the surgery is performed regarding whether Springs required any additional procedures beyond repairing his UCL, but assuming the lefty requires little more than the traditional Tommy John surgery, he'll face a loose 12-to-18-month rehab and recovery process. With that in mind, Springs should be expected to miss a significant portion of the 2024 season as well.

Rucinski (hamstring) was tagged for seven runs (five earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out two across 2.2 innings in his second rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Rucinski built up his pitch count to 62 after tossing 45 pitches in his first rehab start April 12, but that was about the only positive takeaway in his second outing with Las Vegas. The right-hander threw only 35 of his pitches for strikes and retired only eight of the 17 batters he faced on the day. Despite his lackluster results through two rehab outings, Rucinski could still have a starting spot in Oakland waiting for him once he's activated from the 15-day injured list, given the low barrier for entry into the big-league rotation. He'll first make a third rehab start for Las Vegas on Sunday before the Athletics determine his next step.

McKenzie (shoulder) began a throwing program Friday, MLB.com reports.

Sidelined all season with the right teres major muscle strain he suffered in his final Cactus League start in late March, McKenzie has finally taken the first meaningful step forward in his recovery from the injury. He played catch from approximately 75 feet Friday, and he should gradually stretch out his throwing distance off flat ground over the next couple of weeks before eventually moving on to mound work. The Guardians transferred McKenzie to the 60-day injured list earlier this month, but the team remains optimistic that the lanky right-hander will be ready to return when first eligible for activation May 29.

Quantrill (leg) is listed as the Guardians' probable starting pitcher for Monday's game against the Rockies at Progressive Field.

Quantrill was lifted after tossing a season-low 83 pitches in his last outing Wednesday against the Tigers when he was struck on the leg by a line drive while recording the final out of the bottom of the sixth inning, but his early exit looks to have been mostly precautionary. While the Guardians haven't formally confirmed that the right-hander completed a between-starts bullpen session without issue, Quantrill's inclusion on the pitching schedule for the series with the Rockies suggests he's good to go. He'll tentatively line up for a two-start week, with his second turn expected to come next Sunday in Boston.

Espino (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing and is planning to visit with a doctor after suffering recent setbacks, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Espino was placed on Double-A Akron's 60-day injured list before the season due to a subscapularis strain and anterior capsule tear in his right shoulder. The right-hander has looked like one of the best pitching prospects in baseball when he's been on the mound, but he's accumulated only 18.1 innings since the start of the 2022 season. The Guardians maintained hoped that Espino would be able to return to game action in the early part of the summer, but that's now in doubt in light of his recent setbacks.