MLB Player News

Houck (back) threw off flat ground Tuesday and felt good following the session, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Houck appears poised to avoid surgery to address the disc injury in his back, something that looked to be a real possibility as recently as last week. He'll start building up in the coming days, and Boston manager Alex Cora hopes the right-hander can pitch by the end of the season.

Glasnow (elbow) threw his second live batting practice session Tuesday and will face hitters once more before likely beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Glasnow reiterated after Tuesday's workout that his surgically repaired right elbow feels good, and he remains optimistic that he'll return from the 60-day injured list this season. According to Topkin, Glasnow's fastball topped out at around 97 miles per hour Tuesday, and while he appears to have recaptured his pre-surgery velocity, regaining command of all of his pitches may prove to be the greater challenge. If Glasnow does meet his goal of pitching for the Rays in 2022, it'll almost certainly come as a reliever, given that he doesn't seem to have enough time at this stage of the season to build up as a starter.

Wells (oblique) completed a bullpen session Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Wells relayed afterward that he felt good while stepping on the mound for the first time since being placed on the 15-day injured list July 28 with a Grade 1 left oblique strain. He'll still need to complete a few more side sessions and throw a live batting practice session or two before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment, but the Orioles remain optimistic he'll return in 2022. Wells will presumably prepare to rejoin Baltimore in a starting role, but any setback or slowdown in his rehab program at this stage of the season might force him to come back as a reliever.

The White Sox placed Kopech on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a left knee strain.

After Kopech exited in the first inning of his start during Monday's 6-4 loss to the Royals, manager Tony La Russa said the right-hander was dealing with a hamstring issue, but the White Sox provided an updated diagnosed upon placing the 26-year-old on the IL. The severity of his left knee strain isn't fully known, though the White Sox are tentatively planning on Kopech being ready to return from the shelf when first eligible Sept. 7, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Even if that's the case, Kopech's impending two-week absence could still make it difficult for fantasy managers to justify holding him at this stage of the season. The White Sox called up Tanner Banks from Triple-A Charlotte to provide the team with a multi-inning option out of the bullpen until a replacement in the rotation is needed for Kopech beginning with Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Severino (lat) threw 24 pitches Tuesday while facing rehabbing teammate Giancarlo Stanton (Achilles) in a live batting practice session, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

According to Rivera, Severino's fastball sat around 95-to-97 miles per hour during the throwing session, right around his season-long average. The Yankees moved Severino to the 60-day injured list earlier this month after he exited his July 13 start with a low-grade lat strain, but the right-hander already looks like he's well on his way to being ready to go when first eligible in the middle of September. Severino could soon be cleared to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment.

The Red Sox placed Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right shoulder inflammation, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Eovaldi was deactivated after he demonstrated little progress in recent days in his recovery from the shoulder issue, which resulted in him being scratched ahead of his start against the Pirates last week. Boston summoned Josh Winckowski from Triple-A Worcester to replace Eovaldi in the rotation beginning with Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Gray (7-4) took the loss Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings against the Rangers. He struck out six.

The veteran was effective Monday but could not earn the win as the Twins only mustered one run behind him on the night. Gray has now thrown five or more innings with two or fewer runs allowed in five of his last six starts and owns a strong 3.10 ERA and 1.12 WHIP on the season, both his best since 2019. He will look to get back in the win column in his next scheduled start, which is lined up to be against the White Sox this weekend.

Ragans did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over four innings against the Twins. He struck out two.

The Rangers' rookie made it through four innings with only one run allowed despite failing to record a clean inning. His seven combined hits and walks allowed increased his WHIP to 1.53 over four starts this season, which is out of step with his 1.07 WHIP in 43.1 innings at Triple-A. Ragans will be hard to trust until he can start missing bats more often. He will take a 4.42 ERA into his next start.

Springs (6-3) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings in a 2-1 victory over the Angels. He struck out seven.

Springs was effective again Monday, as he now has four straight starts of five or more innings and two or fewer runs allowed. He also struck out more than a batter per inning for the second time in his last three starts. Monday's three walks was the first time that he walked more than two batters in an outing since May 21, so it is reasonable to believe the relative lack of command was an outlier. He will carry a 2.46 ERA and 1.08 WHIP into his next start.

Lynch yielded three runs on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 frames against the White Sox on Monday. He failed to record a strikeout and did not factor in the decision.

Lynch worked through three shutout frames before the White Sox broke through with three runs in the fourth inning. The Royals would go on to win the game but the 25-year-old southpaw is still looking for his first win since Aug. 1. Lynch has given up three or fewer earned runs in eight of his last nine starts, registering a 3.25 ERA during that stretch. He'll carry a 4.58 ERA into his projected home matchup with the Padres this weekend.