MLB Player News

Wacha (side) was activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start against the Mariners on Friday.

The 30-year-old spent the 15-day minimum on the shelf after going down with left intercostal irritation, and the brevity of his absence will allow him to return without a minor-league rehab assignment. Wacha threw a two-inning simulated game earlier this week but hasn't seen game action since May 3, so he could have some minor workload limitations in his first start back. The right-hander is off to a strong start in 2022 with a 1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 19:11 K:BB through five starts.

Mace (calf) has been placed on the 7-day minor-league injured list at High-A Lake County.

Mace has struggled in his first season of affiliated ball, posting a 6.30 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB across 20 innings in six starts. He'll be sidelined for at least a week as he deals with the calf injury.

Kopech was activated from the paternity list Friday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The 26-year-old left the White Sox on Tuesday and will return without missing a start, as expected. Kopech lines up to take the mound Sunday against the Yankees, with Dallas Keuchel and Johnny Cueto poised to start the first two games of the series.

Cueto is the probable pitcher for Saturday's game against the Yankees.

He will start on normal rest after stifling the Royals' offense Monday, but he will have a much tougher task against a Yankees offense that has a 120 wRC+ this season against right-handed pitching at home. It's unclear if the White Sox will go with a six-man rotation in the short term, but at least one pitcher will get bumped from the mix when Lance Lynn (knee) returns in June.

Valdez (3-2) allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven to earn the win Thursday against the Rangers.

Valdez surrendered his lone earned run in the first inning. From there, he allowed only three runners to reach scoring position while turning in his fifth consecutive quality start. While Valdez has only 39 strikeouts across 47 innings this season, he has maintained a 65.7 percent groundball rate. The end result has been a 2.68 ERA.

Velasquez allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three across five innings Thursday against Kansas City. He did not factor into the decision.

Velasquez allowed at least one earned run in each of his first three innings, including a two-run home run to Hunter Dozier. He's been crushed for combined 11 earned runs across his last two starts -- spanning 10 innings. For the season, Velasquez has a 5.79 ERA with a 28:13 K:BB across 32.2 frames.

Kirby (0-1) allowed five earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three across five innings to take the loss Thursday against the Red Sox.

Kirby was primarily undone by a pair of home runs hit by Trevor Story, which accounted for four of his earned runs. However, Kirby allowed two additional extra-base hits and induced only six swinging strikes across 71 total pitches. It was the second consecutive disappointing start for Kirby, though he faced two dangerous offenses in the Mets and Red Sox. He now owns a 3.60 ERA and 11:2 K:BB across his first 15 big-league innings.

Houck (3-3) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six across four scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Mariners.

Houck entered the game in the third inning after a short outing from Rich Hill. Having allowed 11 earned runs across his last eight frames entering Thursday, Houck turned in one of his better performances of the season by inducing nine swinging strikes across 58 pitches. After the game, Houck discussed utilizing a new slider grip, per Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican, which could help him earn better results moving forward. Houck owns a 4.70 ERA with a 29:13 K:BB across 30.2 innings on the campaign.

Hill allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two and walking one across two innings Thursday against Seattle. He did not factor into the decision.

Hill began his outing with little incident, though he surrendered a three-run home run in the second inning to sour his day. He was pulled after 56 pitches, and it was the first time this season he failed to cover at least four frames. The outing inflated Hill's ERA to 3.90 on the campaign, and he has also maintained a 23:8 K:BB across 30 frames.

Baz (elbow) allowed one hit and one run while striking out five and walking none across 2.1 innings Thursday during a rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham.

Baz made his first rehab appearance since undergoing elbow surgery March 21. He allowed a leadoff home run to Lewin Diaz in the second inning but racked up plenty of swings and misses otherwise. Baz threw only 24 pitches and is not eligible to return from the injured list until early June, so he will likely make a few more rehab outings with Durham.