MLB Player News

Gray threw four shutout innings Sunday against the Athletics, striking out seven while walking two and allowing two hits. He did not factor into the decision.

Gray was limited to 66 pitches, which wasn't too big of a surprise given that it was his first outing back from a hamstring injury, having previously made just one three-inning rehab start. He didn't pitch long enough to get a win, but it was a very encouraging outing nonetheless, as the only time an Athletic reached scoring position was when Elvis Andrus singled and stole second base in the top of the third. Gray may still be on a pitch count for his next outing, which could come Friday against the Guardians.

Martinez (thumb) signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox on Saturday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Martinez joined the Giants on a minor-league deal in mid-March after missing most of last season with a torn thumb ligament. He didn't make the major-league roster and was released in late April without having pitched at any minor-league affiliate. It's unclear whether or not he's fully recovered from his thumb injury, so it's unclear whether he'll pitch for a Red Sox affiliate right away.

Lyles and the Orioles won't play Saturday against the Orioles after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Lyles will now start two days later than expected after the Orioles had back-to-back games postponed. Lyles is slated to start in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday, while Bruce Zimmermann takes the mound in the nightcap and Tyler Wells starts Monday, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

Mize (elbow) is nearing a rehab assignment, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Mize made just two starts this season before being sidelined with a sprained right elbow. He's been throwing again for nearly two weeks, and while he doesn't have a concrete date for the start of his rehab assignment, it's expected to begin not long after Matt Manning (shoulder) begins his Sunday.

Manning (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Manning has been on the injured list since mid-April, but he's been cleared to return to game action with the minor-league club. He recently threw multiple bullpen sessions of over 30 pitches, but it's not yet clear how many rehab appearances he'll require prior to rejoining the Tigers.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Saturday that Paxton is still dealing with posterior elbow soreness, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Paxton resumed throwing bullpen sessions in early April, but is facing a shutdown due to his lingering elbow pain. The southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2021 and isn't expected to appear in games until at least the middle of the summer. It's not yet clear how much he'll be delayed due to his soreness.

Sale (ribs) is behind schedule by a few weeks after dealing with a non-baseball medical issue, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Sale has been out all season with a stress fracture in his ribcage. He was tracking toward returning when first eligible in early June, but a return in late June now seems more reasonable. The exact nature of his medical issue is unclear, but it was enough to pause his throwing progression. He seems to be nearly over the issue now, however, as he's expected to resume throwing soon.

Houck will remain in the bullpen for the foreseeable future, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Houck made three starts to open the year before shifting to the bullpen for his next three appearances. With Rich Hill out after testing positive for COVID-19, there's a path for Houck to return to the rotation, but that job will go to Garrett Whitlock instead. Houck has fallen far short of the standards he set last season, with his ERA rising from 3.52 to 5.14, and his underlying numbers have taken similarly large steps back across the board. If he sorts things out in a multi-inning relief role, it's certainly possible he'll return to the rotation before too long, but his fantasy appeal will be greatly diminished until that happens.

Hill has tested positive for COVID-19, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Hill landed on the COVID-19 injured list Friday, but it wasn't originally clear whether he'd tested positive himself. Now that it's known that he has, it's safe to assume that he'll miss more than just a few days. Garrett Whitlock will step into the rotation in Hill's absence.

Kirby will join the Mariners' major-league roster shortly, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Mariners already called up one prospect straight from Double-A this season, but the Matt Brash experiment ended when the rookie was optioned Thursday after struggling to a 7.65 ERA in five starts. The Mariners will hope for better from Kirby, and there's reason to believe they'll get it, as Kirby doesn't have anywhere near Brash's command issues. Command is instead Kirby's calling card, as the 2019 first-rounder has walked just 4.4 percent of the batters he's faced in his minor-league career. Pair that with his 30.0 percent strikeout rate and there's plenty of reason to get excited, though he'll still have to navigate a big step up in competition. Kirby is expected to start Sunday against the Rays, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, so it's likely the transaction won't become official until then.