MLB Player News

Manager Alex Cora said Hill will likely be piggybacked by Tanner Houck during the lefty's upcoming start Thursday against the Angels, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Hill and Houck previously worked in a tandem during the former's most recent start April 29 in Baltimore. The pairing yielded favorable results, as Hill submitted four scoreless innings and allowed one hit and no walks before Houck stepped in to deliver three scoreless frames. Unfortunately for Hill, it was Houck who came away with the win, and the latter may continue to have the clearer path to factoring into the decision Thursday by virtue of working later in the contest. Cora said that the Red Sox will reassess their rotation setup next week, at which point it's possible that Houck reclaims a starting role of his own while Garrett Whitlock moves back into the bullpen.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Houck is likely to be used in a piggyback arrangement when Rich Hill's next turn in the rotation comes up Thursday against the Angels, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

After Houck was reinstated from the restricted list April 29, he was used behind Hill in the latter's most recent start in Baltimore later that same day. The pairing bore favorable results, as Houck struck out four over three scoreless frames en route to picking up the win after Hill turned in four scoreless innings before him. Cora indicated that he plans to see how the Hill/Houck pair plays out this time around before reassessing whether to add Houck back to the rotation next week in a traditional starting role or to keep him on hand in the bullpen. If the Red Sox do decide to reintegrate Houck into the rotation, Garrett Whitlock would likely head back to the bullpen and serve as a versatile multi-inning arm.

Manager Mark Kotsay said Wednesday that Irvin is being evaluated due to shoulder soreness, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

While the left-hander hasn't yet been ruled out for Friday's start against Minnesota, Zach Logue has been added to the Athletics' taxi squad in case Irvin is unable to pitch. Kotsay said the Athletics will decide Thursday whether Irvin is able to take the mound during Friday's matchup, so he should tentatively be considered day-to-day.

Manoah didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 9-1 loss to the Yankees, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

It was another impressive performance from the right-hander, and Manoah's only real mistake got hammered into the left-center field seats for a solo shot by Aaron Judge in the sixth inning. Unfortunately for Toronto, the bullpen made a mess of things as soon as Manoah was out of the game. The 24-year-old has delivered five quality starts in five outings to begin the season, giving him a stellar 1.45 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 32:8 K:BB through 31 innings.

Mize (elbow) has thrown multiple bullpen sessions at the Tigers' spring facility in Lakeland, Fla. and could be set to face live batting hitters as soon as this weekend, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Mize was placed on the 10-day injured list April 15 with an elbow sprain, but he's getting closer to a return. If his live batting session goes well this weekend, he would likely be set to make a rehab start at some point next week. Mize will likely make more than one start on his rehab assignment, placing his return to the Tigers somewhere around mid-to-late May.

Taillon (2-1) picked up the win in Tuesday's 9-1 victory over the Blue Jays, allowing one run on five hits over six innings. He struck out four without walking a batter.

The right-hander was locked in a pitchers' duel with Alek Manoah through six frames, but Taillon got rewarded for his efforts when the Yankees broke through against the Toronto bullpen in the top of the seventh. The quality start was his first of the season, and he'll take a 2.84 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 21:2 K:BB through 25.1 innings into his next outing.

Manning (shoulder) could begin a rehab assignment this weekend, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Manning was still experiencing tightness in his shoulder in late April, but he's now thrown multiple bullpen sessions of over 30 pitches. It's not yet clear how many minor-league appearances the right-hander will require, but a rehab assignment would likely be the final step in his recovery process.

Double-A Akron placed Espino (knee) on its 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Espino has been managing patellar tendinitis in his right knee since exiting his fourth start of the season Friday, so he'll be given at least a week off to recover from the injury. One of the top arms in the Guardians' farm system, Espino has submitted a 2.45 ERA and 0.72 WHIP while striking out 35 over 18.1 innings this season.

Blackburn didn't factor into the decision during Tuesday's 10-7 loss to Tampa Bay, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Blackburn was staked to an early 5-1 lead but couldn't make it through the fifth inning and Oakland ended up blowing the sizable lead anyway. This was the 28-year-old's worst start in five turns, as he permitted highs in runs and baserunners in what was his shortest outing to date. He carries a 2.22 ERA and 0.95 WHIP into his next start, slated to come next week against Detroit.

Flexen (1-4) got the loss during Tuesday's 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Astros, allowing one run on two hits and three walks with two strikeouts in five innings.

Flexen pitched well except for one mistake -- a fastball in the fourth inning that Yordan Alvarez took over the center-field fence -- and was saddled with the loss as Seattle was held scoreless for the second straight game. The 27-year-old has lost four of his five starts this season despite a solid 3.10 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He'll go for another win later this week, as he's tentatively tabbed to start Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.