MLB Player News

Syndergaard was scratched from his scheduled start against the White Sox on Friday due to an illness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

While Syndergaard's illness isn't believed to be related to COVID-19, he'll be unable to pitch in Friday's series opener. Manager Joe Maddon said the right-hander could pitch later in the series, but Jimmy Herget will take his place as the starter Friday.

Gonzales (wrist) felt good following a bullpen session Friday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Gonzales left his start Wednesday against the Rays after getting hit by a comebacker, but he escaped with nothing worse than a bruised left wrist. He hasn't been officially confirmed for his next start, which is lined up for Monday in Houston, but it looks as though he'll be ready.

Crawford (personal) was activated from the restricted list Friday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Crawford was unable to cross the border for a four-game series in Toronto this week due to his status as an unvaccinated individual, and he'll rejoin the active roster as expected Friday. The 26-year-old has worked in low-leverage spots early in the season for Boston and has given up seven earned runs with a 11:6 K:BB over seven innings.

Houck (personal) was activated from the restricted list and will pitch behind Rich Hill in a piggyback role Friday at Baltimore, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The 25-year-old is back on the active roster as expected Friday after being unable to travel for the four-game set in Toronto this week due to his status as an unvaccinated player. Houck won't immediately rejoin the starting rotation and will instead follow the veteran lefty Hill, who has yet to reach five innings or 80 pitches in an outing this season. Houck has performed well over his first four outings (three starts) of the campaign with a 2.87 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 13:7 K:BB over 15.2 frames.

Manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday that Ober (groin) is feeling better but will likely require a trip to the injured list, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Ober was removed from Thursday's start against the Tigers due to right groin tightness, and he'll likely be forced to miss at least one turn through the rotation. It's not yet clear when Ober will be able to return or who will fill in as a starter during his absence.

Manager Tony La Russa said Friday that Cueto will need at least one more start at Triple-A Charlotte, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Cueto made his second appearance in Charlotte on Thursday and allowed a hit and no walks while striking out six in four scoreless innings. Although the right-hander posted good results, he'll need at least one or two more starts in the minors before he's in the mix to make his debut for the White Sox.

Bradish was called up from Triple-A Norfolk and will start Friday against the Red Sox, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old was announced as the starter for Friday's series opener earlier this week, and he's now officially joined Baltimore's big-league roster. Bradish posted a 1.20 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB across 15 innings to begin the season at Norfolk, and he could stake his claim to a longer-term rotation spot with a strong showing in his debut given the Orioles' injury issues.

Cueto allowed one hit and no walks while striking out six across four innings Thursday with Triple-A Charlotte. He did not factor into the decision.

Cueto made his second appearance with Charlotte, and he looked much sharper than in his first outing with the club. Despite the strong performance, Cueto still threw only 45 pitches, so he is far from fully stretched out. Currently on a minor-league deal, Cueto could make an impact with the White Sox at some point this season, but he'll likely need to build his arm strength with a few more appearances in the minors prior to doing so.

Whitlock (1-1) recorded the loss Thursday, allowing an unearned run on four hits and two walks while striking out two over three innings in a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

The loss can't be blamed on Whitlock, as the game's only run came thanks to an error by Christian Arroyo that allowed Lourdes Gurriel to reach base. His subsequent walk to Raimel Tapia moved Gurriel into scoring position. and Kirk's two-out single brought in the run. The right-hander earned the spot start due to Tanner Houck's vaccination status, which prohibits him from playing in Canada, but Whitlock will likely continue to be deployed in a variety of high-leverage situations all season.

Manoah (4-0) recorded the win, allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out seven over seven innings in Thursday's 1-0 win over the Red Sox.

Although he's displayed a tendency to surrender the long ball and has given seven free passes this season, the 24-year-old has been a strikeout machine, recording 25 strikeouts over 25 innings pitched. The right-hander has also displayed an ability to get out of jams with runners on base with a strand rate of 90 percent. Although control is a minor issue with the youngster, his early results are on track to eclipse his stellar 9-2 rookie campaign.