MLB Player News

Boyd (triceps) was cleared to begin throwing off a mound last week and is expected to begin a rehab assignment in early August, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Considering Boyd has been on the shelf since mid-June with left triceps tendinitis, he may need two rehab starts in the minors to ramp up his pitch count before Detroit activates him from the 10-day injured list. A firmer target date for the start of his rehab assignment likely won't be available until he advances to facing hitters in live batting practice.

Tigers general manager Al Avila said last week that Teheran (shoulder) has a chance to return from the 60-day injured list in late September, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Updates on Teheran have been scarce since he was diagnosed April 11 with a right shoulder strain, and that's likely a reflection of the limited progress he's made in his rehab over the past three-plus months. Given that Teheran isn't even close to beginning a rehab assignment following his prolonged shutdown, the Tigers are bracing for the likelihood that he won't pitch again in 2021. Teheran is 30 years old and set to become a free agent this winter, so Detroit has little incentive to rush him back when he probably doesn't have much of a future in the organization.

Lynch (1-2) allowed five hits over eight scoreless innings Sunday, striking out four and earning a win over the Tigers.

Making his first big-league start since May, Lynch completely dominated Detroit in his first MLB win. He allowed just one extra-base hit, and the only real threat he faced was a two-out situation in the second inning with runners on second and third. The rookie southpaw lasted just eight combined innings in three starts before Sunday's outing, and he still owns an unsightly 7.88 ERA. Lynch should get another look in the rotation after finally flashing the stuff that made him one of baseball's top pitching prospects.

Stripling allowed one run on five hits through five innings in Sunday's loss to the Mets. He struck out six and did not factor in the decision.

The only damage against Stripling was an RBI single by Jonathan Villar in the second inning. It was a strong performance after he yielded 10 runs and five homers in just four innings over his last two starts. The 6-foot-3 righty now owns a 4.84 ERA through 80 frames. Stripling is projected to face the Royals at home next week.

Skubal (6-9) allowed five runs across five innings to take the loss Sunday against the Royals. He gave up five hits and no walks while striking out four.

Home runs did in Skubal in this one, as the lefty allowed three long balls, including a three-run bomb to Salvador Perez just three batters into the game. Skubal has had some good moments in his second MLB season, and his ERA sits at a respectable 4.42, but he's still seeking more consistency. He's allowed exactly five earned runs in two of his last four starts, but he gave up just four earned runs combined across 12 innings in the other two outings. Skubal will look for better results in his next scheduled start Friday against the Orioles.

Means allowed four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two in 6.2 innings in Sunday's win over the Nationals. He didn't factor into the decision.

Means loaded the bases in the first inning but allowed only one run during the frame, and he bounced back with four straight scoreless innings. However, he allowed a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth inning that put him in line for the loss. The southpaw was able to settle for a no-decision since the Orioles came back in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he's now given up nine runs in 11.2 innings across his two starts since he returned from the injured list. Means tentatively lines up to make his next start on the road against Detroit on Saturday.

German allowed one run on a hit and a walk while striking out 10 over seven-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Red Sox on Sunday.

German carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but he allowed a leadoff double to Alex Verdugo. Jonathan Loaisiga came on in relief and proceeded to melt down as the Red Sox rallied for five runs to deny German the win after a stellar start. The 28-year-old dropped his ERA to 4.45 with a 1.17 WHIP and 90:23 K:BB through 93 innings. He'll look to stay in good form next weekend in Miami.

Perez allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six innings in a no-decision versus the Yankees on Sunday.

While the southpaw was in the game, the Red Sox mustered all of one walk against Yankees starter Domingo German. Perez left in line for the loss, but the Red Sox's five-run rally in the eighth inning got him off the hook. It was the 30-year-old's first quality start since June 3 and also the first time he's completed six innings in that span. For the year, Perez has a 4.18 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 80:32 K:BB across 94.2 innings in 20 starts. He carries a 7-6 record into his next start, tentatively set for next weekend's series in Tampa Bay.

McKenzie allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision versus Tampa Bay on Sunday.

McKenzie was in line for a hard-luck loss after giving up a solo home run to Nelson Cruz in the sixth inning, but Cleveland pulled ahead in the eighth. The right-hander has had mixed results since he rejoined the big-league roster July 9. He's produced two quality starts in his last three outings but also struggled in a four-inning appearance versus Houston. He owns a 5.61 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 77:42 K:BB through 59.1 innings. McKenzie lines up to make his next start versus the White Sox next weekend.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Sale (elbow) will make his fourth minor-league rehab start July 31 at Triple-A Worcester, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Sale will move up to the Red Sox's top affiliate after he completed a second straight start (and the third overall of his rehab assignment) at Double-A Portland on Sunday. He built up to 64 pitches (46 strikes) in the outing, covering 3.2 innings and punching out nine while giving up two runs on six hits and no walks. According to Smith, Sale's fastball topped out at 96 miles per hour during the start, and while he wasn't able to reach four or five innings in the start like the Red Sox had hoped, the fact that the lefty increased his pitch count while generating plenty of swinging strikes is a promising sign of his health. If Sale's velocity and command are on point in his start at Worcester, and if he's able to reach around 80 pitches, he could be cleared to make his 2021 debut for the Red Sox during the first week of August.