MLB Player News

Luzardo secured his first hold in a win over the Angels on Tuesday, allowing a solo home run over one inning.

Luzardo surrendered his fifth home run over his last four appearances when Shohei Ohtani slugged a 429-foot shot to right field, but he was able to otherwise successfully navigate the frame to capture his first hold. The left-hander's recent troubles out of the bullpen -- he owns a 12.71 ERA across the 5.2 innings covering his last four appearances -- figure to delay his return to the starting rotation even further.

Kopech (hamstring) is improving but isn't yet ready to return, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Kopech threw off a mound Tuesday, but manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday that he still doesn't have a date for the right-hander to return to game action. While he appears to be on the right track, it's not yet clear whether the 25-year-old will require a rehab stint prior to rejoining the major-league bullpen.

The Rays plan to have Wacha start Friday's game against the Mariners if he isn't needed out of the bullpen in Tampa Bay's next two contests, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wacha will be joining the rotation as a replacement for Tyler Glasnow (elbow), who is likely in line for a long-term absence after he was diagnosed Tuesday with a partial UCL tear and flexor strain. The 29-year-old had previously opened the season as a member of the Tampa Bay rotation, but Wacha had transitioned into more of a multi-inning relief role upon returning from a hamstring injury in late May. Through his 11 outings (seven starts) in his first season in Tampa Bay, Wacha has compiled a 4.54 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 37:20 K:BB in 39.2 innings.

Springs owns a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 12.8 K/9 across 6.1 innings covering his six appearances in June.

The southpaw had one hiccup where he allowed two earned runs to the Nationals on June 9, but he's otherwise been very impressive while generating scoreless efforts in five of his last six trips to the mound. Springs has offered fantasy managers a well-balanced season line that includes four wins, two saves, seven holds, a 3.30 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP and an impressive 39:7 K:BB across 30 frames.

Manager Brandon Hyde said that Means (shoulder) began a throwing progression Tuesday at the Orioles' spring training facility in Sarasota, Fla., Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Means is throwing again for the first time since exiting his June 5 start with left shoulder fatigue and subsequently landing on the 10-day injured list. The Orioles have since reclassified Means' injury as a minor strain, but he'll still likely need at least a week to advance through his throwing program before the club pinpoints a target date for his return from the IL. If Means is able to avoid any setbacks while he builds back up, he could be ready to rejoin the rotation at some point in the final week of June.

The Tigers list Manning as their probable starter for Thursday's series opener against the Angels in Los Angeles, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Manning's addition to Detroit's taxi squad a day earlier was already a strong hint that his call-up from Triple-A Toledo was imminent, and Petzold's report seemingly confirms as much. With Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal having graduated from prospect status, Manning is the clear top pitching prospect in the organization, but the Tigers ideally would have wanted him to turn in some better results for Toledo before summoning him to the big leagues. Over his seven outings at Triple-A, Manning posted an 8.07 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB in 32.1 innings, though he turned in his best start of the season his last time out June 9, when he limited Louisville to two runs while striking out eight and issuing two walks over six frames. While the Tigers are hoping Manning can be a key piece in their rotation for years to come, his first stint in the majors may only last as long as Spencer Turnbull (forearm) and Matthew Boyd (triceps) are on the injured list.

Ryu gave up three runs on five hits and four walks across six innings during Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Yankees. He had three strikeouts and didn't factor in the decision.

Ryu was hurt by a pair of solo homer and exited in line for the victory, but Toronto's bullpen was unable to maintain 5-3 lead for long. The lefty struggled with his command and issued a season-high four walks but was able to hold New York to three runs. Ryu has a 3.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB over 76 innings (13 starts) in 2021.

Montgomery allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks over 5.1 innings during Tuesday's win against Toronto. He had four strikeouts and did not factor in the decision.

The southpaw threw only 55 of 97 pitches for strikes and issued a season-high four walks, as he surrendered more than three runs in a start for the first time since May 16. Montgomery has a 4.20 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 69:19 K:BB across 70.2 innings. He'll attempt to get back on track Sunday versus Oakland.

Flexen (6-3) tossed eight scoreless innings while allowing just four hits and striking out eight without walking a batter as he took an easy win over the Twins on Tuesday.

Flexen was brilliant in this one and never let up despite the Mariners jumping out to an early big lead. Five of his season-high eight strikeouts came via the changeup and he generated a total of 15 whiffs in the dominant effort. The 26-year-old lowered his ERA to 4.12 but still has just 44 strikeouts over 67.2 innings. He's lined up for another potentially big performance early next week at home against the Rockies, a team that owns a .570 OPS on the road this year.

Houck (elbow) will throw an abbreviated two-inning start Thursday for Triple-A Worcester.

Houck is recovering from a flexor injury in his right arm, and his return is notable for a team that lacks starting depth in the upper minors. The right-hander has pitched in the majors, going 3-2 with a 1.98 ERA over six appearances in 2020 and 2021.