MLB Player News

Odorizzi will work behind Lance McCullers (shoulder) in a tandem start Tuesday against the Rangers, but Odorizzi is expected to be part of a six-man rotation thereafter, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chroniclereports.

Since McCullers won't be fully stretched out Tuesday in his return from the 10-day injured list, the Astros will call on Odorizzi to provide length out of the bullpen Tuesday. After that, Houston is planning to utilize a six-man rotation, which leaves Odorizzi in line to make his next start June 21 in Baltimore. Odorozzi has had a rough go of things in his first season in Houston, posting a 6.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 23:8 K:BB through his six outings spanning 21.1 innings.

Matz was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Sunday because of an inconclusive test, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.

The southpaw will undergo additional testing. If his tests come back negative, he should be able to make his next start, which is expected to come Thursday against the Yankees. Jeremy Beasley was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding roster move.

McCullers (shoulder) will be activated from the 10-day injured list to start Tuesday against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCullers hasn't pitched since May 22, as a sore shoulder landed him on the injured list May 26. The right-hander tossed four innings (64 pitches) in a rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday and will make his next start with the big club Tuesday. Per McTaggart, since McCullers won't be fully stretched out in his return, the plan is to piggyback him with Jake Odorizzi on Tuesday, though McCullers' arm should be back to full strength after one or two additional turns through the rotation.

Quintana (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session Monday and will embark upon a rehab assignment before rejoining the Angels, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

When Quintana resumed throwing a few days after going on the injured list May 31, there was optimism that he could return to the big club without needing a rehab assignment. However, the Angels are opting to proceed cautiously with the left-hander, and manager Joe Maddon commented Saturday that "there's no reason to fast-track it right now" with Quintana. Per Harris, the club is discussing where the veteran starter will slot into the rotation mix when he returns.

Ober is scheduled to stay in the Minnesota rotation for at least one more start, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. "I'd like for Bailey to get on a nice routine right now," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He's been throwing the ball very well and he's been very productive in his starts, so we're going to tell him to just get ready to go pitch."

Ober will take the place of Matt Shoemaker, who has moved to the bullpen. Ober has a solid 10.4 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9, but he's given up three home runs in 13 innings. He'll need to keep the ball in the park to keep a spot in the rotation, with his next turn set to come Wednesday in Seattle. With the Twins far behind in the standings, they're likely to give Ober and other young pitchers extended trials in the rotation.

McKenzie was optioned to Triple-A Columbus prior to Sunday's game against the Mariners, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

McKenzie struggled in his latest start Saturday, walking four while allowing a run without being able to get through the first inning. He'll return to Columbus for the time being, and improving his command will likely be his top priority going forward. Infielder Ernie Clement was recalled in a corresponding roster move.

Wacha is slated to serve as the Rays' opening pitcher in Sunday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Since returning from the injured list May 23, Wacha hasn't covered more than three innings in any of his four appearances for Tampa Bay, so he likely won't be asked to work deep into Sunday's contest. Once Wacha exits, Josh Fleming will take over as the Rays' bulk reliever, and the lefty is the most likely Rays pitcher to factor into any decision.

Cortes tossed 3.2 innings against the Phillies on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision.

Starter Jameson Taillon managed to get only one out while allowing four runs before he was pulled from the contest, and Cortes was assigned the task of keeping the game from getting out of hand. He performed admirably, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and allowing only one run to cross the plate in his 65-pitch outing. That helped New York mount a comeback, though the Phillies ultimately pulled out the win in the 10th frame. Cortes will likely be unavailable for a few days after the extended effort, but he has pitched well with a 1.93 ERA and 13:5 K:BB across 9.1 frames this season to justify his long-relief spot in the Yankees' bullpen.

Houck (elbow) recently got up and down during a bullpen session and will face hitters next, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Manager Alex Cora was pleased that Houck responded well to getting up and down during the bullpen session and has sketched out the next steps for the right-hander. Next up is facing batters followed by game action. Houck has not pitched in a game since May 4.

Garcia (5-4) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out four across 4.1 innings, taking the loss to the Twins on Saturday.

Garcia surrendered a two-run home run to Jorge Polanco as a part of a three-run fifth inning. His five-start winning streak came to an end Saturday after he failed to make it through the fifth inning. The 24-year-old still has a strong 2.98 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP with 72 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. He will look to get back on track in his next start, which will likely come next weekend against the White Sox.