MLB Player News

Cole struck out 10 batters and walked just one in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rays but allowed three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings and therefore wasn't eligible to pick up the win.

Cole cruised through the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth, allowing an RBI double to Ji-Man Choi before giving up a two-run homer to Jose Martinez. He has a strong 29.5 percent strikeout rate through his first four starts this season, though that's over 10 percentage points below his incredible 39.9 percent mark from last season. His 3.22 ERA is also quite difficult to complain about, though it's well above his 2.50 mark from 2019.

Hill (shoulder) could be available for next weekend's series against the Royals, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The veteran southpaw resumed throwing Friday and is expected to throw a bullpen session during the upcoming three-game series in Milwaukee, which begins Monday. Hill landed on the injured list with shoulder fatigue and mid-back soreness last Monday, but it appears he may not be spending too much time on the shelf.

Sandoval was recalled by the Angels ahead of his scheduled start Saturday, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sandoval has stayed stretched out at the team's alternate training site over the past week, and he'll rejoin the major-league club to make his second start of the season Saturday against the Rangers. Reliever Luke Bard was optioned to alternate camp to make room for Sandoval. The southpaw allowed two runs (one earned) while striking out four over four innings in his first start this year.

Anderson (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday.

Anderson will make his season debut against the Red Sox on Saturday after he was sidelined with an oblique strain to begin the regular season. The right-hander still hasn't built up to a full workload, so he isn't expected to throw more than three innings during his first outing. Outfielder Billy McKinney was optioned to the taxi squad to make room on the active roster.

Means (bereavement) won't start Sunday's game against the Nationals, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The traditional timeline for spending time on the bereavement list is three days, which would have put Means on track to return Sunday. However, manager Brandon Hyde announced that Asher Wojciechowski will start on short rest for Sunday's series finale against the Nationals. It's unclear when Means will return from the bereavement list, but his next chance to start would be on the road Tuesday against the Phillies.

According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, Schmidt "could certainly factor in" with the Yankees' plans at some point this season, but he won't pitch this weekend, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Yankees starters not named Gerrit Cole have been mostly unimpressive this season, but the organization has thus far resisted the temptation to promote its top pitching prospect. Schmidt impressed in spring training and summer camp, so service-time considerations could be a factor in the team's decision to keep him off the active roster. Still, the right-hander could certainly make his major-league debut at some point during the campaign, especially if starters Jordan Montgomery, James Paxton and J.A. Happ continue to struggle.

Suarez (undisclosed) is stretched out to 1-to-2 innings at the Angels' alternate training site, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Suarez has been ramping up in Long Beach after dealing with an unspecified issue. The southpaw is believed to be healthy, and pitching coach Mickey Callaway said Saturday that he could be available to make a spot start in the majors if necessary. However, he'll likely need to increase his workload before he's considered for a regular role on the major-league roster.

Verlander (forearm) isn't progressing as quickly as he'd like to, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Verlander was shut down with a forearm strain after making just one start this season, though he denied initial reports that he'd been ruled out for the year. This latest report doesn't seem to indicate a setback, as it only relates Verlander's recovery to his own aspirations. Manager Dusty Baker added, "He wanted to pitch yesterday." At the very least, it indicates that Verlander isn't making a miraculous recovery, and his chances of playing again this season remain up in the air.

Odorizzi won't throw more than 70 or 75 pitches in his season debut against the Royals, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Back issues popped up for Odorizzi in the middle of camp and delayed his season debut. He threw just over 50 pitches in his most recent live batting practice session, so he won't come close to a full starter's workload Saturday, but there's a chance he pitches deep enough to earn a win if he's efficient and effective.

Odorizzi (back) was activated off the 10-day injured list Saturday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Odorizzi has been recovering from back stiffness since the end of camp, but he'll make his season debut Saturday against the Royals. The right-hander threw 50 pitches his last time facing batters and could throw between 70 and 75 pitches against the Royals, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports. Josh Donaldson (calf) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move.