MLB Player News

Paxton (knee) will throw a three-inning/60-pitch simulated game Friday and if that goes well, he could rejoin the rotation next week, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

There was hope that he would be able to return this week, but he needed a couple extra bullpen sessions before he was essentially pain free. If he emerges from Friday's sim game feeling like he felt after Tuesday's bullpen session, he could return to the rotation May 29 against the Padres.

Milone's contract was selected from Triple-A Tacoma prior to his start Tuesday against the Rangers.

With Felix Hernandez (lat) on the 10-day injured list, Milone should hold the fifth spot in the rotation in the short term as long as he doesn't completely implode, but that is also a real possibility. The 32-year-old journeyman has a 4.62 FIP and 43:12 K:BB in 49.1 innings at Triple-A. This is not a favorable matchup, given the hitter-friendly ballpark in Texas.

The Royals promoted Bubic from Low-A Lexington to High-A Wilmington on Tuesday.

Bubic will move on to his third minor-league stop since being selected with the 40th overall pick in the 2018 first-year player draft. The southpaw faced little resistance from South Atlantic League hitters through the first two months of the season, posting a 2.08 ERA and 0.89 WHIP to go with an eye-popping 75 strikeouts in 47.2 innings.

Cortes was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He has made two appearances for the big club this season, giving up three earned runs in each outing while striking out nine over a total of six frames. David Hale's contract was selected as a corresponding move.

Heaney (elbow) tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in his rehab start Monday with Triple-A Salt Lake. He gave up two hits and one walk and struck out 10.

Making his first appearance in affiliated ball this season, Heaney pumped in 46 of his 73 pitches for strikes while making quick work of a quality Las Vegas lineup. The elevated pitch count makes it likely that Heaney won't require another rehab start in the minors before returning from the 10-day injured list, but the Angels will likely wait and see how he looks during a between-starts bullpen session until ruling on his next step. He's tentatively being penciled in for his 2019 Angels debut Sunday at home versus the Rangers.

Kaprielian (shoulder) fired two innings for High-A Stockton against Inland Empire on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader that was eventually suspended due to weather, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It was a momentous outing for the 25-year-old, who was logging his first game action since 2016 after being besieged by injuries over the prior two seasons. Kaprielian presumably still has a lengthy road back to regaining his prior form after such an extended layoff, but the organization is expected to bring him along at the appropriate pace considering the amount of physical challenges he's endured. "We were concerned in spring training," manager Bob Melvin said. "There was a period of time where he just didn't feel very good. So the fact he's had good days recently and is performing in games is encouraging. This is a guy that was a big part of a big trade for us and we felt at some point in time, pretty quickly, he would be in the big leagues. He's got good stuff and finally consistently feeling good."

Odorizzi threw five innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Monday, giving up three hits and no earned runs. He struck out six and walked two as the Twins eventually prevailed, 3-1.

Odorizzi was solid once again in this contest, but he would settle for a no-decision as Taylor Rogers ended up getting tagged with a blown save after relinquishing a 1-0 lead. The right-hander is still off to an excellent start to the season, as he now sports a 2.38 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP through 53 innings. He's lined up to take on the White Sox in his next start in a home matchup Sunday.

Mize tossed six scoreless innings with six strikeouts Monday for Double-A Erie, lowering his ERA to 1.76 through five starts at the level.

Mize had a no-hitter in his Double-A debut on April 29, and he hasn't looked back. The 2018 No. 1 pick has backed up his prospect pedigree, as he's holding Double-A hitters to just a .168 batting average with a 29:5 K:BB across 30.2 innings. Mize, who turned 22 earlier this month, appears to be on a fast track to the majors, and he has the potential to be a frontline MLB starter in short order.

Carrasco (4-4) gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four through five innings, taking the loss to the Athletics on Monday.

Carrasco worked in and out of trouble constantly, allowing nine baserunners. The home runs continue to plague the right-hander, as he carries a 1.7 HR/9 this year and gave up two more solo home runs in this start. He has a 4-4 record with a 4.30 ERA through 10 starts this season. Carrasco will make his next start Saturday against the Rays.

Ramirez (elbow) threw 26 pitches across two innings Monday in an extended spring training game, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

This marks the right-hander's second outing in an extended spring game, and his elbow has felt good so far. Look for the Angels to continue to build up Ramirez's arm strength moving forward.