MLB Player News

The Astros announced Monday that Javier (shoulder) will begin a throwing progression this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Javier had been shut down from throwing since landing on the shelf April 10 with a Grade 2 shoulder strain. Fellow starter Hunter Brown was placed on the injured list with the same injury April 7, but he appears to be much further along in the recovery process, as he's been able to throw off flat ground out to 120 feet and could throw his first bullpen session later this week. Given that general manager Dana Brown recently said that the Astros are hoping to get Brown back from the IL around early to mid-June, it's fair to expect Javier's absence to stretch into the latter half of June, if not July.

Povich is slated to start Thursday's game against the Marlins in Miami, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.

With Trevor Rogers (illness) hitting the injured list, the Orioles summoned Povich from Triple-A Norfolk last Friday to fill the opening in the rotation. Povich stumbled in a tough matchup with the Yankees on the road, striking out four batters over four innings but yielding five earned runs on seven hits and two walks en route to taking a loss. The lefty will get a more favorable draw for his upcoming turn through the rotation, but given that he maintains a 5.14 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 208.1 career innings in the majors, he won't be a comfortable lineup option for fantasy managers looking to protect their ratios.

Rodriguez is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees will have the 22-year-old right-hander make another turn through the rotation after he took a loss to the Rangers in his MLB debut last Wednesday, when he recorded three strikeouts while allowing two runs on four hits and four walks over four innings. While he remains one of the more promising young arms in the Yankees' system, Rodriguez may not be in line for any additional starts even if he delivers a gem in his rematch with Texas. Carlos Rodon (elbow) is making what could be his final minor-league rehab start Tuesday and may return from the 15-day injured list to take over Rodriguez's spot in the rotation when it comes up again Sunday in Milwaukee.

Kikuchi (shoulder) could be sidelined for "several months, if not the whole season," Mike DiGiovanna of the "Halo Territory" podcast reports.

Kikuchi was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with left shoulder inflammation, but his MRI is still being evaluated, and DiGiovanna is hearing the southpaw may be tending to a long-term injury. The Angels should offer more clarity on Kikuchi's timetable later this week. Sam Aldegheri was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake and will start Tuesday against the White Sox in Kikuchi's place.

Aldegheri will start Tuesday's game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Aldegheri was just recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday, and he will grab the rotation spot vacated by the injured Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder). The left-handed Aldegheri made one relief appearance for the Halos earlier this season, yielding one run while striking out two over 1.2 innings. He holds a 7.77 ERA and 23:13 K:BB over 24.1 frames with Salt Lake this season.

Gray (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Monday that went well, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Gray's right hamstring has responded well to multiple throwing sessions over the past week, which likely sets the right-hander up to return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's series finale in Detroit. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy plans to meet with Gray and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow before confirming Wednesday's scheduled starter. If the Red Sox elect to wait a little bit longer before activating Gray, Jake Bennett would likely be the top alternative to start Wednesday.

Lauer (1-4) took the loss Monday against the Rays, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two over 4.1 innings.

Lauer struggled out of the gate, giving up all three of his runs in the first inning before recording an out, via a three-run homer from Ryan Vilade. He settled in nicely after that, retiring 13 of the next 16 batters, but the early damage proved too much for Toronto to overcome. Lauer has yet to pitch deep into games this season, topping 90 pitches just once and still without a start of six innings or more. He now owns a 6.03 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a 22:14 K:BB across 31.1 innings and is scheduled to face the Angels next.

Weiss (0-3) took the loss in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Dodgers. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings.

Entering after opener Steven Okert recorded two outs, Weiss struggled in bulk relief as the Dodgers lineup did significant damage. The 29-year-old has yet to find his footing in 2026, allowing runs in seven of his nine appearances this season. With a 7.62 ERA and 2.12 WHIP across 26 innings, Weiss will likely continue to operate in a long-relief role and will need to turn things around quickly to keep his spot on the roster secure.

Gilbert (2-3) earned the win over Atlanta on Monday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four batters over six innings.

Gilbert and JR Ritchie were locked in a pitchers' duel through five frames, with Atlanta holding a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth. Gilbert got hit hard in that inning, giving up a trio of solo homers to fall behind 4-0. However, Seattle stormed back with five runs in the bottom of the frame, not only rescuing Gilbert from defeat but ultimately handing him the victory. This was far from the right-hander's best outing -- the four homers he allowed altogether were as many as he had served up over his first seven starts combined, but it certainly helped his final line that all the long balls were of the solo variety. Gilbert will take a mediocre 4.30 season ERA into his next start, which is slated to be a road tilt against the White Sox.

Tolle (1-1) earned the win Monday against the Tigers, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and one walk while striking out eight over seven innings.

Tolle was dominant from the start, retiring 15 of the first 16 hitters he faced. The only damage against him came via two unearned runs in the sixth inning after a walk and hit-by-pitch, followed by a throwing error. Otherwise, Tolle was in full command, working efficiently (83 pitches) into the seventh inning for the first time in his career while piling up eight strikeouts. After being denied wins in previous strong outings, the 23-year-old finally secured his first MLB victory and, given this performance, there's no reason he shouldn't see multiple more starts in the rotation. Tolle is scheduled to start against Tampa Bay this weekend.