MLB Player News

Valera exited his start Thursday against High-A Bowling Green in the second inning with right elbow inflammation, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Valera walked and struck out a batter in a scoreless first inning before he was forced to exit the game. The 19-year-old, who is one of Boston's top prospects, is without an official timeline for his return, but it wouldn't be surprising if he misses some time given the nature of the injury.

Imai (arm) played catch at Daikin Park on Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Imai landed on the injured list Monday due to right arm fatigue, but imaging came back clean and he has begun a throwing progression. The right-hander is eligible to return later this month, but a timetable for Imai rejoining the Astros' rotation won't be available until he gets further into his throwing program.

Chourio has a 1.42 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB in 12.2 innings through three starts for Single-A Columbia.

Despite the fact Chourio won't turn 19 until October, his assignment to Single-A was hardly surprising, as he had a 20.8 K-BB% and 1.06 WHIP in six starts for the Fireflies to close 2025. Chourio has an enviable combination of easy mid-90s fastball velocity, plus command and several high-quality secondary pitches. He, along with Seth Hernandez of the Pirates, leads an enticing group of lower-level arms that will vie for the title of No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball in 2027.

Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Rodon (elbow/hamstring) will likely begin a rehab assignment following Saturday's live batting practice session, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rodon is joining Double-A Somerset to face hitters Saturday. He could stay there and begin his rehab assignment afterward as long as everything goes well with Rodon's BP this weekend. Boone added that Rodon will likely need at least three rehab starts before returning to the majors for his 2026 season debut. An early- to mid-May return could be in the works for the left-hander. With both Rodon and Gerrit Cole (elbow) nearing returns, the Yankees could soon be getting a massive boost to their rotation.

Falter (elbow) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over one inning with Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. He struck out one.

Falter made his first rehab appearance as he works his way back from left elbow inflammation. It wasn't a strong outing for the southpaw, as after opening the frame with a strikeout, he allowed loud contact and traffic on the basepaths that resulted in two runs. Prior to landing on the injured list, Falter made two relief appearances for the Royals, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks across 3.1 innings with four strikeouts. His next rehab outing is scheduled for Saturday, barring any setbacks.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday that Verlander's recovery from hip inflammation is "going a little slower than I think he anticipated or we anticipated," Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

"I think he's doing OK," Hinch continued. "I don't think he's necessarily taking a step forward, and he hasn't taken a step back. He had a bullpen yesterday that went OK. ... We're going to take it day by day." It sounds like Verlander is still dealing with discomfort in the left hip. He's made one start this season, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks with just one strikeout across 3.2 innings against the Diamondbacks on March 30. Keider Montero will continue to remain in the rotation for the time being.

Cease didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Brewers, giving up two hits and three walks while fanning six across six scoreless innings.

Cease completed six innings for the first time this season, and the hard-throwing right-hander continues to rack up strikeouts. He has punched out at least six in each of his four starts on his way to 32 strikeouts over 20.2 innings, although he's also walked 12, which is pretty high even by his standards. Cease has a 1.74 ERA in four starts, but he also carries a 1.26 WHIP that's largely the byproduct of the amount of free passes he's handing out. He's slated to make his next start next week on the road against the Angels.

Hancock allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Wednesday.

Hancock logged his third quality start in four outings this season. He was working a shutout through five innings, but Xander Bogaerts' tagged him for a two-run home run in the sixth, which was just the second long ball Hancock's yielded this season. He's showing breakout potential with a 2.28 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 25:4 K:BB across 23.2 innings so far. Hancock is projected to make his next start at home versus the Athletics early next week.

Flaherty did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Royals, allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out seven over six innings.

The right-hander was dominant for much of the outing, opening the game with four strikeouts over the first two innings while needing just 25 pitches. Flaherty's only blemish came in the fifth, when back-to-back walks set up an RBI single from Kyle Isbel. After a mediocre start to the year, the 30-year-old has looked much sharper over his last two starts, allowing just two runs while striking out 13 across 11.2 innings. Flaherty has now lowered his season ERA to 4.05, but his 14 walks remain a concern, and he'll seek to keep building momentum in his next scheduled outing against Boston.

Lugo did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Tigers, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven over 6.2 innings.

Lugo turned in another strong outing, continuing his excellent start to the season. The right-hander faced the minimum in every inning except the third, when Detroit strung together four hits but managed only one run on a sacrifice fly that brought home Javier Baez. Outside of that frame, Lugo was in full control, limiting traffic and missing bats effectively. The 36-year-old has now logged quality starts in three of his first four outings of the campaign and has yet to allow more than two runs in any start. Through 24.1 innings, Lugo owns a sparkling 1.48 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB, though he'll face a tougher test in his next scheduled outing against Baltimore.