MLB Player News

McCullers did not factor into the decision in Sunday's rain-shortened loss to the White Sox, allowing three hits and walks apiece over 3.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four.

In his first outing back from 2023 flexor tendon surgery, McCullers was inefficient against a lowly Chicago lineup, requiring 87 pitches to get 11 outs. Despite not allowing a run, the Houston right-hander generated just six whiffs as his sinker averaged 91.8 mph, down from his 2022 average of 93.1 mph. Given his extended absence, it's not surprising that McCullers might require a few outings to shake off the rust. He currently lines up to make his next start against Cincinnati at home next weekend.

The Orioles reinstated McDermott (lat) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Baltimore has an opening in its rotation during the upcoming week after demoting Charlie Morton to the bullpen, but McDermott apparently isn't being viewed as a candidate to fill the void while he builds back up from the right lat strain that kept him out for all of spring training and the first month of the regular season. McDermott kicked off his rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake this past Sunday before moving up to Norfolk for his second start Saturday, when he struck out three over four scoreless innings. The 26-year-old righty tossed 57 pitches in that outing, but once he gets stretched out into the 75-to-90-pitch range at Triple-A, he could be a more realistic option for the big-league rotation.

Francis (2-5) took the loss Sunday against the Guardians, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out two.

Francis has failed to make it through five innings in three straight outings, allowing 14 runs over just 12 innings in that span. His ERA is up to 5.66 this season with a 1.37 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB across his first seven starts (35 innings) this year. Francis will look to right the ship in his next outing, tentatively scheduled for next week in Seattle.

Sears did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Marlins, allowing two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out two.

Sears has held opponents to two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts -- he's gone 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA in that span (23 innings). Overall, the 29-year-old left-hander sports a 2.93 ERA with a 1.00 WHIP and an impressive 32:6 K:BB across seven starts (40 innings) to open the year. Sears will look to keep rolling in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week against the Yankees.

Bibee was removed ahead of the bottom of the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Blue Jays due to apparent leg cramping, Joe Noga of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. He struck out three and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks over five innings and departed with a 4-3 lead.

Bibee came on the field to warm up in the sixth but quickly signaled for the Cleveland training staff to visit him on the mound. After a brief consultation, Bibee headed to the dugout, and the Guardians called upon Tim Herrin to relieve him. Provided Bibee's early exit wasn't due to anything more than cramping, he should be ready to make his next turn through the rotation next weekend against the Phillies, but fantasy managers will want to keep close tabs on the right-hander's status nonetheless.

The Astros reinstated McCullers (forearm) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Sunday against the White Sox in Chicago.

McCullers will be making his first appearance for Houston since the 2022 World Series, as he missed the past two seasons while recovering from June 2023 flexor tendon surgery. He's enjoyed a clean bill of health since the start of spring training and wrapped up his rehab assignment on a high note April 26, striking out seven over five scoreless innings and 71 pitches for Double-A Corpus Christi. As a result, he could be capped at 80-90 pitches in his season debut. McCullers is likely to be kept on a five-day rest schedule between starts initially, and the Astros are expected to transition into a six-man rotation during busier portions of their schedule to accommodate him.

Ragans (groin) is scheduled to start Monday's game against the White Sox, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

The 27-year-old hasn't pitched since April 24 due to a groin strain, but he's poised to take the mound Monday after missing just one turn through the rotation. Ragans has surrendered nine runs in his past two starts, but he was dominant in his first four outings of the season with a 2.28 ERA and 34:4 K:BB across 23.2 innings.

Bieber (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Friday, MLB.com reports.

Bieber came out of the session without issue, but manager Stephen Vogt said the right-hander still "has a ways to go" before getting into game action. The 29-year-old made only two starts in 2024, posting a dazzling 0.00 ERA and 20:1 K:BB in 12 innings before being shut down and undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Flaherty (1-4) was charged with the loss Saturday against the Angels after giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.

Flaherty was in good shape with just one unearned run allowed through five innings, but the Halos rallied with five singles and a walk to score four times in the sixth. The right-hander surrendered just three earned runs and struck out 21 in his first three outings of the year, but he's scuffled to a 5.48 ERA across 21.1 frames while losing his past four starts.

Hendricks (1-3) earned the win Saturday against the Tigers after allowing one run on four hits and no walks across 7.2 innings. He struck out three.

The veteran right-hander was working on a shutout until the eighth inning, when Spencer Torkelson launched a 401-foot solo homer to left field. Hendricks recorded one more out before giving up an infield single, which ended his evening at 102 pitches. He entered Saturday's contest with multiple walks in four straight starts, so it was encouraging to see him exhibit better command against the AL Central leaders. Despite the strong performance, Hendricks doesn't offer much fantasy upside with a 5.28 ERA and 16:12 K:BB through six starts in 2025.