MLB Player News

Leiter (finger) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game at San Francisco.

The right-hander has been sidelined since early April due to a blister on his right middle finger, but he's ready to rejoin Texas' rotation after covering 4.2 scoreless frames in a rehab outing with Triple-A Round Rock. Prior to the injury, Leiter was dominant in his first two starts of the campaign with one earned run allowed and a 10:1 K:BB across 10 innings.

Double-A New Hampshire placed Santos on the 60-day injured list March 19.

It's unclear what Santos' injury is. The 22-year-old righty moved from a starting role in 2023 to a relief role in 2024 due to his shaky control and durability issues. He logged a 6.00 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 31:20 K:BB in 27 innings last year at Double-A.

Jobe is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Astros, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Jobe last took the mound April 18 versus Kansas City, so it'll end up being 12 days between starts for the right-hander. There's been no indication he's dealing with an injury, so the Tigers may simply be incorporating some in-season workload management with the 22-year-old rookie. Jobe has pitched well through four starts this year with a 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 14:10 K:BB across 20 innings.

McCullers (forearm) allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven across five scoreless innings in Saturday's rehab outing with Double-A Corpus Christi.

McCullers had a two-week gap between rehab outings after dealing with an illness. He managed to keep ramping up, however, as he threw 71 pitches and delivered his longest start of the season. There has been no official word from the club, but McCullers could slot into the Houston rotation next weekend against the White Sox.

Nikhazy (0-1) took the loss in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Red Sox, coughing up six runs on five hits and six walks over three innings. He struck out three.

Making his MLB debut, Nikhazy managed to toss only 50 of his 90 pitches for strikes before getting a merciful hook. The 25-year-old southpaw was making a spot start due to the twin bill, and while he's had some early success at Triple-A Columbus (3.44 ERA, 22:7 K:BB in 18.1 innings) this year, Saturday's performance won't encourage Cleveland to rush him back to the majors the next time the team needs rotation depth.

Buehler (4-1) picked up the win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander delivered his second straight quality start and third in six outings this season on 87 pitches (60 strikes). Buehler has struck out more than four batters only twice in those six trips to the mound, however, and the pre-injury dominance he displayed earlier in his career with the Dodgers has yet to return. He'll take a 4.28 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 29:9 K:BB through 33.2 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Twins.

Pepiot (2-3) earned the win Saturday against the Padres after giving up one run on three hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out three.

Pepiot delivered a second straight quality start Saturday and broke a streak of three consecutive outings with multiple homers allowed. He needed just 75 pitches to record 18 outs, but manager Kevin Cash elected to go to the bullpen after San Diego broke his shutout bid with a run on two hits in the sixth inning. Pepiot will carry a 4.24 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 34:12 K:BB over 34 innings into his next turn through the rotation, which lines up for next weekend on the road against the Yankees.

Castillo (3-2) earned the win against the Marlins on Saturday after giving up one hit and two walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out five.

After giving up 10 hits to Toronto in his previous start, Castillo limited Miami to a third-inning single to secure his second consecutive victory. It's a small sample size of six starts, but the right-hander's average fastball velocity of 94.9 mph, and a 7.8 K/9 this season would be the lowest of his big-league career. Still, Castillo has been mostly effective early in 2025 with a 3.62 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 28:14 K:BB across 32.1 innings.

Wacha (1-3) earned the win Saturday over the Astros, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out six over six shutout innings.

This was Wacha's best start of the campaign so far, with six innings and six strikeouts both being season highs. He walked multiple batters for the fourth time in six starts but didn't allow a runner to get past second base en route to his first win of the season. Wacha has pitched pretty well, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 26:12 K:BB across 32 over six starts. His 3.4 BB/9 is elevated compared to recent seasons -- he posted a 2.4 BB/9 last year and his highest in the last four years is the 2.9 mark he had in 2023 with the Padres. If he can get that area under control, Wacha should again be an even more reliable innings eater in the middle of the Royals' rotation. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at Baltimore.

Valdez (1-3) tossed a complete game in Saturday's loss to the Royals, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five over eight innings.

Valdez allowed a sacrifice fly for the opening run in the first inning and also gave up a solo home run to Vinnie Pasquantino in the fifth. This was Valdez's fourth quality start in six outings this season. He's also allowed just three homers while maintaining a 4.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB across 36 innings. He's lined up for a favorable matchup in his next outing, which is projected to be on the road versus the White Sox.