MLB Player News

Ray (elbow) surrendered three earned runs on four hits while striking out three in 1.2 innings during his third rehab start in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Thursday.

Ray struck out eight while allowing just one baserunner in three innings between his first two rehab outings, but he hit his first bump in the road Thursday. Three of the four hits he allowed went for extra bases, including a two-run home run in the first inning. On a positive note, Ray peppered the strike zone like he had his previous two outings, spotting 24 of his 31 pitches for strikes. According to MLB.com, Ray is scheduled to make another appearance in the ACL on Tuesday, and if all goes well, he could be cleared to advance to a higher-level affiliate his next time out. The veteran southpaw is coming back from May 3, 2023 Tommy John surgery and is expected to exhaust his 30-day rehab window before potentially returning from the 60-day injured list and joining the San Francisco rotation around the All-Star break.

Cobb (hip/shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday consisting of 30-to-35 pitches, MLB.com reports.

Cobb resumed throwing off a mound Tuesday with a 25-pitch session, and he felt good enough coming out of that workout to tack on another 5-to-10 pitches to his workload a few days later. The Giants haven't indicated whether Cobb will be ready to face hitters during the upcoming week, or if he'll continue to increase the volume and intensity of his bullpen sessions. Either way, the Giants likely aren't counting on Cobb being ready to make his 2024 debut until around the All-Star break. After undergoing surgery on his left hip Oct. 31, Cobb appeared poised to beat initial projections for his recovery timeline and return from the injured list in the first or second month of the season, but those hopes were dashed after he experienced irritation in his right shoulder in April and again in May, both of which resulted in his throwing program being put on pause for multiple weeks.

Musgrove (elbow) is expected to play catch Wednesday or Thursday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Musgrove will throw for the first time since he went on the injured list June 1 due to a bone spur in his right elbow. The right-hander acknowledged that his new slider may have contributed to the issue and indicated Saturday that he is considering how to alter either the grip or his wrist action on the pitch. Musgrove also shared that he is working to change the landing on his delivery in order to reduce the stress on his arm. The veteran hurler could still need surgery to remove the bone spur, but even if he avoids that scenario, he probably won't be ready to rejoin the Padres until late July.

Snell (groin) is scheduled to throw a three-inning simulated game Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

On the injured list once again due to a left groin strain after previously missing just over a month earlier in the season with a left adductor strain, Snell looks to be tracking toward an abbreviated stint on the shelf. He completed a bullpen session in San Francisco on Saturday and will now advance to the next phase of his rehab by facing hitters. If all goes well Tuesday, Snell could avoid a rehab assignment and return to the San Francisco rotation as soon as this Saturday or Sunday in St. Louis.

Ritchie (elbow) allowed one hit and struck out one over two scoreless innings in his first rehab start Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Ritchie appeared in his first game since undergoingTommy John surgery last May. Since being taken with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, the 20-year-old Ritchie has logged just 29.2 innings in the professional ranks. He's posted a 3.34 ERA and 40:8 K:BB during that time and could move his way up prospect lists if he's able to prove his health and regain his pre-surgery velocity and command.

Luzardo said that he pitched through a stiff back in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Nationals, Bally Sports Florida reports.

The southpaw got the hook after gutting out five innings and 77 pitches, but Luzardo clearly didn't have his best stuff, and his velocity was down about two miles per hour. The Marlins haven't provided any indication that he will miss his next turn in the rotation, which lines up to come Saturday against the Mariners. A determination on Luzardo's status for that contest may not be made official until later in the week.

Gibson (personal) is expected to be activated from the bereavement list in time for his next scheduled start Wednesday in Miami, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Gibson was officially placed on the bereavement list Sunday, but it won't cost him his next turn in the rotation after he misses the minimum three days. The right-hander tossed seven shutout innings versus the Cubs his last time out to lower his ERA on the season to 3.44.

Atlanta placed Waldrep on the 15-day injured list Monday with right elbow inflammation.

After Waldrep was roughed up his second MLB start in Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Rays, the coaching staff initially informed him that he was being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. However, David O'Brien of The Athletic, Waldrep then told team trainers that he was more sore than usual following Sunday's start, and exams revealed inflammation in his elbow. He'll thus stick around with the big club as a member of the injured list for now, but Waldrep will presumably be optioned to Gwinnett once he makes a full recovery from the inflamed elbow. Waldrep allowed 13 runs with a 3:8 K:BB over seven innings in his first two big-league starts.

Rodriguez is scheduled to start Monday's game against the Angels in Anaheim, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The 22-year-old righty will get another turn through the rotation despite underwhelming in his MLB debut versus Toronto this past Tuesday, when he struck out four over 3.2 innings while giving up two runs on seven hits and one walk. Rodriguez showed the ability to make bats miss at every stop of the minors, but control remains a concern for the youngster. Even though he issued just one walk in his debut, he wasn't particularly efficient, as he needed 71 pitches to record 10 outs and threw just 43 strikes. Rodriguez would bolster his case for sticking around with the big club if he pitches well Monday, but Jakob Junis' (shoulder) impending return from the 60-day injured list might make Rodriguez expendable if he struggles against the Angels.

Hendricks is listed as the Cubs' probable starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Giants at Wrigley Field, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

As anticipated, Hendricks will return from a one-month stint in the bullpen to rejoin the rotation in the spot that had previously fallen to Jordan Wicks (oblique) and Ben Brown (neck), both of whom are now on the injured list. Hendricks won't be returning to a starting role with a bit of momentum; after giving up five earned runs over 5.2 innings between his first two relief outings, the veteran righty righted the ship and tossed 8.2 scoreless frames over his subsequent three appearances. Despite his solid form of late, Hendricks' numbers over a larger sample of seven starts earlier this season were worrisome (10.57 ERA, 1.99 WHIP, 9.3 K-BB% over 30.2 innings), so expectations should be tempered Wednesday. Barring a dramatic turnaround in his performance from earlier in the season, Hendricks will likely be headed to the bullpen once the Cubs get one of Wicks or Brown back from the IL.