MLB Player News

Verlander (shoulder) was activated Thursday from the 15-day injured list, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Verlander is set to make his Mets debut in Thursday afternoon's series finale against the Tigers after missing the first five weeks of the 2023 regular season due to a low-grade teres major strain in his right shoulder. He tallied six strikeouts over 4.2 scoreless innings in his lone minor-league rehab start Friday with Double-A Binghamton. It was just a 69-pitch outing, so the veteran right-hander might be limited a bit Thursday in Detroit. Still, he's an obvious must-start for fantasy managers moving forward.

Taillon (groin) was activated from the 15-day injured list by the Cubs on Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Taillon will rejoin the Cubs' rotation Thursday versus the Nationals after missing the last two weeks with a strained left groin. The big right-hander will be skipping a rehab assignment, so it's possible he won't be ready for a full workload.

Atlanta placed Wright on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right shoulder inflammation.

Wright will return to the IL for the second time in 2023 on account of a right shoulder issue, as he was previously excluded from Atlanta's season-opening rotation when he was delayed during spring training after battling shoulder soreness during his offseason throwing program. He lasted just two innings in his start Wednesday against the Marlins before succumbing to shoulder inflammation. Atlanta could put Wright through more testing to determine if he's dealing with anything more significant than swelling in the shoulder, but at least for the time being, he'll be in line to miss at least the next two weeks. The big club recalled Dylan Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill Wright's spot in the rotation beginning with Thursday's series finale in Miami.

Atlanta recalled Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett ahead of his scheduled start Thursday in Miami.

He'll join the 26-man active roster as a replacement for right-hander Kyle Wright, who was placed on the 15-day injured list after exiting his start Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation. Though Dodd will pick up a start Thursday, he may not be in line for an extended stay in the rotation as Wright's replacement. Due to a pair of off days during the upcoming week, Atlanta could get by with a four-man rotation until May 16. Dodd previously made two starts for Atlanta in April, covering 9.1 innings while giving up eight earned runs on 16 hits and one walk.

Garrett (1-1) took the loss in Wednesday's 14-6 rout at the hands of Atlanta, surrendering 11 runs on 14 hits -- including four home runs -- and two walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

There's no silver lining here for Garrett. Most of the damage came in a seven-run second inning by Atlanta that saw the southpaw serve up three homers, before a Ronald Acuna blast in the fourth finally chased Garrett from the game. His ERA jumped from 2.45 to a bloated 5.81 after this effort, but it's possible to view this performance as an aberration, as the 25-year-old had been tagged for only one long ball over his first five appearances and 22 innings this season. Garrett will look to put this disaster behind him when he next takes the mound, which is likely to come early next week in Arizona.

Keller (3-1) took the loss Wednesday, allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk over five innings during an 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay. He struck out eight.

The 26-year-old was sharp but a pair of errors and Shane McClanahan's dominant outing for the Rays were too much for the right-hander to overcome. Keller was able to get through only five innings, snapping a streak of five straight quality starts, but he did strike out at least eight batters for the third time this season. Across seven starts (40.2 innings), Keller sports a 3.32 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and a 48:13 K:BB. He'll look to maintain his strong production during his next start, which should come next week versus Colorado.

Irvin did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits and four walks across 4.1 innings during a 2-1 win over the Cubs. He struck out three.

Irvin was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday and replaced Chad Kuhl (foot) in the Nationals' starting rotation. The rookie struggled to find his command early, plunking Nico Hoerner and walking Ian Happ before surrendering a two-out, RBI single to Seiya Suzuki in the first inning. However, that was the only blemish on the night for Irving, who was replaced in the fifth with one out and runners on first and second. The four walks were a bit concerning for the 26-year-old, who posted a 1.54 WHIP over 22.1 innings at Triple-A, but he likely did enough in his MLB debut to earn at least one more start while Kuhl is on the 15-day injured list.

Lauer (3-3) took the loss Wednesday, allowing four runs (none earned) on four hits and four walks over 4.2 innings against Colorado. He struck out six.

Lauer was victimized by shoddy defense, as Milwaukee third baseman Mike Brosseau made a costly error that led to Colorado's four-run fourth inning. Despite the loss, this was actually the southpaw's first time not allowing any earned runs in a start this year. The 27-year-old is tentatively slated to face the Dodgers at home in his next start.

Mikolas did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings against the Angels. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Mikolas continues to turn a corner after a rough start to his season. After coughing up 11 runs over his first 11 innings, he's given up just eight over his last 23. The right-hander is far from an elite option, but he can be counted on for solid outings. The 34-year-old is tentatively slated to face the Cubs on the road in his next appearance.

Freeland aggravated a neck injury during Wednesday's win over Milwaukee, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Freeland said he first tweaked his neck while lifting weights after his previous start against the Diamondbacks, and the issue flared up again in the fifth inning of Wednesday's contest. Freeland's neck injury isn't expected to impact his next start, but it could be something the team keeps a closer eye on going forward.