MLB Player News

Ray (elbow) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

As expected, Ray has been cleared to return during San Francisco's upcoming series against the Dodgers after completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He may face some limitations during his first big-league start since March 2023, though he tossed 78 pitches and worked into the sixth inning during his final rehab outing Friday for Triple-A Sacramento.

Winn (elbow) has been shut down from throwing after experiencing discomfort in his elbow over the weekend, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Winn has been out since June 22 with a nerve issue in his right elbow and he appears to have suffered a setback in his recovery. The timeline for the right-hander's return is unclear at this point and with just over two months remaining in the season, it's possible that the Giants could opt to shut him down completely if his issues persist.

Birdsong was optioned to Single-A San Jose on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Birdsong put together a stellar start Sunday against the Rockies, fanning 12 while allowing two runs over six frames, but he'll return to the minor leagues for now. Slusser notes that the right-hander's assignment to the affiliate geographically closest to San Francisco likely means he'll be back with the big-league club as the 27th man for Saturday's doubleheader against the Rockies. The impending return of Alex Cobb (hip) and Robbie Ray (elbow) could squeeze the rookie out of the Giants' rotation plans after this weekend, however.

Miller is expected to make at least one more start with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Miller was optioned to Triple-A on July 10 after struggling to a 9.87 ERA over four starts following a two-month stretch on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The 25-year-old threw five scoreless innings against Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out four batters. It's unclear how long Miller could remain in the minors, but manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Miller would return to the major-league roster at some point. "I don't know when, but we are counting on it," Roberts said.

Buehler (hip) will throw a bullpen session Monday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dave Roberts said he had a positive conversation with Buehler following his time away from the club while on the mend from right hip inflammation. While there's no set plan for the next steps in Buehler's recovery, the right-hander is expected to make a couple rehab starts following Monday's side session.

Jones (lat) threw off flat ground up to 120 feet Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Jones has started up a throwing progression just under three weeks after landing on the injured list with a Grade 2 right lat strain. While it's encouraging sign that the 22-year-old is throwing again, Jones is likely to be ramped up slowly and deliberately with his long-term health in mind. A clearer target date for Jones' return from the IL probably won't be known until he reaches the point in his rehab where he's facing hitters, but fantasy managers should prepare for his absence to stretch into August, at the very least.

Blach is expected to start Tuesday against the Red Sox in place of the injured German Marquez (elbow), Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Blach will be available in relief Monday, if needed, but the Rockies hope to be able to hold him back for Tuesday's start. The left-hander has split his time between the rotation and bullpen this season, collecting a 5.46 ERA and 32:13 K:BB over 59.1 innings covering 16 appearances (nine starts). Blach hasn't thrown more than 39 pitches in an outing in more than a month, so he won't be fully stretched out Tuesday.

Matz (back) is hoping to return sometime in August, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The left-hander threw his second bullpen session Saturday since resuming a throwing program. Matz has been on the injured list since May 3 due to a lower-back strain and had to be pulled off his initial rehab assignment in June following a setback. He'll need another rehab assignment before returning, at which point a timeline for his return should become clearer.

The Rockies placed Marquez on the 15-day injured list Monday with right elbow inflammation.

After completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Marquez was cleared to return from the 60-day injured list July 14, but he made just one start before going back on the shelf with another elbow-related issue. The fact that the Rockies are classifying Marquez's injury as inflammation rather than a strain is encouraging, but he could still need more than the minimum 15 days to move past the issue. Noah Davis was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Marquez on the active roster, and he could also be a candidate to slide into Marquez's spot in the rotation Tuesday against the Red Sox.

The Dodgers are expected to designate Paxton for assignment Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Look for the Dodgers to make the transaction shortly before Monday's game against the Giants, with right-hander River Ryan set to be added to the 40-man roster ahead of what would be his MLB debut. Along with the addition of Ryan, the Dodgers are set to get Tyler Glasnow (back) and Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) back from the injured list later this week, leaving no room in the rotation for Paxton. Though he has a lengthy injury history, the southpaw hasn't missed a start this season, but his performance has taken a step backward in his age-35 campaign. While he's kept his fantasy value afloat by picking up eight wins in 18 outings, Paxton has supported the win total with a middling 4.43 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, and he's seen his strikeout rate drop precipitously (career-worst 16.4 percent). If the Dodgers aren't able to find a taker for Paxton via trade or waivers, expect him to become a free agent and catch on with another organization on a low-cost, one-year deal.