MLB Player News

Ragans (groin) threw a "competitive" bullpen session Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Ragans is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list this Sunday, but the Royals haven't officially confirmed that he'll be ready to go by that day. That said, after checking out fine following the bullpen session, Ragans looks to be on track for a minimum-length stay on the shelf. The Royals may want Ragans to complete another bullpen session or possibly a live batting practice session before deciding on his next step. Daniel Lynch will make his second start Tuesday against the Reds but is likely to move back to the bullpen once Ragans is activated.

Verlander (pectoral) threw around 40 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Verlander said he is "trending forward," and there are a couple more boxes to check before he can determine if he'll be ready to rejoin the rotation sometime next week. He had an uncharacteristic 9:8 K:BB in 15 innings over his three most recent starts before landing on the IL.

Cecconi won't start as scheduled Wednesday against the Dodgers due to mild groin tightness, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

It's not believed to be a serious injury, but the Cecconi will be pushed back from making his third start of the season Wednesday. The Guardians could have the right-hander pitch this weekend versus the Angels, but team off days Thursday and Monday would allow Cleveland to simply skip his turn through the rotation to provide Cecconi some extra rest.

The Athletics designated Cusick for assignment Tuesday.

The right-hander has spent the season with Triple-A Las Vegas after missing out on the Opening Day roster, and he's now been jettisoned from the 40-man roster after posting a 6.75 ERA over 14.2 innings with Las Vegas. Cusick is likely to pass through waivers unclaimed and could stick around at the Athletics' highest-level affiliate.

Triple-A Norfolk placed Castillo on its 7-day injured list May 13 due to an unspecified injury.

After being acquired from the Mariners on May 7 and claiming a spot on the Orioles' 40-man roster, Castillo has yet to make his organizational debut. He may have gotten hurt during his final appearance with Triple-A Tacoma on May 3, though any potential injury didn't prevent him from passing a physical before the trade was made official. Once he's healthy, Castillo should occupy a spot in the Norfolk rotation.

Gasser (elbow) was cleared to resume throwing bullpen sessions back in mid-April, MLB.com reports.

Updates on Gasser's status have been limited since the conclusion of spring training, as he's remained in Arizona to conduct his rehab program for his June 2024 Tommy John surgery. He advanced to throwing off flat ground out to 120 feet by the end of camp and has presumably been ramping up the intensity of his bullpen sessions over the past six weeks. The next step in Gasser's recovery process will be facing live hitters, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to do so. Gasser is unlikely to make his return from the 60-day injured list until August or September in a best-case scenario.

Ashcraft allowed two hits and one walk while striking out one across three scoreless relief innings Monday against the Diamondbacks.

Ashcraft was promoted to the majors Monday and immediately made his debut working out of the bullpen. He pitched with the Pirates down by five but managed a scoreless outing and preserved the team's bullpen. Ashcraft may remain in a long-relief role for the time being, but as one of the organization's best prospects, he should have a chance to enter the rotation at some point during the summer.

Walker is slated to start Friday's game against the Brewers in Philadelphia, Theo DeRosa of MLB.com reports.

Aaron Nola is eligible to return from the injured list Friday, but he looks as though he'll require a little more time beyond the minimum 15 days to recover from a right ankle sprain before getting activated. As a result, Walker will receive a second straight turn in the rotation in Nola's stead. While making his first start since May 1 last Wednesday in Colorado, Walker scooped up a win while allowing three runs on six hits and two walks and striking out two over five innings. He'll head into Friday's outing with a 2.97 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 33:16 K:BB in 39.1 innings through his nine appearances (seven starts) on the season.

Paddack (2-5) took the loss against Tampa Bay on Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out five batters over 5.1 innings

Paddack allowed just three hits through five scoreless frames but ran into trouble in the sixth, surrendering a single and a double while retiring only one batter. That resulted in the right-hander getting the hook, and he was charged with two runs when both of the runners he left behind scored on a Jonathan Aranda homer off reliever Brock Stewart. Minnesota was unable to come back, resulting in Paddack's fifth loss of the campaign, but this was nonetheless another promising outing by the veteran hurler. After giving up 12 earned runs over his first two starts of the season, Paddack hasn't yielded more than three earned runs in any of his subsequent nine outings. He's posted a 2.34 ERA during that span, bringing his mark down to a respectable 3.92 overall.

Littell (4-5) earned the win over Minnesota on Monday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out four batters over 6.1 innings.

Littell cruised through six scoreless frames, giving up just three hits -- all singles -- during that span. He was lifted after hitting Ty France with a pitch with one out in the seventh despite being at only 72 pitches, and Littell was charged with a run when Carlos Correa brought France home on a two-run long ball off reliever Garrett Cleavinger. Nonetheless, Littell finished with his seventh quality start of the campaign, which is tied for 11th-most in the majors. A few clunkers early in the campaign have kept his ERA at a modest 3.97, but Littell hasn't given up more than three runs in an outing over his past eight starts and has a 2.96 ERA during that span. His next start is projected to be a road matchup against Houston this weekend.