MLB Player News

Manaea (oblique) played catch from 120 feet Friday and is soon expected to start throwing off a mound, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.

The left-hander restarted his throwing program in mid-April after receiving a PRP injection to address lingering problems with his strained right oblique, and he's now starting to ramp up in his progression. Manaea will still require a considerable buildup period and a lengthy rehab assignment, but it seems like he could make his season debut before the end of June.

Blackburn (knee) will continue his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Syracuse, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.

Blackburn was scratched from his second rehab start in late April due to an illness, but he's since made two appearances in the minors. The right-hander allowed a run on three hits with a 5:1 K:BB over 3.2 frames in his last outing with Syracuse, and he'll continue building up his workload Sunday. Blackburn was unable to earn a rotation spot during spring training and was poised to begin the campaign in a relief role before the knee inflammation surfaced, so a spot in the bullpen likely awaits once he's cleared to be reinstated.

Javier (elbow) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Friday marks the first time Javier has worked off a mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. He still has a long road ahead of him before being cleared to rejoin the Astros' rotation, but his progress is encouraging and keeps him on track to return shortly after the All-Star break.

Ashby (oblique) will move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Ashby started the season on the injured list due to a right oblique strain he suffered in mid-March. He was recently cleared to embark on a rehab assignment, and in his lone outing in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings. The 26-year-old southpaw is aiming to toss about three innings Sunday, and he'll likely need multiple rehab outings before he's cleared to return to the majors.

Woodruff (shoulder) will make one more rehab start at Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Barring any setbacks, Woodruff is expected to make his return to the Brewers' rotation for next weekend's series against the Twins. Woodruff hasn't pitched in the majors since injuring his shoulder in September 2023. In addition to Woodruff, the Brewers also appear close to getting Aaron Civale (hamstring) back from the injured list after he tossed four scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday.

Phillips (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

Phillips got a late start to the season because of right shoulder fatigue but has been activated following three rehab appearances. He pitched in relief in all three of those outings, and it appears that's the role he'll continue in for the time being.

The Astros placed Wesneski on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow discomfort, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Wesneski struggled during his last start Tuesday in Milwaukee, although it's not clear whether he was injured during that outing or sometime since then. He'll be eligible for activation May 22, but given the nature of the injury, there's a good chance he'll need more time than that. Ryan Gusto is the logical candidate to take Wesneski's spot in the Astros' rotation.

The Reds recalled Petty from Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

The 22-year-old will take the rotation spot of Hunter Greene, who was placed on the 15-day IL with a strained groin. Petty made his MLB debut back on April 30 against the Cardinals but lasted just 2.1 innings, allowing nine earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three. Petty will likely get a longer look this time around with Greene expected to miss at least a couple weeks.

The Reds placed Greene (groin) on the 15-day injured list Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

Greene suffered a Grade 1 right groin strain during his start Wednesday against Atlanta and will now miss at least a couple starts. With Greene out for the next couple weeks, the Reds have recalled Chase Petty from Triple-A Louisville.

Wright has been pulled off his rehab assignment due to right shoulder fatigue.

It's not altogether surprising given that Wright is coming back from major shoulder surgery, but it's a less-than-desirable development. The expectation is for Wright to be skipped for 1-to-2 starts before resuming his rehab assignment, but that will depend on how he recovers. Wright has made two rehab starts with Double-A Northwest Arkansas, allowing six runs (five earned) with a 5:3 K:BB over six innings.