MLB Player News

Verlander (neck) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Sunday will mark the first time Verlander has thrown off a mound since a neck injury forced him to the IL on June 18. He's only expected to reach 10-to-15 pitches during his session, but it's still a sign that the veteran right-hander is trending in the right direction. He remains without a firm timetable for his return, though he will likely need some time to build back up to a starter's workload.

The Athletics placed Medina on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right elbow sprain.

Medina allowed six earned runs in five innings during his latest start Thursday, and it's possible his elbow injury contributed to his poor performance. He'll remain sidelined until at least July 28, and Michel Otanez will come up from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill the open spot in Oakland's pitching staff.

The Reds placed Spiers on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement Saturday.

Spiers notched a career-high nine punchouts over five innings in a win over Miami on Friday, but he apparently hurt his shoulder in the process. The right-hander's move to the IL means he won't be eligible to return until July 28. Cincinnati called up reliever Tony Santillan from Triple-A in a corresponding move, but it's not clear who will take Spiers' spot in the rotation following the All-Star break.

The Cubs reinstated Assad (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

A forearm strain has kept Assad on the IL since June 27, but he'll now return to start the second game of Chicago's doubleheader versus the Cardinals. The 26-year-old righty owns a 3.04 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through 16 starts on the year, though his numbers jump up to a 5.04 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across his five most recent outings. He'll officially serve as the Cubs' 27th man for Saturday's twin bill, though he'll presumably remain with the team following his start.

Prielipp (elbow) threw two scoreless innings for Minnesota's FCL team Friday. It was his first appearance since July 2023 UCL repair surgery.

Prielipp has struggled with elbow issues since he was taken with the 48th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. He had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and threw only 28 innings during his time in college at Alabama. When working his way back from Tommy John surgery, he had a setback in April 2023. He then underwent a UCL repair with the inclusion of an internal brace last July. He'll likely have a slow ramp-up during his rehab the rest of the season.

Hicks said after Thursday's loss to the Blue Jays that his body "in general is just feeling it a little bit more than in past seasons," NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Hicks has already surged past his previous career high in innings with 95 after previously topping out at 77.2 frames as a rookie in 2018. After a brilliant start to his tenure in San Francisco, Hicks has struggled lately, posting a 6.08 ERA and 1.78 WHIP over his last eight starts. There have been no indications that Hicks will be limited in the immediate future, but the Giants may need to find ways to ease his workload down the stretch to keep the 27-year-old from wearing down completely in his return to a starting role.

Harrison (5-4) earned the win over the Twins on Friday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out three over 5.1 innings.

Harrison allowed four runs on four hits and four walks over 3.1 innings against the Guardians in his first start back from the injured list July 6, so this was a sizable step forward. For the year, Harrison is at a 4.08 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 73:27 K:BB over 86 innings spanning 16 starts. The 22-year-old lefty built up to 83 pitches Friday after throwing 72 pitches in his first start back, and he is tentatively in line for two starts (@LAD, vs. COL) in the first full week after the All-Star break.

Marquez (elbow) will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Mets, The Denver Post reports.

Sunday will mark Marquez's first time pitching in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023. The 29-year-old made six rehab starts, posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.50 WHIP alongside a 23:4 K:BB across 17.1 innings between Colorado's minor-league affiliates. He's expected to throw 75-to-90 pitches during his season debut and will be matched up against a New York offense that ranks third in the NL with a .742 OPS.

Cannon (1-3) took the loss Friday as the White Sox were downed 4-1 by the Pirates, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over six relief innings. He struck out four.

Starter Garrett Crochet was on a strict pitch count and got the hook after two perfect innings, but Cannon was able to save the rest of the bullpen by tossing 92 pitches (57 strikes). Manager Pedro Grifol has indicated that Crochet's workload is going to be monitored the rest of the way, or at least for as long as the southpaw is with the White Sox, and with Mike Clevinger (elbow) close to coming off the IL, Cannon could remain the first option to work in tandem with Crochet in a piggyback role. Through 51 innings in the majors this season, the rookie right-hander has a 4.41 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 39:13 K:BB.

Crochet didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Pirates, striking out four in two perfect innings.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol had indicated Crochet would be on a pitch count for this outing, but the extremely quick hook kept the left-hander from putting together what might have been an exceptional performance -- he fired 22 of 28 pitches for strikes before exiting, including seven swinging strikes. Chicago is focused on Crochet's long-term health, or at least in keeping him healthy until the trade deadline, and the 25-year-old isn't expected to take the mound again until July 23 on the road against the Rangers.