MLB Player News

Waldichuk (elbow) experienced a setback after throwing a 25-pitch live batting practice April 29 and is shut down for the time being, MLB.com reports.

The left-hander has not thrown since that session and is slated to be reevaluated in the coming days. It's naturally a tough break for Waldichuk, who opened the season on the 60-day IL but had been making uninterrupted progress prior to this recent stumble. Given Waldichuk will almost certainly require a full-length rehab assignment whenever he is cleared for game action, he may be hard-pressed to be ready for activation before mid-June.

Medina (knee) faced hitters during a 20-pitch live bullpen session at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday and came away feeling good, MLB.com reports.

It's another step in the right direction for Medina, who's now slated to head to the Athletics' minor-league complex in Arizona to throw a simulated game Friday. If that also goes off without a hitch, Medina is projected to begin a rehab assignment shortly thereafter.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Leiter will "probably" start the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Athletics, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Michael Lorenzen will start the first game of the double dip and Leiter has already joined the club in Oakland as he lines up for the second contest. The young right-hander struggled in a spot start in Detroit last month in his major-league debut, yielding seven runs over 3.2 frames. However, he's been sharp at Triple-A Round Rock with a 2.84 ERA and 37:8 K:BB over 25.1 innings. While there is obvious risk, Leiter represents an intriguing streaming option Wednesday. He's a possibility to make at least one additional start, as well while Nathan Eovaldi (groin) recovers.

France was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday with a shoulder injury, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander was demoted to Triple-A on April 25 and surrendered three runs over 3.2 innings during his lone start prior to the injury. France is without an official timeline for return but could be out "a while," per Rome. The injury won't immediately affect the Astros' rotation but is a big hit to their depth.

Megill (shoulder) struck out seven over four scoreless, no-hit innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday.

Megill issued one walk and threw 62 pitches over his four frames. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had indicated previously that Tuesday could represent Megill's final rehab start, and he certainly looks to have passed the test. However, whether he'll go back into the Mets rotation or remain at Syracuse hasn't yet been determined. The Mets could use a six-man rotation for a while, or Megill could replace Jose Butto, who is starting Tuesday for the big club.

Vasquez is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

As was expected after he was promoted from Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, Vasquez will end up filling the rotation spot vacated by Joe Musgrove (elbow), who was moved to the 15-day injured list. Vasquez has previously made a pair of starts for the Padres this season, covering 7.2 innings between those outings while giving up eight runs (five earned) on 11 hits and three walks.

Meyer gave up only one hit over five scoreless innings for Single-A Jupiter on Saturday, walking two batters and striking out a career-high nine.

Still only 19 years old, Meyer flashed the upside that made him a first-round pick in 2023. He's struggled with his control to begin his first full professional season, posting a 19:15 K:BB through 19 innings, but that's in part due to the Marlins having him work on his changeup -- per Alyssa Gomez of MLB.com, Meyer threw 15 changeups among his 85 pitches, but only one went for a strike. The right-hander has already improved his velocity from when he was drafted however, and he topped out at 96.2 mph with his two-seamer. Miami won't push Meyer too aggressively this year due to his age, but if his changeup becomes an effective third pitch to complement his fastball and slider, he could make a quick rise through the system beginning in 2025.

Flaherty (0-2) took the loss Monday against Cleveland, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out six.

Flaherty struggled with the Guardians' power, yielding three extra-base hits, including a solo homer in the sixth frame to Jose Ramirez. While the veteran righty has been an excellent source of strikeouts with 56 K's through 42 innings, he hasn't been as dominant in the run department but still owns a 3.86 ERA and has walked merely six batters. Flaherty will likely take the mound Sunday against the Astros for his next start.

McKenzie didn't factor into the decision Monday against Detroit, allowing one run on three hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out six.

McKenzie settled in nicely after allowing a solo home run to Riley Greene on his first pitch of the day, striking out three straight to close out the first and keeping the Tigers from adding on more runs. He's now allowed two or fewer runs and struck out at least six batters in four consecutive starts, bringing his ERA to 3.97 through 34 innings. However, McKenzie still appears to have the training wheels on after missing most of the 2023 season with elbow and shoulder injuries, as he's been kept under 85 pitches in five of his seven starts this year. McKenzie is tentatively scheduled to face the White Sox in Chicago on Saturday.

Munoz (1-1) took the loss against the Dodgers on Monday, allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out five batters over 4.2 innings.

Munoz pitched well in his first two major-league starts, giving up three earned runs and posting a 14:3 K:BB over 11 innings, but he was no match for one of the league's top offenses. The rookie right-hander was blasted for four homers in his first three innings and needed 104 pitches to make in through 4.2 frames. In addition to the long balls, Munoz struggled with his control, issuing a career-high four free passes -- more than he had allowed in his first two starts combined. With both Jesus Luzardo (elbow) and Braxton Garrett (shoulder) currently in the midst of minor-league rehab assignments, Munoz could lose his spot in the Marlins' rotation in short order.