MLB Player News

Elder is slated to start Sunday's game against the Guardians in Atlanta.

Elder staged a successful 2024 MLB debut Monday, holding the Marlins scoreless over 6.2 innings while striking out four and allowing nine baserunners in a winning effort. He joined the Atlanta rotation as a replacement for Darius Vines and should have some staying power with the big club due to Spencer Strider (elbow) being out for the season. Elder compiled a 3.81 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 128:63 K:BB across 174.2 innings with Atlanta in 2023.

The Astros are optioning France to Triple-A Sugar Land ahead of their trip to Mexico City on Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

France is being optioned to clear a spot for Framber Valdez, who will start Sunday. In France's last outing Tuesday, he took the loss while allowing five runs on five hits and four walks over five innings against the Cubs. The 29-year-old has now given up multiple home runs in consecutive starts. The move prompts questions about how the Astros rotation lines up going forward.

McKenzie did not factor into the decision Thursday against Boston, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out seven.

McKenzie had to deal with traffic throughout Thursday's outing, though he was ultimately able to mitigate the damage thanks to a season-high seven strikeouts. He'd fail to qualify for a win, however, only making it through four innings after throwing 75 pitches, as Cleveland continues to monitor the 26-year-old's workload after he made just four starts in an injury-plagued 2023 campaign. Overall, McKenzie is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 18:17 K:BB through four starts (22 innings) this season.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Paxton's next start will be at Arizona on Monday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Paxton would be on regular rest Sunday after he started Tuesday's game against the Nationals, but the Dodgers will go with a bullpen game Sunday in Toronto and give Paxton an extra day of rest. The southpaw has managed a 2.61 ERA but a 1.55 WHIP and 11:17 K:BB through 20.2 innings this season.

Martinez (0-1) took the loss against the Phillies on Thursday, allowing five runs on 11 hits over six innings. He struck out three.

Four of the runs against Martinez came in the third inning, including two on a Bryce Harper home run. After starting the season in the Reds' rotation, Martinez found more success when shifted back to the bullpen, allowing one run on five hits over seven innings in a pair of long-relief appearances. Still, he'll likely make one more start, currently scheduled for Tuesday in San Diego against his former team, with Frankie Montas (forearm) on the IL. The 33-year-old Martinez now sports a 5.48 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and 17:2 K:BB across 23 innings this year.

Wheeler (2-3) earned the win Thursday against the Reds, allowing one hit and four walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out eight.

Wheeler's allowed just one hit in consecutive starts, as he's held opponents scoreless in 13.1 straight innings, posting 16 strikeouts in that span. The 33-year-old right-hander has arguably been the top fantasy starting option early in the season -- he lowered his ERA to 1.93 with a 0.88 WHIP and 46:11 K:BB through six starts (37.1 innings). Wheeler will look to keep rolling in his next outing, tentatively scheduled as a road matchup early next week against the Angels.

Buehler (elbow) was charged with five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over four-plus innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Buehler's line wasn't pretty, but it bears mentioning that he was pitching at high altitude in Albuquerque, so the results were mostly secondary to how he felt physically during the outing. He got his pitch count up to 86 and averaged 94.1 miles per hour with his four-seamer, which is down 1.1 mph from what he averaged during the 2022 season prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery. Buehler has now made five rehab starts, and it's possible that he could return from the 15-day injured list to make his next outing with the Dodgers. If he's activated during the upcoming week, the earliest his season debut would come would be Tuesday on the road versus the Diamondbacks.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Manoah (shoulder) is likely to make another rehab start with Triple-A Buffalo, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manoah was roughed up for six runs on seven hits and four walks over three innings in his latest start with Buffalo on Wednesday. Three of his four rehab outings have been poor, and overall batters have hit .406/.474/.703 off Manoah. He does not appear close to being ready to help out the major-league club. Per Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic, Manoah's 30-day rehab assignment runs out May 6, although if the club doesn't feel he's ready to join the MLB rotation at that point, he could still be activated from the IL and optioned back to Triple-A.

Scherzer (back) is scheduled to make his next rehab start Tuesday with Double-A Frisco, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Scherzer will look to push up his pitch count in his second rehab outing after he struck out four over 2.1 innings (52 pitches) while allowing three earned runs on five hits and no walks in his 2024 debut Wednesday with Triple-A Round Rock. Since Scherzer missed all of spring training while completing his recovery from Dec. 15 surgery to address a herniated disc in his back, he could require an additional rehab start after Tuesday to get fully stretched out. The right-hander looks on track to return from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut for the Rangers in early May.

Astros manager Joe Espada said that Valdez (elbow) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Rockies in Mexico City, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Valdez has been on the IL since April 9 due to inflammation in his left elbow. He built up to 40 pitches in his last bullpen session Wednesday, so his first start back from the injured list will likely be an abbreviated one. In any case, his return will still give Houston's rotation a much-needed boost following the recent move of Cristian Javier (neck) to the IL. Valdez surrendered three earned runs and struck out 10 batters over 12.1 innings across his first two starts before getting injured. Given Valdez's expected workload restriction Sunday in addition to the high altitude in Mexico City likely creating a hitter-friendly environment, fantasy managers may want to hold off on immediately activating the southpaw.