MLB Player News

Montgomery (1-1) took the loss against the Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while walking one and striking out four over seven innings.

Montgomery kept the Cardinals' lineup at bay for most of the contest despite allowing the leadoff man to reach base in three of his first four innings of work. St. Louis would finally get to him in the sixth, however, after the lefty allowed back-to-back hits with one out, followed by an unearned run on a wild pitch. Montgomery actually pitched well on the afternoon despite being tagged with the loss, throwing 20 of his first 28 pitches for strikes while going at least six innings for the second consecutive start to begin his 2024 campaign. He also carries a solid 7:1 K:BB through two starts.

Manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that Puk (shoulder) will pitch out of the bullpen upon his return from the 15-day injured list, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Miami's rotation recently got back Edward Cabrera and could soon add Braxton Garrett (shoulder), so Puk will shift back to a relief role once he's recovered from the shoulder fatigue. The left-hander went 0-4 with a 9.22 ERA and 12:17 K:BB over 13.2 frames in four starts, so the move isn't a major surprise. Puk primarily worked as the Marlins' closer last season and had 15 saves with a 3.97 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 78:13 K:BB across 56.2 innings, but he'll likely need to be eased back into a high-leverage role after his disastrous run in the rotation.

The Rangers announced that Scherzer (back) will make his first minor-league rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Round Rock.

Texas' decision to place Scherzer on the 15-day injured list rather than the 60-day IL coming out of spring training was the first hint that the veteran righty was making a speedier-than-expected recovery from his Dec. 15 surgery to address a herniated disc in his back, and he appears to have faced no setbacks while advancing through his throwing progression during the first month of the regular season. Scherzer will now move on to the final phase of his ramp-up program by heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment, which will likely consist of at least two appearances with Round Rock or another affiliate. According to the Associated Press, manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer is expected to throw about 50 pitches in Wednesday's outing after he tossed a 40-pitch simulated game this past Friday.

Valdez (elbow) completed a 40-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and is scheduled to pitch Saturday or Sunday against the Rockies in Mexico City, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander landed on injured list with elbow inflammation April 9, and it appears he'll return after missing little more than the 15-day minimum. Valdez will likely face some workload limitations in his first few starts back given he's built up to only 40 pitches, but it will be a welcome return for a Houston rotation that's now also missing Cristian Javier (neck).

Kelly (undisclosed) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is nearing a return, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

The details on Kelly's injury are still unknown, but it appears his return may be sooner than expected. The southpaw pitcher is currently on the 40-man roster for the Rangers and could be a candidate to be called up once healthy.

Hendricks (back) will throw a bullpen session this weekend in Boston, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The Cubs will map out a plan for Hendricks' rehab based on how he feels during and after the bullpen session. Hendricks was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a lower-back strain. Given his 12.00 ERA in five starts this season, the team might elect to give him ample time on a rehab assignment with the hope that he can get back on track upon returning from the IL.

Priester is slated to make his next appearance as the starting pitcher for Friday's game against the Giants in San Francisco, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Earlier in the week, the Pirates listed Priester as their probable starter for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, but Pittsburgh is instead having Josh Fleming open Wednesday's contest for what will be a bullpen day. Priester won't have his turn in the rotation skipped, however, as the Pirates will simply push him back in the schedule a couple of days to have him start Friday's series opener at Oracle Park. Priester will look to rebound after he struggled mightily in his 2024 MLB debut this past Friday versus the Red Sox, taking a loss while allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and one walk over 4.1 innings.

Williams felt some discomfort in his right elbow in his most recent simulated game Saturday at the Guardians' spring facility in Arizona and will receive an injection and be shut down for seven days, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The soreness was similar to what he first felt during spring training in a weighted-ball workout. The Guardians are hopeful that Williams can begin a throwing program in a week and ramp back up again, but it's certainly no guarantee that his recovery process will go that smoothly. Even in a best-case scenario, Williams looks set to remain on the 15-day injured list well into May.

Waldichuk (elbow) threw a successful 30-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports. "Waldichuk looked really good and got his velocity up from his last bullpen," said A's manager Mark Kotsay. "He's trending in the right direction."

Waldichuk has now thrown three bullpen sessions over the last eight days alone, certainly an encouraging sign with respect to his surgically repaired elbow's strength. The left-hander is slated to throw additional bullpen sessions during the Athletics' road trip before facing hitters in a simulated game at some point next week, after which he'll head out on a rehab assignment, per Kotsay.

Giants manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Snell could spend more than the minimum 15 days on the injured list after being diagnosed with a moderate left adductor strain, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Snell first felt the injury during a recent bullpen session and still was in discomfort when he attempted to throw again, necessitating a move to the IL on Wednesday. After Snell was scratched ahead of his scheduled start, the Giants tabbed Ryan Walker to open Wednesday's contest, with Mitch White being a candidate to cover multiple innings once Walker exits the contest. Melvin didn't provide details on how the Giants plan to fill Snell's spot in the rotation for what will be a multi-week absence.