MLB Player News

Plesac was designated for assignment by the Angels on Monday.

After signing a one-year contract with the Angels in December, he was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on March 9. He started in two games with Salt Lake, giving up five runs on six hits and seven walks while striking out nine batters over 9.2 innings, and he took the loss in both contests.

Walker (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The plan is for Walker to get four starts with increasing pitch counts before joining the Phillies rotation. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com adds that Philadelphia wants to see Walker reach 100 pitches before rejoining the team. Walker threw 46 pitches pitches over three innings in a live batting practice session over the weekend, so he could be ready to handle around four innings and 60 pitches in his first rehab start. The right-hander was placed on the team's 15-day injured list after dealing with a right shoulder impingement during spring training.

Valdez will not start Monday's game against the Rangers, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Valdez is not dealing with any known injury, but Alexander says Blair Henley will be called up to start Monday. It's possible the Astros just want to keep Valdez from starting two straight games against the Rangers, as he's tentatively slated to go up against them on Sunday.

The Reds recalled Spiers from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

The right-hander will take the bullpen spot of Tejay Antone (elbow), who was placed on the injured list Monday. Spiers made his big-league debut with four appearances last season and had a 6.92 ERA over 13 innings.

Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Lodolo (calf) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut Saturday against the White Sox, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lodolo struggled in his final rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Louisville, allowing four runs over 2.2 innings. He tossed 64 pitches in that outing after throwing 77 pitches in his first rehab start, so don't expect the left-hander to work deep into Saturday's game. Even in a favorable matchup against a White Sox lineup that's without both Eloy Jimenez (adductor) and Luis Robert (hip), Lodolo looks like an iffy fantasy play in his first start back due to workload concerns.

Cole (elbow) played catch without issue Monday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

It's the first time he's done any throwing since he was diagnosed with nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. Cole will be brought along slowly, and it's going to be a while before we gain clarity on a potential return timetable. He is not eligible for activation from the 60-day injured list until late May.

Hancock, who allowed eight runs over 3.1 innings to the Brewers on Sunday, has seen some dip in velocity since the start of spring training and could have his next turn in the rotation skipped, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The Mariners won't need a No. 5 starter again until April 16 thanks to an off day on Thursday, but Bryan Woo (elbow), who Hancock is filling in for in the Mariners' rotation, may not yet be ready to return at that point. Nevertheless, Drayer speculates Hancock may not necessarily get the call in such a scenario, noting manager Scott Servais may want to have him take a step back and also work on building toward the velocity he was displaying when he first reported to camp. Hancock had impressed with a 97 mph two-seamer and 90 mph changeup at that point, but those figures were at 92.9 and 87.3, respectively, during Sunday's abbreviated outing.

Shuster was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte by the White Sox on Monday.

Tanner Banks will serve as an opener Monday in Cleveland, but Shuster looks to be the prime candidate to follow him in bulk relief. Shuster could also be under consideration for a start until Mike Clevinger is ready. The lefty was knocked around for seven runs and four home runs over four innings in his lone start with Charlotte this season.

Gausman averaged 91.4 mph with his fastball during Saturday's loss to the Yankees, but the veteran right-hander isn't concerned, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Gausman averaged 94.7 mph with his heater in 2023, but his velocity was also down significantly in an early April start last year in Kansas City, and it didn't end up being any kind of warning sign as he went on to post a 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 31.1 percent strikeout rate over 185 innings. "That's kind of the running joke, I'm 88 to 98," Gausman said after Saturday's game. "[Hitters] don't know what they're going to get. I don't know what I'm going to get, either. I think it was just cold weather more than anything. My first two innings, if you're going to get to me, that's when you're going to get to me. Unfortunately, that was obviously the case tonight." Gausman lines up to make his next start at home this weekend in a much more favorable matchup against the Rockies.

Verlander (shoulder) allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and a walk over three innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday.

It wasn't a pretty bottom line, although Verlander did strike out six batters and induced a solid 12 whiffs on his 65 pitches. The veteran right-hander averaged 93.5 mph with his four-seamer, which is nearly one full mph down from his average from last season. Verlander is expected to make one more rehab start later this week before rejoining the Astros' rotation as soon as April 17 versus Atlanta.