MLB Player News

Gray (hamstring) is still expected to make a rehab start before rejoining the Cardinals' rotation, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Gray threw a 54-pitch simulated game Wednesday and expressed a desire Thursday for his next appearance to be a start with the big club. However, St. Louis is sticking with its plan to give the veteran right-hander a rehab start first, as Zack Thompson remains on schedule to face the Phillies on Tuesday. Assuming all goes well in Gray's rehab start, he is slated to join the Cards' rotation sometime next weekend in Arizona.

The Blue Jays designated Parsons for assignment Friday.

The right-hander earned a place on Toronto's Opening Day roster but surrendered six runs over five frames in two appearances. Parsons had a 4.52 ERA in 17 starts at Triple-A Buffalo last season, so he seems unlikely to generate significant interest on waivers.

Gipson-Long (groin) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Lakeland on Sunday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Gipson-Long has dealt with a left groin strain since early on in spring training and is finally ready to test things out in a game setting. While he could be ready for activation from the 15-day injured list in the next week or two, Gipson-Long seems likely to be sent to Triple-A Toledo at that point rather than being added to the big-league roster.

Gray (0-2) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Thursday, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 4.1 innings.

Gray gave up seven runs over four innings in a season-opening loss to the Reds last Thursday, and he was only slightly better in his second start, which also ended in defeat. The right-hander at least kept the ball in the park after allowing two homers in his first outing, but he put far too many batters on the basepaths and didn't have his strikeout stuff working to help him get out of trouble. Gray had a modest breakout campaign last year with a career-best 3.91 ERA and his first trip to the All-Star Game, but the underlying metrics weren't strong, and his performance through two games this season justifies his placement on the waiver wire in most standard fantasy leagues.

Perez (1-0) earned the win over Washington on Thursday, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six batters.

Perez was efficient in the outing, needing a modest 85 pitches to get through 6.2 frames. He induced just eight swinging strikes but was still able to notch six punchouts, and he picked up both his first win and his first quality start as a Pirate. Perez was largely ineffective last year with the Rangers, recording a 4.45 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 5.9 K/9 over 141.2 innings. He's started off 2024 on a better foot, however, allowing just three runs through 11 frames despite an uninspiring 8:5 K:BB.

Butto allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six batters over six innings in a no-decision against the Tigers in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader.

Butto was called up from Triple-A Syracuse as the Mets' 27th man and got the start for Game 2 of the twin bill. The right-hander made a strong impression, firing 90 pitches and racking up 12 whiffs among his 52 strikes. He allowed just a second-inning run but departed in line for the loss since New York's offense couldn't put a run on the board until the ninth inning. Butto held his own over nine big-league appearances last year, posting a 3.64 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 38:23 K:BB over 42 innings. The Mets signed Julio Teheran on Wednesday to fill a spot in the rotation with Kodai Senga (shoulder) and Tylor Megill (shoulder) both on the injured list, but if Teheran doesn't perform well, a door could open for Butto to make additional big-league starts.

Houser allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out three batters over five-plus innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Detroit on Thursday.

Houser made it through five scoreless frames and took the mound for the sixth, but he didn't record any outs in that inning and was pulled after allowing both batters he faced to reach base. One of those runners came around to score after his departure, accounting for the lone run on the right-hander's ledger. It was an overall solid season debut for Houser, as he didn't allow any extra-base hits and exited in line for the win. He struck out only three batters, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from him in that department, as he's punched out less than a batter per inning in each of the past four seasons.

Lorenzen (neck) threw 70 pitches while allowing one run across four innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Lorenzen signed late in the spring and is using his stint on the injured list primarily to build up his pitch count. He made significant progress from his first outing when he threw 50 pitches, meaning it's realistic that he'll be with the Rangers for his next outing. Though it hasn't been confirmed, Lorenzen could make his season debut during the upcoming three-game set versus Oakland, which begins Tuesday.

Soroka (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Royals, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two over six innings.

It was an encouraging effort from Soroka after the right-hander allowed four runs over five innings in his first outing this season. Soroka struggled to a 6.40 ERA in seven starts last year with Atlanta after missing the previous two campaigns with a myriad of injuries. While Soroka should be locked into a starting role in Chicago, he's unlikely to offer much in terms of fantasy production. Soroka's currently lined up for a road matchup with the Guardians early next week.

Lugo (1-0) earned the win Thursday, holding the White Sox to one run on eight hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out three.

Lugo had to deal with traffic all night but managed to hold Chicago to just one run, coaxing four double-play balls en route to his first victory with Kansas City. The 34-year-old Lugo has gotten off to a good start this year, allowing just one run through his first two starts (12.2 innings) after going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 140:36 K:BB across 26 starts last year with San Diego. Lugo's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Astros in his next outing.