MLB Player News

Rea is expected to work in bulk relief behind Trevor Megill in Tuesday's game against the Cardinals, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Rea was called up from Triple-A Nashville ahead of Monday's series opener in St. Louis, but he wasn't needed out of the bullpen in the Brewers' 1-0 loss. With Milwaukee seemingly looking to build in an extra rest day for all five members of their rotation, Megill is expected to serve as the lead pitcher Tuesday for what projects to be a bullpen day. Since Rea last pitched Sept. 13, he'll be well-rested and should be able to handle multiple innings out of the bullpen once Megill exits the contest.

Sanchez (shoulder) did not make a second appearance with Double-A Pensacola on Sunday as scheduled, MLB.com reports.

Sanchez did throw a scoreless inning for Pensacola on Sept. 12 in what was his first appearance at any level since 2020. Evidently, he must not have recovered from that outing as hoped, so his next appearance was scratched. Sanchez is slated to throw a bullpen session soon, so there's a slim chance he'll make it back to game action again before the end of the minor-league season.

Lively is expected to work as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Fernando Cruz in Tuesday's game against the Twins, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After being activated from the COVID-19-related injured list last Thursday, Lively looks poised to make his second consecutive appearance as a bulk reliever. While working behind Derek Law in an 8-2 loss to the Tigers in his return to action, Lively took a no-decision after giving up three earned runs on four hits and no walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings. Cruz is expected to work just an inning or two Tuesday before turning the game over to Lively, who is the Reds pitcher most likely to factor into the decision. Looking ahead, Lively could end up sticking as a pure reliever, as the Reds have three remaining off days that would allow the team to get by with a four-man rotation the rest of the way. After tossing seven innings of two-run ball in Monday's 7-3 win, Connor Phillips could be poised to remain in the rotation as the No. 4 pitcher rather than Lively.

McKenzie (elbow) is set to make the second start of his rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Columbus, MLB.com reports.

After covering three innings and tossing 44 pitches in his first rehab outing last Wednesday with Double-A Akron, McKenzie will shift his rehab assignment to the Guardians' top affiliate this week for what will likely be his final start in the minors before he returns from the 60-day injured list. The Guardians are targeting McKenzie for around 65 pitches Tuesday, and if all goes well, he could slot back into the big-league rotation as soon as this Sunday versus the Orioles. McKenzie has been on the shelf since mid-June with a right UCL sprain.

Verlander did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk over six innings against the Orioles. He struck out five.

Verlander has now gone six or more innings in each of his last four starts, though he's pitched to a 5.19 ERA in that span. Overall, the veteran right-hander is 11-8 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 131:41 K:BB through 25 starts (149.1 innings) this season between the Astros and the Mets. Verlander's currently lined up for a favorable home matchup with the Royals in his next outing.

Lynch (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session with Triple-A Omaha this week and is expected to make at least one rehab appearance there soon, MLB.com reports.

It does not sound like Lynch will make it back to the Royals' active roster this season, but making some appearances before the season comes to a close could give the lefty some peace of mind heading into the winter. Lynch has been limited to just nine starts for Kansas City along with five rehab starts in 2023 due to shoulder issues.

Means did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks over five innings in an 8-7 win over Houston. He struck out one.

After allowing a run in the opening frame, Means would rebound to blank the Astros over his final four innings in an eventual no-decision. The left-hander only has two strikeouts in two starts (10 innings) since returning from Tommy John surgery, though he's been able to do a relatively effective job of limiting damage by allowing just four runs. Means will try for his first win since 2021 in his next outing, currently scheduled for this weekend in Cleveland.

Bieber (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday and, if it goes well, he could return from the 60-day injured list to make a start later this week, MLB.com reports.

The Guardians don't currently have a starter listed for Thursday's home game against the Orioles, so that start could fall to Bieber if he feels good during Tuesday's mound session. In his second and likely final rehab start this past Sunday at Triple-A Columbus, Bieber fanned seven and gave up no hits and three walks over 3.2 scoreless frames. He threw 64 pitches in the outing, so the righty would be relatively limited from a pitch-count perspective in his first start back, especially if he ends up getting the nod Thursday on three days' rest. Bieber has been sidelined since mid-July with right elbow inflammation.

Montgomery didn't factor into the decision in Monday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox, striking out eight while allowing one run on five hits over seven innings.

Montgomery turned in another excellent outing and has now worked seven innings apiece in his last two starts. He's allowed just one run between those outings, after surrendering 11 runs in his previous two starts. The southpaw is 9-11 on the season with a 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 155:44 K:BB across 30 starts (175.2 innings) between the Rangers and Cardinals. Montgomery will look to keep his hot streak rolling in his next outing, currently scheduled for this weekend against Seattle.

Crawford did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings against Texas. He struck out seven.

After Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, Crawford managed to keep Texas off the board until the sixth inning while matching a season high with seven strikeouts. The 27-year-old Crawford's allowed just three runs in his last two starts (10.2 innings) after surrendering 11 runs in his previous two outings. Overall, he's 6-7 on the season with a 4.19 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 121:33 K:BB across 118 innings. Crawford's currently in line for a home matchup with the White Sox in his next outing.