MLB Player News

Rutledge is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday versus the White Sox in Washington.

Despite getting lit up by the Pirates for seven runs on 10 hits and one walk over 3.2 innings in his MLB debut this past Wednesday, Rutledge will be awarded a second straight turn through Washington's six-man rotation. If Rutledge delivers shows improvement Tuesday, he could make one more start for Washington before the 2023 campaign comes to a close. The 24-year-old righty could get the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Opening Day rotation next spring.

The Reds optioned Spiers to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

He'll move off the 28-man active roster to clear a spot for right-hander Connor Phillips, whose contract was selected from Triple-A ahead of his scheduled start Monday versus the Twins. After making his first two big-league appearances with Cincinnati as a starter, Spiers worked out of the bullpen during his latest stint with the Reds. He made his lone relief appearance in Sunday's loss to the Mets, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks over three innings.

The Reds selected Phillips' contract from Triple-A Louisville ahead of his scheduled start Monday against the Twins.

He'll be making his third start of September with the Reds after posting an 8.31 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 8.2 innings between his first two big-league outings. After Monday, the Reds will be able to get by with a four-man rotation for the rest of the season as they look to chase down a playoff spot, so Phillips could be a candidate to return to Triple-A immediately after the start.

The Reds transferred Ashcraft (toe) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.

The move to the 60-day IL officially ends Ashcraft's season, which comes as little surprise after reports emerged over the weekend that the right-hander would soon undergo surgery to address a stress reaction in his right big toe. Ashcraft is expected to be in store for a relatively normal offseason and should be fully cleared in advance of spring training. He finished the 2023 campaign with a 7-9 record, 4.76 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 111:52 K:BB over 145.2 innings across 26 starts with Cincinnati.

Fried isn't expected to make his next turn through the Atlanta rotation until the team's four-game series in Washington over the weekend after he developed a hot spot on one of his fingers in his most recent start this past Tuesday in Philadelphia, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta isn't overly concerned about the issue, and with the National League East division crown already secured, the team can afford to proceed cautiously with one of its top starters. Even if Fried is cleared to pitch later this week as anticipated, he could still have his workload managed to some degree as Atlanta looks to ensure that he's not too overworked heading into what the team anticipates will be a long postseason run.

Bibee was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with right hip inflammation, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Bibee suffered the injury during his most recent start over the weekend against the Rangers and will be shut down for the season. The right-hander turned in an outstanding rookie campaign, posting a 2.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 141:45 K:BB through 142 innings. The Guardians have yet to announce who will take Bibee's spot in the rotation, but both Shane Bieber (elbow) and Triston McKenzie (elbow) are tracking toward returns from the 60-day injured list either this week or next.

Montas (shoulder) struck out two and yielded one run on one hit and one walk over one inning in his first rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

In his first appearance at any level this season, Montas threw 17 pitches while averaging 95.2 miles per hour with his fastball. The veteran right-hander is working his way back from arthroscopic shoulder surgery, which he underwent in late February. While Montas won't have time to get stretched out for a starting role and still looks like a long shot to make his 2023 Yankees debut, manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that the 30-year-old hasn't been ruled out from being activated from the 60-day injured list during the final week of the season, per MLB.com. Montas is set to become a free agent this winter and may want to prove to the Yankees and other potential suitors that he's back to full health.

Bieber (elbow) struck out seven and gave up no hits and three walks over 3.2 scoreless frames in a rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.

Bieber issued three free passes but was otherwise sharp in the outing and averaged 91 miles per hour with his fastball, just a tick down from his 91.8 mph average for this season. The right-hander upped his pitch count to 64 in the second start of his rehab assignment and looks as though he'll be ready to return from the 60-day injured list later this week. With Tanner Bibee (hip) potentially done for the season, Bieber could take his spot in the rotation during the Guardians' series with the Orioles that begins Thursday.

The Reds plan to call up Phillips from Triple-A Louisville to start Monday's game against the Twins, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Though Phillips was sent back to Louisville on Thursday, he'll be eligible to return to the Reds without spending the minimum 15 days in the minors because he had initially joined Cincinnati earlier this month as a replacement for a player placed on the COVID-19-related injured list. The Reds have four other healthy starting pitchers and three more off days over the final two weeks of the season, so Phillips may just be making a spot start Monday if manager David Bell chooses to get by with a four-man rotation the rest of the way. Phillips has been one of the Reds' top pitchers in the upper levels of the minors this season but labored in his first two big-league starts, striking out 10 over 8.2 innings while allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits and six walks.

Waldichuk dropped to 3-8 on the season while working in bulk relief in Sunday's 10-1 loss to the Padres, striking out two while allowing six runs on nine hits.

Waldichuk entered Sunday's action having allowed just one run over his last 16 innings, but he undid most of that good work in the series finale with the Padres. While entering the game after opener Joe Boyle tossed three scoreless frames, Waldichuk was lit up by the Padres. The nine hits Waldichuk allowed tied for the most he's given up in any outing this season. It's been a rough campaign for Waldichuk, who now sits at a 5.40 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 122:68 K:BB in 130 innings. He could work in tandem with Boyle again when his next turn in the rotation comes up in the Athletics' series with the Tigers next weekend.