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Taj Bradley SP | MIN
Rays' Taj Bradley: Remaining in rotation
Bradley is scheduled to make his next start Monday versus the Astros in Tampa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Given that he's now turned in a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 17:2 K:BB over 10.1 innings between his first two starts along with the fact that Tampa Bay has four other starters on the injured list, Bradley looks like he'll have some longevity in the big-league rotation. Zach Eflin (back) remains on track to return from the IL on Sunday to help restore some starting depth for the Rays, but Bradley's spot is secure while Jeffrey Springs (elbow) and Shane Baz (elbow) are out for the season and Tyler Glasnow (oblique) is likely sidelined until at least the middle of May.
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Hunter Gaddis RP | CLE
Guardians' Hunter Gaddis: Demoted to Triple-A
Cleveland optioned Gaddis to Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
The 25-year-old is being sent down to make room for infield prospect Brayan Rocchio on the 26-man active roster. Gaddis struggled for the most part over his four starts with the big club this season, logging a 7.64 ERA and 12:6 K:BB over 17.2 innings. The Guardians could turn to Gaddis to make starts again, but there are other internal options (Tanner Bibee, Xzavion Curry, Konnor Pilkington) that could get the chance before the right-hander receives another opportunity.
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Kyle Bradish SP | BAL
Orioles' Kyle Bradish: Slated to start Wednesday
Baltimore plans to activate Bradish (foot) off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.
Expect Baltimore to officially confirm the transaction a few hours prior to the game's 7:05 p.m. ET start time. Bradish will be making his first start for Baltimore since suffering a right foot contusion in his season debut April 3. The right-hander threw 83 pitches in his rehab start for Double-A Bowie last Friday, so he should be able to work into the mid-to-late innings against a beatable Washington lineup.
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Chris Bassitt SP | BAL
Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt: Tosses six scoreless innings in win
Bassitt (2-2) earned the win Tuesday over the Astros, allowing three hits and one walk over 6.1 scoreless innings. He struck out five.
Bassitt has shown remarkable improvement after a rough season debut, recording his third consecutive quality start. The 34-year-old did not give up a hit until the fourth inning and proceeded to blank the Astros until he exited the game in the sixth inning. Bassitt has allowed only two earned runs while striking out at least five batters in each of his last three starts. He will bring a 5.40 ERA and 1.34 WHIP into his next start, scheduled for the upcoming series against the White Sox.
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Mike Soroka SP | ARI
Braves' Michael Soroka: Sharp outing for Gwinnett
Soroka gave up four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. He struck out five.
The right-hander's long road back to the majors -- he last pitched for Atlanta in August 2020 -- appears to be nearing its end. Soroka has posted a 1.32 ERA and 13:4 K:BB through 13.2 innings over three starts this year for Gwinnett, and so far he's stayed healthy after battling back from multiple lower-body surgeries over the last few years. With Bryce Elder pitching well at the moment, Atlanta doesn't have a clear vacancy in its rotation, but should Elder stumble or another pitcher land on the IL, Soroka seems likely to be the next man up.
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Alex Wood RP | ATH
Giants' Alex Wood: Placed on 15-day IL
Wood (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Wood exited his start Tuesday versus the Marlins in the third inning after he sustained a left hamstring strain and he will now be unavailable for at least 15 days while he nurses the issue. In his place, Tristan Beck was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and will replace Wood on the Giants' major-league roster for the time being.
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Justin Verlander SP | DET
Mets' Justin Verlander: Moving to five-day schedule
Verlander (shoulder) is expected to throw a live batting practice session Sunday ahead of a minor-league rehab start next Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Moving to a five-day throwing schedule is a strong sign the 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner is closing in on activation from the injured list. If he needs only one rehab start, the veteran right-hander figures to make his Mets debut in early May, and the team could certainly use him after Carlos Carrasco (elbow) joined Verlander and Jose Quintana (ribs) on the shelf Tuesday. Joey Lucchesi appears to be the most likely candidate to plug the hole in the team's rotation until Verlander is ready.
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Jordan Montgomery RP | TEX
Cardinals' Jordan Montgomery: Hit hard in loss
Montgomery dropped to 2-2 in Tuesday's 8-7 loss to the Diamondbacks, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits and no walks over four innings. He struck out two in the 79-pitch outing.
After three consecutive quality starts, the 30-year-old lefty turned in by far his worst outing of the season. Though he threw 52 of his 79 pitches for strikes, Montgomery was knocked around, with five of the 10 hits he allowed going for extra bases. The blowup start inflated his season ERA and WHIP to 4.84 and 1.34, respectively.
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Joey Lucchesi RP | LAA
Mets' Joey Lucchesi: Candidate for promotion
Lucchesi could be called up to take the place of Carlos Carrasco (elbow) in the Mets' rotation, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Jeff Brigham was the immediate replacement on the roster for Carrasco when he was placed on the injured list Tuesday, but Brigham is purely a bullpen option. Lucchesi hasn't pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2021, but the 29-year-old southpaw has had a solid start to the current campaign with Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 2.30 ERA and 15:7 K:BB through three starts and 15.2 innings. Lucchesi last pitched for Syracuse on April 13 and had his turn skipped Tuesday, so he should be available to join the big-league rotation at any time.
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Vince Velasquez RP | KC
Pirates' Vince Velasquez: Rebounds after shaky start
Velasquez (2-2) allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven across six innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Rockies.
Velasquez allowed three earned runs in the first inning and looked to be in for a disastrous outing. However, he turned things around and allowed only one hit across his final five frames to earn a win in his second consecutive outing. After allowing eight earned runs across his first 7.1 innings this season, Velasquez has surrendered only three earned runs in his last 12 frames. The end result is still a subpar 5.12 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with a 17:10 K:BB.