MLB Player News

Wells (oblique) completed a 30-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to throw a simulated game or pitch in a rehab game at High-A Aberdeen as soon as this weekend, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The side session followed a simulated game a few days earlier, when Wells faced hitters for the first time since landing on the 15-day injured list July 28 with a Grade 1 left oblique strain. Manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that a decision on whether Wells will return from the IL as a reliever or starter hasn't been made, but at the moment, Baltimore doesn't have as pressing of a need for him in the rotation as anticipated when he was first shut down with the oblique strain. Heading into Tuesday's game against the Guardians, the Orioles have received five consecutive quality starts.

Soroka (Achilles) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Soroka threw 75 pitches in his last rehab start, but he was not particularly sharp, so he will throw at least once more for Gwinnett. If all goes well Friday, his next start could come with Atlanta.

Waldichuk will have his contract selected to start Thursday against the Nationals, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It was reported earlier Tuesday that the left-hander would receive a call-up when the major-league roster expands to 28 players Thursday, and he'll immediately step into the rotation for Oakland. Waldichuck was acquired from the Yankees as part of the return for Frankie Montas, and the 24-year-old has a 3.53 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 91:26 K:BB across 66.1 innings at the Triple-A level this year.

The Dodgers will activate Kershaw (back) from the 15-day injured list to have him start Thursday's game against the Mets, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports.

Kershaw has missed nearly a month with his back injury, but his absence will come to an end before the week comes to a close. The Dodgers probably will not overextend Kershaw in his first game back, but he threw 70 pitches in a simulated game over the weekend, so he should face only a slight limitation, if any.

The Dodgers optioned Grove to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Grove will head back to Oklahoma City after he made what proved to be a spot start for the Dodgers on Monday, when he was summoned on short notice to fill in for Tony Gonsolin (forearm). The rookie, who took a no-decision against the Marlins after allowing two earned runs and striking out four over 4.2 innings, is likely to be replaced in the rotation by Clayton Kershaw (back), who looks on track to come off the 15-day injured list as early as Thursday. The Dodgers could expand their rotation to six men to provide more rest to their other pitchers in September, but Ryan Pepiot appears to be a likelier bet than Grove to rejoin the big club if a sixth starter is needed.

Carrasco (oblique) is expected to return from the 15-day injured list during this weekend's series with the Nationals after he felt fine following a 55-pitch simulated game Monday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Carrasco has been on the shelf since Aug. 16 with the left oblique strain, and due to the brevity of his stint on the IL, the Mets apparently aren't planning on having him make a rehab start prior to his activation. If Carrasco is plugged back into the rotation Saturday or Sunday, he could be capped at around 70-to-90 pitches, but he shouldn't face any major workload restrictions in any starts that follow. Should the Mets elect to keep a five-man rotation intact upon Carrasco's return, David Peterson would likely be the odd man out and could move to the bullpen or get optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez confirmed that Gray will make his next start Friday against the Mets at Citi Field, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Unless he's needed in an emergency out of the bullpen over the next three games, Gray will be returning to the mound Friday on 11 days' rest. The Nationals' decision to skip Gray's turn through the rotation was a matter of workload management, and it's possible that the Nationals deploy a six-man rotation in the final five weeks of the season or pass him over for a start on at least one or two more occasions in an effort to keep his innings in check. When he's available to make starts, Gray isn't expected to face any major restrictions, though the Nationals likely won't have him push far past 100 pitches in those outings.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that Cavalli is headed to the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Washington may wait until Wednesday before making the transaction official, but Martinez said that Cavalli will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder while playing catch following his MLB debut Saturday against the Reds. Though the skipper wasn't willing to admit that Cavalli's season is over since an MRI revealed no damage to his rotator cuff or labrum, the rookie right-hander's impending two-week shutdown means he's unlikely to have enough time to build back up for a starting role if he does make it back from the IL in late September or early October. The Nationals haven't announced a replacement in the rotation for Cavalli, but Cory Abbott was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday and seems likely to join the big club when Cavalli's next turn comes up Thursday against the Athletics, per Dougherty.

The Mariners plan to activate Boyd (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Thursday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Boyd has struck out seven in four scoreless innings across his last three rehab appearances, suggesting he could be a valuable addition to Seattle's bullpen down the stretch. The lefty has yet to appear in an MLB game this year after undergoing flexor tendon surgery last September.

Javier will start Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Though Javier moved to the bullpen for last weekend's series with the Orioles, it was always expected to be a short-term arrangement while the Astros had two open dates in the schedule this week. Because Justin Verlander (calf) was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Javier's return to the rotation will come even earlier than anticipated, as he'll take the hill Wednesday for his 20th start of the season. The righty allowed two runs across three innings in his only relief appearance last weekend, yet he still boasts an impressive 2.97 ERA for the season.