MLB Player News

Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Tuesday that Castillo will work in relief behind starter Bryce Miller during Friday's game against the Red Sox as part of a piggyback arrangement, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Castillo and Miller made standalone starts in both of their last two appearances, but the two will shift back into a tandem setup Friday. They previously worked in a piggyback arrangement on three occasions back in May, with Miller covering between five and 5.2 frames in those games and Castillo ranging between 2.1 and five innings. According to Hollander, the Mariners plan to condense their rotation to five through the All-Star break, with all six of their starters rotating through and being part of at least one piggyback game over the next month. Hollander noted that it was merely a coincidence that the new staff-wide piggyback plan is beginning with Miller and Castillo, so both are expected to be separated and make traditional starts when their turn in the pitching schedule comes up again next week.

Verlander (hip) will return from the injured list to start Sunday's game against the White Sox, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Verlander threw 66 pitches in a four-inning sim game Monday without any problems, so the Tigers will allow him to return from the IL over the weekend and make his first start since March 30. The 43-year-old posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 10.2 frames during his rehab assignment at Triple-A, but he was lit up for five earned runs in just 3.2 innings during his lone MLB outing this season and is set to return against a White Sox offense that's posted a .777 OPS since the beginning of June.

The Padres released Gonzales on Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Gonzales had spent the season with Triple-A El Paso prior to his release Tuesday. There, he had a 7.99 ERA with a 2.03 WHIP and 36:18 K:BB over 47.1 innings across 13 outings. The southpaw had missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing surgery to repair a flexor tendon in his left forearm. His last MLB appearances were in 2024, when he had a 4.54 ERA in seven games for the Pirates.

Toronto announced that Bieber (elbow) will make another rehab start Wednesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Bieber will commence another rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, which could be his third and final start before rejoining the big-league club. The 31-year-old is aiming for 75 pitches Wednesday, and Toronto will go from there to determine whether the right-hander is ready to make his season debut.

Priester (shoulder) will have a follow-up visit Tuesday with thoracic surgeon Dr. Gregory Pearl, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Priester had to be pulled off his rehab assignment last week, as he has struggled to get into any kind of groove as he works his way back from thoracic outlet symptoms. A plan for Priester's next steps will be mapped out following Tuesday's visit. It's unclear at this point whether surgery is a possibility.

Brown (shoulder) has been reinstated from the 60-day IL on Tuesday.

After completing four rehab assignments and building up to 78 pitches in one start, Brown is back with the big-league club for the first time since being placed on the injured list April 5. Prior to that, the 27-year-old had made just two starts, during which he racked up 17 strikeouts. Houston will get a much-needed addition and boost to its starting rotation, which has been marred by injuries all season long. Collin Price was optioned to Triple-A in order to make room for Brown on the active roster. Brown will be Tuesday's starter against Detroit.

Sloan is not part of the Mariners' "immediate plans," Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Sloan's 4.44 ERA at Double-A Arkansas is a tad bloated thanks to a couple clunkers, but he boasts a 58:12 K:BB over 46.2 innings in his 11 starts. The 20-year-old right-hander is in the Mariners' plans for later this summer, per Jude, but Seattle already has six viable starting pitchers at the major-league level, and fellow prospect Kade Anderson could also be ahead of Sloan in the pecking order.

The Mets have reinstated Senga (spine/arm) from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Senga will return to the big-league club after a seven-week absence due to back and arm injuries. The 33-year-old built up to 75 pitches and six innings during his fourth and final rehab outing, so he'll likely still have some minor workload limitations early on. The Mets optioned Jonathan Pintaro to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Senga on the active roster.

Anderson is not part of the Mariners' "immediate plans," Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Anderson's first 11 starts in pro ball couldn't have gone much better, as he's collected a microscopic 1.13 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 82:7 K:BB over 55.2 innings with Double-A Arkansas. However, while the Mariners do expect Anderson to contribute in the majors at some point this season, a big-league debut for the top prospect is not imminent. Seattle already has six capable starting pitchers at the major-league level, complicating the timeline for Anderson's debut, but there could come a point when the southpaw forces the issue.

Smith will be shut down for two weeks after being diagnosed with a left shoulder impingement, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

Smith will require two weeks to get ramped back up following the shutdown period, so he's looking at four weeks away from games in a best-case scenario. The left-hander had seemed close to getting his first opportunity at the major-league level, but that will not happen anytime soon now. Smith has collected a 4.67 ERA and 77:36 K:BB over 52 innings covering 14 starts with Triple-A Charlotte in 2026.