MLB Player News

Paxton (elbow) has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left lat strain and won't return in 2022, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Paxton made his first rehab start last week but exited the outing due to his lat injury. The southpaw will be unable to return over the final month of the season, and it's not yet clear whether he'll remain with the Red Sox next year. His contract includes a $13 million team option for 2023 or a $4 million player option, the latter of which Paxton can exercise if the team option is declined. Paxton hasn't pitched in the big leagues since early in the 2021 campaign since he underwent Tommy John surgery in April of that year.

The Mets will call up Peterson from Triple-A Syracuse to have him to start Saturday's game against the Rockies at Citi Field, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Because he was designated as the Mets' 27th man in advance of his start in the second game of last Saturday's doubleheader with the Phillies, Peterson had to be returned to the minors following the outing in what amounted to a procedural move. The Mets will still need to make a corresponding transaction to bring Peterson back this weekend, but he'll be stepping into the rotation on a slightly longer-term basis while Carlos Carrasco (oblique) is on the injured list. Peterson owns a 3.44 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 97:40 K:BB across 83.2 innings in the majors this season.

The Yankees are expected to place Cortes on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a groin injury, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Reliever Greg Weissert will be called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take over Cortes' spot on the 26-man active roster, but the Yankees could turn to multi-inning reliever Clarke Schmidt to step in as their fifth starter while Cortes is on the shelf. Based on Cortes' recent performances, it wasn't evident that he was pitching through any injury; he's generated a 2.55 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 38:9 K:BB in 42.1 innings over his last seven starts.

Boyd (elbow) fired two scoreless innings during which he allowed a hit and recorded three strikeouts in Triple-A Tacoma's win over Salt Lake on Tuesday.

The impressive effort, which earned Boyd the second hold of his rehab assignment, was a welcome rebound after he'd given up a pair of runs over two innings in his prior appearance with the Rainiers. The left-hander actually threw fewer pitches Tuesday (23) than in that outing (40) due to a much more efficient performance which saw Boyd pound 17 of his offerings in for strikes. The 31-year-old now has three scoreless efforts in his first four trips to the mound with Tacoma, but he's likely to still log at least one more appearance before activation is considered.

Baz (elbow) said that he's been cleared to resume a throwing program Monday and remains hopeful he'll return from the 60-day injured list before the end of the season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Baz is ready to begin the ramp-up process following a four-week shutdown due to a right elbow sprain. Given that Baz missed the first two months of the season after requiring an arthroscopic procedure on his elbow in late March, the Rays are likely to proceed cautiously with him during his throwing program. At this stage of the season, Baz may not have enough time to build up for a starting role, but if he avoids any setbacks during the rehab process, he could have some value to the Rays as a multi-inning arm out of the bullpen down the stretch.

Anderson opted out of his minor-league contract with the Rays on Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Anderson will hit the open market for the third time this season, as he was previously released by the Tigers in April before re-signing with Detroit shortly thereafter and then opting out of his contract. The veteran right-hander was productive over 10 innings with Triple-A Durham -- he posted a 3.60 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB -- but a promotion to the Rays wasn't in the cards. Anderson will look to join another organization that can presumably present him with a clearer path back to the big leagues.

Sanchez (2-1) earned the win Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings against the Reds. He struck out seven.

Sanchez allowed solo home runs to outfielder Stuart Fairchild to open the scoring in the second and shortstop Kyle Farmer in the fourth. This was the lefty's eleventh outing in the major leagues this season but only his third start. The 25-year-old has surrendered three runs or fewer in all three starts and pitched five innings or more in two of them. In addition, he enjoys a 2.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 17.1 innings over his last six outings.

Houser (4-9) took the loss against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four batters over 2.1 innings.

Houser returned from a stay on the injured list to make his first start in nearly two months, but the outing did not go well. The right-hander needed 81 pitches to retire just seven batters, and he was down 4-1 by the end of the first inning. Houser's wildness was partly to blame for the poor opening frame -- he walked the first two batters he faced and issued three free passes overall in the inning -- but things weren't working much better when he did get the ball over the plate. Houser has registered a 5.15 ERA over 16 starts this season, but he may stick in the rotation for now with Aaron Ashby (shoulder) on the injured list.

Heaney (2-1) earned the win over Milwaukee on Wednesday, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters.

Heaney fell behind early after giving up a first-inning solo homer to Willy Adames, but the lefty hurler surrendered just one more run after that. He racked up 20 swinging strikes and finished with 10 punchouts for the second straight game. Heaney struggled despite the big strikeout total in his previous outing, but he registered one of his strongest starts of the campaign Wednesday. The veteran appears to have unlocked his best stuff since joining Los Angeles in the offseason -- through 41.2 innings, he's posted a 1.94 ERA and a 62:12 K:BB. His ability to remain healthy remains a question mark, however.

Bundy (7-6) was handed the loss by Houston on Wednesday. He pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits and one walk without notching a strikeout.

Bundy gave up a home run to Jose Altuve on his first pitch of the contest, but he settled down from there and limited the Astros to just one additional run over the remainder of his outing. The veteran right-hander induced only one swinging strike and failed to fan a single batter, yet he kept Minnesota in the game and could have had a better fate if not for the continued excellence of opposing starter Framber Valdez. Bundy has quietly pitched well in August, allowing just five runs and 12 hits over 19.1 innings despite earning only one win.