MLB Player News

Walker (back) underwent an MRI on Wednesday which showed no structural damage, though his availability for Sunday's scheduled start in Philadelphia remains up in the air, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The veteran right-hander was pulled from Tuesday's start after two innings due to back spasms, but the injury appears to be a minor concern. However, it remains to be seen if Walker will be able to make his next scheduled turn through the rotation or if he'll need to be pushed back a few days.

The Pirates recalled Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Red Sox in Pittsburgh, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Reliever Austin Brice was designated for assignment to clear space on the active roster for Contreras, who is back with the big club for the first time since early July. Though Contreras was one of the Pirates' better starters prior to being optioned to Triple-A -- he turned in a 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 50:22 K:BB in 50 innings -- the organization is mindful of not overworking the right-hander during his age-22 campaign. With that being the case, Contreras likely won't be asked to work more than five or six innings in any starts he makes down the stretch, and it's also possible that the Pirates look to build in additional rest days for him between outings.

The Tigers plan to reinstate Rodriguez (personal) from the restricted list and have him start Sunday's game against the Angels, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Rodriguez will be rejoining the Tigers to make his first start since May 18, after his two-plus-month-stint on the restricted list was proceeded by a month-long stay on the 15-day injured list with a left rib cage sprain. He's been fully recovered from the injury for a while now, and after returning from personal leave Aug. 6 to begin his rehab assignment, Rodriguez has looked as dominant against minor-league hitters as could be expected. He ended the minor-league assignment on a high note Tuesday, when he struck out 11 over six innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Toledo. He tossed 72 pitches in that outing and shouldn't face any major workload restrictions when he slots back into the Detroit rotation Sunday.

The Twins announced that Mahle was removed in the third inning of his start Wednesday against the Royals due to right shoulder fatigue, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He struck out one and allowed one hit and no walks over 2.1 scoreless innings before departing.

A reason for Mahle's removal from the contest wasn't immediately provided when he was lifted midway through the third inning, but the shoulder issue explains why his average fastball velocity sat at 89.2 miles per hour during the start, down more than four ticks from his season-long average heading into the day. The Twins are expected to provide a more precise diagnosis for Mahle after the game or Thursday, when he presumably gets sent in for more tests if not an MRI. Even if a shoulder strain is ruled out, Mahle still appears to be at risk of missing his next turn through the rotation, which is expected to come next Tuesday in Houston.

Chirinos (elbow) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Chirinos has spent the last month on a rehab assignment, posting a 6.97 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 10.1 innings over six outings between the rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate and Single-A Charleston. He lasted three innings during his most recent appearance, and his shift to Durham will likely be the final step in his rehab process.

High-A Everett transferred Macko from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day IL on July 23 while he continues to deal with an unspecified injury.

The Mariners haven't acknowledged the nature of Macko's injury, but he hasn't pitched for Everett since May 21 and is without a clear timeline for a return. Before hitting the shelf, the 21-year-old lefty turned in a 3.99 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 60:20 K:BB over 38.1 innings.

Mahle left his start Wednesday against the Royals in the third inning following a visit with a team trainer, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He struck out one over 2.1 scoreless frames, giving up no hits and one walk while departing with a 3-0 lead.

Mahle's removal from the contest came after he displayed a noticeable drop in velocity. According to Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, Mahle's fastball averaged just 89.2 miles per hour on the day, a full four ticks down from his season-long average (93.4). The Twins should provide an update later in the day regarding what physical issue, if any, may have prompted Mahle's early exit.

Stripling (hip) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Wednesday's start against the Orioles.

Stripling was on the injured list since Aug. 3 due to a right glute/hip strain but made a rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo last week and struck out three in five scoreless innings. The right-hander will return after a minimal IL stint as Wednesday's starter at home against the Orioles.

Syndergaard is now scheduled to make his next start Monday at home versus the Reds, after he had previously been lined up to take the hill for Sunday's series finale with the Mets at Citizens Bank Park, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

For the second time this season, Syndergaard will be missing out on a matchup with one of his former teams, as he was previously pushed off a potential start versus the Mets in June while he was a member of the Angels. For fantasy managers, the main impact is that Syndergaard will be denied a two-start week, though he'll tentatively line up for one the following week with matchups against the Reds on Monday and against the Pirates on Aug. 27.

Manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday that Keller will move to the bullpen, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Keller has served exclusively as a starter in the majors over the last four seasons but has struggled since the All-Star break in 2022. Over his five starts to begin the second half, he's posted an 8.76 ERA and 2.07 WHIP in 24.2 innings. He had lined up to start Thursday's road matchup against the Rays, and the Royals haven't announced who will take his place in the rotation. However, Keller will attempt to sort things out as a relief option.