MLB Player News

Blackburn was diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon sheath in his right middle finger Tuesday and will wear a splint for the next six weeks, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Blackburn was ruled out for the rest of the season earlier Tuesday, and the specifics of the injury, which was previously diagnosed as inflammation, are now known. At this point the 29-year-old is expected to avoid surgery, but he will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Blackburn had a breakout during the first couple months of 2022 and finishes the campaign with a 4.28 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 89:30 K:BB across 111.1 innings.

Walker was removed from Tuesday's start against Atlanta after the second inning due to an apparent injury, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

New York lost Carlos Carrasco to an oblique strain Monday, and Walker has now been forced to exit after two scoreless frames a day later. The reason for Walker's removal remains unclear, but it's almost certainly an injury given he was pitching well and since the Mets are already coming off an impromptu bullpen game.

Houser (elbow) is scheduled to make his third rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Nashville, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

Houser will be looking to build on a positive showing his last time out for Nashville on Thursday, when he struck out four over three no-hit innings. He built up to 48 pitches in that start, and he may need to get to the 60-to-75 range Tuesday to have a shot at coming off the 15-day injured list and making his next appearance in the big leagues.

Blackburn will be shut down for the rest of the season after visiting a specialist for inflammation in his right middle finger Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 29-year-old landed on the shelf after posting a 2.26 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB across 71.2 innings over his first 13 starts of the season to earn a trip to the All-Star Game. However, he had a 7.94 ERA across his past eight starts before moving to the injured list last week. It's not known if he'll require surgery or whether he's expected to be ready for the start of spring training next year.

The Mets placed Carrasco on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

New York called up reliever Stephen Nogosek from Triple-A Syracuse to temporarily replace Carrasco on the 26-man active roster, but David Peterson is expected to be promoted from Syracuse later in the week when Carrasco's next turn in the rotation comes up. The Mets announced earlier Tuesday that Carrasco is expected to be sidelined for 3-to-4 weeks due to the injury he sustained in Monday's 13-1 loss to Atlanta.

Houck (back) was diagnosed with a disc issue Tuesday and will return to Boston for a week of treatment, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Houck will be re-evaluated next Monday before the Red Sox determine his next steps, but at this stage, the right-hander's return from the injured list doesn't look to be imminent. If he responds well to treatment over the next several days, Houck could be back near the end of the month in a best-case scenario, but a return in September seems more likely. The Red Sox should continue to lean on Garrett Whitlock and John Schreiber in higher-leverage spots while their preferred closer is sideilned.

Contreras will be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Earlier Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Contreras was on the verge of rejoining the Pirates, and the date of his next big-league start has now been set. Contreras has already thrown 20 more innings than he did in 2021, so while he could remain in the rotation the rest of the way, don't expect the Pirates to push him too much.

Greene (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Greene played catch over the weekend, and he is now set to advance to the next step in his recovery. It's not clear when Greene will be ready to head out on a rehab assignment, but manager David Bell said Greene will get 1-to-3 starts in the minors before rejoining the big club.

The Rangers selected Arihara's contract from Triple-A Round Rock ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday versus the Athletics.

Arihara will be making his 2022 big-league debut after having thus far spent his entire second season in North America at Triple-A. The righty is fully built up as a starter and isn't expected to face a limited pitch count against a hapless Oakland lineup, but he still may be difficult to trust. Over his 72 innings at Triple-A this season, Arihara produced a 4.88 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.

Bush has a 3.20 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 77:24 K:BB in 76 innings across 16 starts for Double-A Rocket City this season.

The 2021 second-rounder had a tremendous first half, but his workload has been dialed back significantly over the last month-plus -- he's made just four total appearances (pitching just 14.1 innings) in July and August, not counting a scoreless inning in the Futures Game. A big lefty at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Bush has shown better command than expected and done a good job keeping the ball in the park. There's relief risk here, but Bush is an intriguing prospect.