MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Sasaki (finger) threw a bullpen session Monday and is under consideration to return from the 15-day injured list to start Thursday's game in Cincinnati, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sasaki wore Dermabond on his right middle finger to protect against a recurrence of the blister that sent him to the IL on Aug. 27. While Sasaki seemed to come out of his bullpen session OK, Roberts wasn't ready to lock him into Thursday's start yet. Sasaki threw a simulated game last week but would likely have workload restrictions if he's cleared to start Thursday.

The Tigers activated Montero (personal) from the paternity list Monday.

Montero was briefly away from the team for the birth of his daughter, but he's back with the Tigers and is tentatively lined up to face the Blue Jays on Wednesday, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Montero has a 4-3 record across his 10 starts since the All-Star break with a 3.99 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 49.2 innings.

The Dodgers optioned Sheehan to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

In two starts after re-entering the Dodgers' rotation, Sheehan allowed a total of one run with a 15:2 K:BB over 11.2 innings. Despite the strong showing, Sheehan will exit the roster to make room for a fresh bullpen arm. If the right-hander is included on the Dodgers' first-round playoff roster, it would likely be as a reliever.

Weathers (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

It's another positive step in Weather's recovery from a left forearm flexor strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list Aug. 23. The minor-league season is drawing to a close, so the 26-year-old southpaw will need a few bullpen sessions before rejoining the Yankees, which could happen before the end of the regular season.

Bieber (shoulder) will throw a side session off a mound Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Bieber hasn't pitched since Aug. 20 due to shoulder inflammation, and he'll have to build his arm back up before returning to game action. The right-hander will be up against the clock to make it back in time before the end of the regular season. He underwent an MRI on Sunday to confirm that the injury was healing, and the team was encouraged by the results of his imaging, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. Bieber has made just 11 starts this season, posting a 4.37 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 44:24 K:BB across 55.2 innings.

Bachar will serve as the Pirates' opening pitcher in Tuesday's game versus the Brewers, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Bachar will draw his sixth start since he landed in Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. He's covered at least 1.2 innings and as much as three frames in his first five opener assignments for the Pirates, so a multi-inning effort Tuesday is likely. Antwone Kelly, Brandon Eisert and Khristian Curtis could all be candidates to cover multiple frames once Bachar exits the game.

Bubic (shoulder) will join the Dodgers in Cincinnati on Monday but will not be activated from the 60-day injured list immediately, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Bubic completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, and he wound up tossing 5.2 shutout frames with a 9:2 K:BB in six rehab outings. He will rest a bit before being activated as soon as Wednesday. Acquired from the Royals at the trade deadline, Bubic hasn't pitched in the majors since mid-May, first due to an elbow injury and later because of a shoulder problem. When Bubic does return, he'll be used in a relief role by the Dodgers.

Ritchie might be called up to start for Atlanta on Wednesday against the Cubs, Jesus Cano of The Athletic reports.

That would be AJ Smith-Shawver's turn through the rotation, but the team has yet to officially name him the starter, suggesting it is considering other options. Ritchie has been pitching well for Triple-A Gwinnett since being demoted in early August, and over his last six starts he's posted a 2.14 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB in 33.2 innings. During two September starts, he's produced a dazzling 24:2 K:BB in 12.2 frames.

Severino (shoulder) logged a bullpen session Saturday and is expected to have a normal offseason, per MLB.com.

Severino hit the injured list May 30 due to a right shoulder strain that will ultimately keep him out of action for the remainder of the season. While the right-hander won't return to a big-league mound in 2026, he seems to be progressing well in rehab and reportedly "looked good" in Saturday's session. Severino could opt out of his contract and turn down his $22 million player option for 2027 to hit the open market, but after an injury-marred campaign, he's likely to return to the Athletics. Before hitting the shelf, the 32-year-old posted a 2-6 record with a 4.16 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 65:31 K:BB across 62.2 innings (12 starts).

Burke is expected to pitch in bulk relief behind opener Sean Newcomb in Monday's game against the Guardians, James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Over his last three starts, Burke has allowed nine runs while issuing 14 walks in just 10 innings, so the White Sox will deploy the right-hander behind a lefty opener for his upcoming turn through the rotation with the hope of generating better results. Burke has previously made four appearances out of the bullpen this season, delivering a stellar 1.80 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 26:6 K:BB in 25 innings.