MLB Player News

Gausman (ankle) is unlikely to be ready to start Thursday's series opener with the Mariners, though he hasn't been ruled out from pitching Sunday's series finale in Seattle, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Gausman's inability to throw a bullpen session Tuesday likely closed the door on him starting Thursday, but he hasn't been shut down entirely, as he's expected to play catch Wednesday. The Blue Jays will evaluate Gausman during the workout before potentially allowing him to throw off a mound Thursday or Friday, which would keep him in the mix to start Sunday, according to Davidi. Casey Lawrence was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, and if he's not needed in relief in the Blue Jays' series finale in Oakland, he would likely be the top candidate to fill in for Gausman on Thursday, per Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star.

Bello was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Bello will make his major-league debut as the starter during Wednesday's series finale against the Rays following a strong showing in the minors to begin the year. The right-hander is among Boston's top prospects and has posted a 2.33 ERA, 114:33 K:BB and 1.02 WHIP in 85 innings over 15 appearances (14 starts) between the Double-A and Triple-A clubs this season. Since several of Boston's starters are dealing with injuries, Bello should have a chance to draw additional starts if he performs well Wednesday.

Tigers general manager Al Avila said Wednesday that Rodriguez (personal) hasn't been in communication with the club since landing on the restricted list June 13, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports. "We reached out, but he hasn't reached out back. We're just kind of waiting it out...it is unusual. But we have no choice but to wait and see what develops as we move forward," Avila said.

When Rodriguez was placed on the restricted list to tend to a personal matter, the Tigers relayed that the southpaw wouldn't have a timeline for a return, but the expectation was that he would remain in touch with the team in some capacity. The fact that Rodriguez isn't actively keeping in contact with Tigers officials could hint at some potential friction between player and team, as Avila might not have made these public comments if the two sides were on the same page. At any rate, fantasy managers shouldn't count on Rodriguez being ready to go coming out of the All-Star break, as he'll likely need at least few weeks to ramp back up regardless of when he rejoins the Tigers. Before being moved to the restricted list, Rodriguez was on the cusp of returning from the 15-day injured list after he had been sidelined since late May with a left rib cage sprain.

Cubs manager David Ross said Hendricks will be placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder strain, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hendricks will miss his final two turns through the rotation before the All-Star break after sustaining the injury in Tuesday's win over the Brewers, but he'll be eligible to come off the IL when the Cubs open their second-half schedule July 22 in Philadelphia. It's not yet clear if the veteran right-hander will be ready to go by then, as his availability coming out of the All-Star break will hinge on how much progress he makes in his rehab and throwing program over the next two weeks. He previously avoided the IL last June but still went 13 days between starts after experiencing shoulder fatigue, so it's possible the Cubs take a more conservative approach with his recovery this time around. Hendricks joins five other starting pitchers on the IL, though both Marcus Stroman (shoulder) and Drew Smyly (oblique) appear close to being activated, and either of the two could be an option to replace Hendricks' next turn in the rotation Sunday in Los Angeles.

Velasquez was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a blister on his right index finger.

Velasquez's move to the IL will keep him on the shelf through the All-Star break, but he should be fully healed from the blister when the White Sox open their second-half schedule. Jimmy Lambert was called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday to take Velasquez's spot in the bullpen.

Lugo (1-2) took the loss Tuesday as the Mets fell 1-0 to the Reds, giving up one run on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning.

The right-hander entered a scoreless tie in the ninth inning but couldn't find the plate, tossing only eight of 17 pitches for strikes before Mike Moustakas launched a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to seal Cincinnati's win. Lugo was pitching on the second consecutive day with Edwin Diaz being held back for a potential save situation on the road, and that's a scenario Mets manager Buck Showalter may want to avoid in the future -- Lugo has made appearances on back-to-back days five times this season, and in the second game of those sets he's coughed up five runs in 4.1 innings.

Smyly (oblique) rejoined the Cubs on Wednesday and is expected to throw a bullpen session in the next day or two before the team decides whether to activate him from the 15-day injured list or send him to the minors for a second rehab start, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Both Smyly and fellow rehabbing starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (shoulder) were back with the big club after making rehab starts Monday and Sunday, respectively. In his outing with High-A South Bend, Smyly struck out six and covered four innings and tossed 52 pitches while allowing three earned runs on four hits. Unless the Cubs are comfortable having Smyly slot back into the rotation this weekend in Los Angeles on a limited pitch count, he'll most likely head back to South Bend or another affiliate for a second rehab start as he looks to get fully ramped up from the injury that has thus far sidelined him for five weeks.

Stroman (shoulder) returned from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in front of the Cubs' coaching and training staffs in the next couple of days before the team determines his next step, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Stroman has been on the 15-day injured list since early June with right shoulder inflammation and didn't look particularly sharp in his rehab outing with Iowa on Sunday, as he was tagged for five earned runs on seven hits and one walk. With that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if the Cubs opted to send Stroman out for a second rehab start so that he gets more stretched out and hopefully tightens up his command. Expect more definitive word on Stroman's next steps to come by the weekend.

Walker would like to sign a long-term deal with the Mets after his current contract expires, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander has a player option for 2023 that could be worth up to $8.5 million, but his performance so far this season would likely earn a much bigger salary on the open market. Walker indicated this week that if he does opt out, he would prefer to sign a longer deal with the Mets rather than head elsewhere. "I've been on short-term deals my last two free agencies," said Walker. "It would be nice to do a longer-term deal and kind of just be set up in one place and know that I'm going to be here for a couple years. Maybe have my family settle in a little bit. That would be nice." Any extension or contract talks with Walker likely won't happen until the season is over, but with Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Carlos Carrasco all on expiring deals as well, the Mets will have a lot of decisions to make on which members of the rotation to bring back and which to let go.

Faedo (hip) will join Detroit's taxi squad for its upcoming 12-game road trip and appears on track to be called up from Triple-A Toledo to start one half of Monday's doubleheader in Kansas City, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Faedo was most recently called up to start the second game of a twin bill this past Monday against the Guardians, with the right-hander exiting the contest early due to right hip soreness. Since he was designated as the 27th man for the doubleheader, he was optioned to Triple-A following the outing, but Faedo looks like he'll avoid a stint on the injured list. According to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, manager A.J. Hinch revealed Tuesday that initial tests on Faedo's hip revealed no structural damage and only inflammation, so the rookie should be ready to pitch in the upcoming doubleheader if he experiences no setbacks during a bullpen session later this week.