MLB Player News

Houser exited his start Thursday against the Pirates with an apparent injury, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Houser came out after throwing 2.1 innings, though the cause of his discomfort was not clear. He surrendered three earned runs on five hits -- including a pair of homers -- and a walk. Milwaukee's rotation is getting healthier, but if Houser is forced to miss any time it would likely force Chi Chi Gonzalez to stick in the starting five.

Sale (ribs) allowed one earned run on four hits while striking out seven across four innings in his rehab appearance with Double-A Portland on Thursday.

Sale was scheduled to throw three innings, but he got in some extra work and brought his pitch count up to 52. Per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, Sale will participate in at least one more rehab appearance with the goal of working five innings while throwing roughly 65 to 70 pitches. If that goes according to plan, Sale could rejoin the Red Sox on July 10 or 11.

Ashby (forearm) is lined up to start Saturday's game in Pittsburgh, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Ashby threw a bullpen session Wednesday that apparently went well, as the southpaw is slated to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible Saturday. The 24-year-old struggled ahead of his absence, as he allowed 14 runs in 15 innings over his three starts prior to landing on the IL.

Gutierrez (elbow) will throw live batting practice Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Gutierrez progressed to mound work last week, and he's now been cleared to face live hitters. After being shut down with a first-degree UCL strain in his right elbow earlier in June, the 26-year-old has recently made encouraging progress in his recovery.

Houck was reinstated from the restricted list Thursday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Houck will return to the team following their series in Toronto, which he was unavailable for because of his vaccination status. He'll return to manning the backend of the Red Sox bullpen as the team starts a series against the Cubs on Friday.

Springs was placed on the family medical emergency list Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Springs was a potential starter for Thursday's matchup against the Blue Jays, but he'll spend some time away from the team after landing on the bereavement list. He'll be forced to miss 3-to-7 days but should be an option to start sometime next week. Matt Wisler is serving as the opener Thursday, while Ryan Yarbrough will likely serve as a bulk reliever after he was called up.

Suarez is scheduled to make his next start Sunday in Houston.

He will unsurprisingly received another turn through the rotation after he impressed while working as a bulk reliever behind Andrew Wantz in last Sunday's win over the Mariners. Suarez notched his first win of the season in the six-inning outing, striking out eight while yielding one run on five hits and no walks. The left-hander is expected to be deployed as a traditional starter this time out, and he could have some staying power in the Angels' six-man rotation if he submits another solid performance.

Alexander appeared in relief Tuesday in the Brewers' 5-3 win over the Rays, recording two outs while allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks.

Alexander had started in each of his first five appearances with Milwaukee and posted a 3.21 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over those outings, but he looks as though he'll move to the bullpen after the Brewers welcomed Brandon Woodruff back from the injured list Tuesday. Milwaukee still has room in the rotation for a fifth starter while both Freddy Peralta (lat) and Aaron Ashby (forearm) remain on the IL, but Chi Chi Gonzalez looks like he'll take on that role rather than Alexander.

Kopech (2-5) took the loss against the Angels on Wednesday, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters over 5.1 innings.

Kopech fell behind early, allowing two runs in the first inning -- including one that scored on his own error. He settled down to hold Los Angeles scoreless over the next four frames before serving up a two-run homer to Luis Rengifo in the sixth. That was more than enough for the Angels to claim victory on a night when Shohei Ohtani struck out 11 over 5.2 scoreless frames. Kopech has taken a loss in each of his past three starts, allowing 10 earned runs and posting a 12:7 K:BB over 16.1 innings during that stretch.

Urias (6-6) earned the win against Colorado on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

Urias limited the Rockies to one run through five innings, but he slowed down in the sixth and was pulled after allowing three of four batters he faced to reach base. Nonetheless, the left-hander was given plenty of run support and picked up his third consecutive win. Urias had his streak of four straight quality starts snapped Wednesday, but he still hasn't given up more than three runs in any of his past five appearances. His 6-6 record is mildly disappointing after Urias went 20-3 last season, but it also speaks to the unreliability of pitchers' wins and losses as a measure of effectiveness -- Urias' 2.64 ERA through 15 starts this season is better than his 2.96 mark last year, and his 1.03 WHIP is nearly identical to his 1.02 WHIP from 2021.