MLB Player News

Alexander will start Thursday's game against the Orioles at Camden Yards, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Though Houston will get Lance McCullers (finger) back from the injured list to start Friday, Alexander will at least temporarily stick around in a starting role while the Astros run out a six-man rotation this week. Houston could keep the six-man setup in place when the team begins a stretch of 13 games in 13 days Tuesday, but Alexander may need to perform well in his start in Baltimore to ensure he remains in the rotation over Luis Garcia (elbow), who could be ready to return from the 60-day IL next week. Alexander has fared well over his last four starts, logging a 1.59 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB in 22.2 innings.

The Pirates will select Chandler's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday and are expected to use him in a long-relief role, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Chandler's long-awaited arrival to the majors will finally occur, though it won't be in the role fantasy managers were hoping for. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com likens the Pirates' expected usage of Chandler down the stretch to how they've deployed Braxton Ashcraft, who pitched as a multi-inning reliever before moving into the rotation earlier this month. It will be difficult for Chandler to churn out fantasy value in such a role, unless his ascension to the rotation occurs much quicker than Ashcraft's. Chandler has had an up-and-down season with Indianapolis, collecting a 4.05 ERA and 121:53 K:BB over an even 100 innings. He holds a 7.79 ERA and 17:12 K:BB across 17.1 frames in his last four outings with the Pirates' top minor-league affiliate.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Lauer will be available out of the bullpen for this weekend's series in Miami, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Shane Bieber (elbow) is poised to make his Blue Jays debut Friday, which means Lauer will be booted out of the rotation, despite logging a 2.76 ERA and 87:25 K:BB over 88 innings covering 20 appearances (14 starts). Schneider added that it's "not a [permanent] move to the bullpen" for Lauer, so the left-hander could still make some starts for Toronto down the stretch.

Lopez (shoulder) will make his first rehab start Thursday for Triple-A St. Paul, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.

Lopez began throwing live batting practice last week and appears to have avoided any setbacks in his recovery from a Grade 2 teres major strain, so the Twins will clear the way for him to kick off a rehab assignment. Given that he's been on the shelf with the injury since June 5, he'll likely need an additional rehab start or two after Thursday's outing before being activated from the 60-day injured list.

Susana struck out 13 over five innings for Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.

The 13 Ks were a career high for the 21-year-old right-hander, and per Jesse Borek of MLB.com, Susana's fastball topped out at 103 mph in the outing. Over six starts since returning from a UCL sprain in late July, Susana has posted a 2.28 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 44:8 K:BB in just 23.2 innings. If he can stay healthy, he seems ticketed for a big-league debut in 2026, potentially adding another building block to a Nationals rotation that already features two young pitchers with ace-level upside in MacKenzie Gore and Cade Cavalli.

The Rays announced Tuesday that Faedo (shoulder) underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery Aug. 6 and will miss the remainder of the season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Acquired from the Tigers in February, Faedo will conclude the season without having made an appearance at the big-league level for Tampa Bay. He's been on the shelf throughout 2025 after experiencing shoulder discomfort in spring training and then hitting multiple snags in his recovery in the ensuing months. Faedo had made enough progress to begin a minor-league rehab assignment June 27, but he appeared in just six contests before being shut down again shortly after the All-Star break and getting diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Given that pitchers often struggle to bounce back from the procedure, Faedo profiles as a likely non-tender candidate this winter. Even if he keeps his spot on the 40-man roster or re-signs with Tampa Bay on a minor-league deal, Faedo's availability for the start of the 2026 season could be affected.

Peterson (8-5) picked up the win Tuesday against Washington, allowing one run on four hits and one walk across eight innings. He struck out 10.

Peterson rebounded from his worst start of the season, as he allowed six runs and issued five walks in 3.1 innings against Atlanta in his previous outing. The 29-year-old left-hander set a season high in strikeouts and completed eight innings for the second time all year. Peterson owns a 3.18 ERA and 127:51 K:BB across 144.1 innings this season, and he's tentatively scheduled to close out a two-start week Sunday against Atlanta.

Irvin (8-8) took the loss Tuesday against the Mets, allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks across six innings. He struck out three.

Irvin was hit hard by the Mets, yielding four extra-base hits, including a two-run home run to Mark Vientos and a solo home run to Brett Baty. Irvin has now surrendered a total of seven long balls in his last five starts. He has performed especially poorly in his last four outings, tallying a 9.31 ERA and 2.07 WHIP across 19.1 innings. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Sunday in Philadelphia.

Sugano didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Boston, allowing one unearned run on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts over five innings.

Sugano hasn't allowed more than one run in four of his last five starts, and he hasn't taken a loss since July 2. Limiting power has been critical to Sugano's recent success, as he's allowed just one home run over his last five starts after yielding 20 long balls in his previous 19 outings. The 35-year-old rookie has a 3.97 ERA and 85:32 K:BB across 131.1 innings this season. He's slated for a rematch with the Red Sox early next week.

Buehler didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Baltimore, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks across four innings. He struck out four.

Buehler has struggled to locate pitches this season, and those issues have been exaggerated recently. He has more walks than strikeouts across his last five starts, and he's posted a 4.32 ERA along with a 15:18 K:BB across 25 innings during that stretch. Buehler hasn't struck out more than four batters in 11 consecutive outings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Orioles early next week.