MLB Player News

Musgrove (elbow) has continued to throw regular bullpen sessions since early August and remains hopeful to pitch for the Padres as a reliever during the postseason if San Diego makes a deep playoff run, MLB.com reports.

Musgrove, who has been on the shelf all season while completing his recovery from Oct. 11, 2024 Tommy John surgery, had previously held the goal of pitching in a rehab game before the end of the minor-league season, but he's not far along in his throwing program for that to be a reality. A return during the postseason may not be realistic either, given that he has yet to resume facing hitters at this point in his rehab. On a positive note, Musgrove seems to have avoided any setbacks up to this point in the recovery process, so he should be ready to enter spring training with few restrictions, if any.

Cortes (biceps) was cleared to throw off a mound Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Cortes was moved to the injured list Sept. 5 after he experienced left biceps tendinitis coming out of his start two days earlier, but he's already begun to start throwing again following a brief shutdown period. The southpaw isn't on track to return from the IL later this week when first eligible, but he's holding out hope to contribute for the Padres at some point in the final week of the regular season. Cortes had been serving as the Padres' No. 5 starter prior to landing on the shelf, but it's unclear if he would immediately slot back into the rotation if he's activated next week.

Milbrandt has a 1.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB in 10.2 innings across two starts for Double-A Pensacola.

Milbrandt emphatically forced a promotion from High-A, as he struck out 26 while logging a 1.17 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 15.1 innings over his final three starts for Beloit, including a 10-K, one-hit performance over five scoreless innings against a loaded High-A Wisconsin lineup. Long known for his strong stuff and shaky command, Milbrandt's propensity to issue walks is still his biggest weakness, but his stuff has gotten so good that hitters typically can't get much done on their own. He hasn't given up a home run since June 13 and has 80 strikeouts in 58 innings over that stretch. He'll likely spend 2026 refining his command and control across the top two levels of the minors.

Pecko has a 1.88 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 31:8 K:BB in 24 innings over his last five starts for Triple-A Sugar Land.

A 6-foot-2 righty whom the Astros selected in the sixth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of a small college, Pecko's stock has steadily increased in pro ball. He has impressively navigated the harsh conditions of the Pacific Coast League after a couple rough outings following his Aug. 5 promotion from Double-A Corpus Christi. Pecko has been particularly sharp of late, striking out 17 batters in 11 innings over his last two starts for the Space Cowboys. He averages 94 mph on his sinker (touches 96 mph), but it plays above its velocity due to excellent late movement. His 83-mph slider and 89-mph cutter are his top two secondary offerings. Pecko has a chance to spend a good chunk of next season in the big-league rotation if he picks up where he's leaving off in 2025.

Holmes is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Padres at Citi Field but will be piggybacked by Sean Manaea, MLB.com reports. "I think it depends what kind of lineup we get and where we're at in the game," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, when asked how extensively Holmes and Manaea will be used Tuesday. "That's the plan, but we've got to be able to make adjustments and be flexible. We've just got to see what we've got there."

Manaea's transition to the bullpen comes after he posted a 7.71 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in spite of an excellent 42:6 K:BB in 32.2 innings over his seven starts dating back to the beginning of August, and the Mets are hoping that the role change will help the southpaw generate better results. The arrangement could also prove beneficial for Holmes, who owns a 4.81 ERA and 1.46 WHIP since the beginning of August and may be wearing down during his first season in the big leagues as a full-time starter. Though the pairing of Holmes and Manaea could enhance the ratios of both pitchers while they take on lighter workloads than they would as traditional starters, Holmes may struggle to reach the five innings he would need to hit to qualify for a win. The Mets will likely reassess their rotation plans following Tuesday's game, but if the Holmes/Manaea tandem fares well, the two could be deployed in a piggyback setup once again Sunday versus the Nationals.

The Red Sox could use Tolle in a bulk-relief role over the final two weeks of the regular season, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Tolle made an abbreviated start last week versus the Athletics, allowing two runs over two innings. Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello have both been moved up ahead of Tolle to start Wednesday and Thursday against the Athletics, respectively, on regular rest. While Tolle could conceivably receive another start this weekend versus the Rays, a more likelier scenario is that both he and Kyle Harrison serve as multi-inning relievers or work as a tandem when the fifth spot in the rotation comes up. Tolle struck out eight and yielded just two runs over 5.1 frames in his major-league debut Aug. 29, but he's permitted seven runs with a 4:4 K:BB across five innings in two outings since then.

Early will start Tuesday's game against the Athletics at Fenway Park, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Early was an obvious choice to remain in Boston's rotation after he struck out 11 over five scoreless frames versus the Athletics in his major-league debut last week. However, the team hadn't confirmed another start for the rookie southpaw until Monday. Following his rematch with the Athletics in Boston after his previous outing came in Sacramento, Early tentatively lines up for another start Sunday on the road versus the Rays.

The Rays recalled Boyle from Triple-A Durham, and he'll start Monday's game against the Blue Jays at Tampa Bay.

The right-hander was demoted in late August after allowing 16 runs (15 earned) over his final three starts for the Rays. Boyle collected a 2.08 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 13 innings in three starts this month with Durham, but he also issued 10 walks during that time. He's not a recommended streaming option Monday in what could just be a spot start.

Roupp (knee) tossed a 25-pitch bullpen session at Oracle Park on Friday, MLB.com reports.

Roupp isn't expected to pitch again this season after landing on the 15-day injured list Aug. 22 due to a left knee bone bruise, but his ability to get back on the mound just under a month after suffering the injury suggests that he'll be in line for a relatively normal offseason. The 27-year-old proved to be a serviceable member of the rotation when healthy in 2025, logging a 7-7 record with a 3.80 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 102:45 K:BB in 106.2 innings.

Gray (elbow) struck out two and scattered four hits and no walks over 1.2 scoreless innings in a rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg on Saturday.

On the comeback trail following his July 24, 2024 Tommy John surgery with internal brace, Gray has now completed two rehab starts and has built up to 34 pitches. The right-hander doesn't have enough time left to get stretched out for a traditional starting role, but he looks like he'll have a chance to make it back from the 60-day injured list before the end of the season. The Nationals haven't indicated whether Gray will report to Triple-A Rochester to make one final start before the International League season comes to an end, or if he'll instead join the big club ahead of their series with the Mets during the upcoming weekend.