MLB Player News

Skubal was removed from his start Friday against the Marlins with left side tightness, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Skubal had given up three earned runs on four hits and logged two strikeouts in 3.1 innings before calling a trainer out to the mound in the fourth. He's due to undergo imaging Saturday to determine the severity of his injury, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, at which point the team will have a better idea of his availability for his next start -- tentatively scheduled to come against Cleveland on Thursday.

The Padres recalled Sears from Triple-A El Paso to start Friday's game against the Rockies.

Sears will give the Padres' regular starters an additional day of rest by making a spot start Friday. The 29-year-old southpaw has appeared in three games with the Padres this season, allowing nine runs with an 8:3 K:BB across 14.2 innings. David Morgan (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move.

The Astros recalled Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Gordon will take the 26-man roster spot vacated by Lance McCullers, who was placed on the 15-day IL with right hand soreness. Gordon will be available out of the bullpen Friday versus Atlanta. He's appeared in 16 games for the Astros this season, making 14 starts, and has a 5.67 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 64:15 K:BB across 73 innings of work.

The Astros placed McCullers on the 15-day injured list Friday due to right hand soreness, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers returned to Houston to be evaluated, and the Astros have recalled Colton Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. McCullers threw two innings out of the bullpen in Thursday's loss to the Blue Jays and allowed one run on two hits and one walk with zero strikeouts. On the season, McCullers owns a 6.88 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 57:38 K:BB across 52.1 innings.

The Astros transferred Garcia to the 60-day injured list Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Garcia was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right elbow discomfort, so he will be ineligible to return in 2025 after Friday's move. Specifics regarding the right-hander's injury are unclear at this point, but he'll have a full offseason to recover. AJ Blubaugh is the leading candidate to fill Garcia's spot in the rotation the rest of the way.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated Friday that he was not optimistic Fitts (arm) would return before the end of the season, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Fitts has been sidelined since late August with inflammation in his brachial plexus, which is a bundle of nerves that begin in the spinal cord and extends through the shoulder and arm. He has yet to resume throwing, and there's no indication he'll be cleared to do so anytime soon. If Fitts' season is indeed over, he'll finish with a 5.00 ERA and 40:16 K:BB over 45 innings covering 10 starts and one relief appearance.

Lopez (shoulder) threw 20 pitches off the mound Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Lopez will throw five more bullpen sessions over the next couple weeks, and the plan is for the right-hander to face live hitters Sept. 30. Lopez will obviously miss the remainder of the 2025 season if that's the plan, but it sounds like he should be close to fully recovered by spring training next year. While Lopez has said he wants to remain a starter, he now says he'd be open to a return to the bullpen, according to Bowman.

Woodruff's next start will come Wednesday against the Angels, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Friday.

Woodruff last pitched Sept. 6 and was slated to take the mound Saturday against St. Louis. However, the Brewers are moving some starters around, and Woodruff now won't pitch until Wednesday. The 32-year-old didn't make his MLB debut until early July and has thrown 59.2 innings. He threw 67 innings in 2024.

The Phillies designated Manning for assignment Friday.

Manning was removed from the 40-man roster in order to make room for Walker Buehler, who was added to the 40-man and 26-man rosters Friday. Manning was acquired by the Phillies from the Tigers back in July and has been pitching at Double-A Reading, where he has a 10.80 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and 8:7 K:BB across five innings of work.

The Phillies selected Buehler's contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Buehler will start Friday's game against the Royals as the Phillies shift to a six-man rotation. The right-hander made one start at Lehigh Valley after being signed to a minor-league contract Aug. 31, allowing two runs (one earned) while striking out five over three innings. He was released by the Red Sox last month after posting a 5.45 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 84:55 K:BB in 112.1 innings. The Phillies will take a look at the 31-year-old down the stretch to evaluate his capacity to help out their pitching staff in the playoffs.