MLB Player News

Manager Joe Espada said Friday that the Astros are giving McCullers additional rest, and he won't make his usual turn through the rotation, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers' typical turn in the rotation would come Sunday against Cleveland but the start is now pushed back and expected to occur Tuesday against the White Sox. Espada did not name a starter for Sunday's contest.

Blanco's (elbow) Tommy John procedure included an internal brace and a repair of the flexor tendon in his forearm, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported Friday.

Blanco underwent the surgery Friday, and the procedure included some fixes to the flexor tendon. Blanco isn't expected back until deep into the 2026 season.

The Angels reinstated Fermin (elbow) from the injured list Friday.

A right elbow impingement sent Fermin to the injured list in mid-May, but after making two rehab appearances in rookie ball, he's been given the green light to rejoin the Halos' bullpen. The 23-year-old rookie has given up five earned runs in 7.2 MLB innings and isn't likely to be used in high-leverage situations.

Burnes (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.

Burnes landed on the injured list Tuesday due to inflammation in his right elbow, and after receiving multiple opinions on his injury, he'll elect to go under the knife to address the issue. His surgery will put an abrupt end to his 2025 season, and he'll finish the year with a 2.66 ERA and 1.17 WHIP alongside a 63:26 K:BB across 64.1 innings (11 starts). He's likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 campaign as well.

Rodriguez (shoulder) has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list and will start Friday's game against the Reds.

As expected, Rodriguez will take the mound Friday, marking his first start since May 14 after he dealt with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Rodriguez owns a 7.05 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over 44.2 innings this season. Tommy Henry was optioned to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move.

Bieber (elbow) will be shut down from throwing until the middle of next week before being re-evaluated after being scratched from his rehab start Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander was scheduled to make the second start of his rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Akron, but he experienced some soreness this week after throwing a bullpen session and will now have a brief shutdown period. Bieber is working his way back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery, and his season debut for the Guardians is likely to be pushed into August due to this setback.

Senzatela will follow Ryan Rolison during Friday's game against the Mets, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Rockies are using an opener for the first time this season and will give the ball to Rolison for an inning or two before letting Senzatela step in as a bulk reliever. The change might be what Senzatela needs to get back on track, as he's taken seven consecutive losses. He's posted an 8.82 ERA and 2.02 WHIP during that stretch.

The Dodgers optioned Knack to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.

Knack had taken six consecutive turns through the Dodgers rotation, posting a 4.50 ERA and a 28:12 K:BB over 30 innings, but he'll yield his spot to Justin Wrobleski. In four appearances with Oklahoma City this season, Knack logged a 3.98 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across 20.1 innings.

The Dodgers recalled Wrobleski from Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of Friday's game against the Cardinals.

Wrobleski is set to start Friday's contest, which will be his second MLB start of the campaign. The 24-year-old has stumbled to a 5.09 ERA over 40.2 innings with Oklahoma City, and he's allowed eight runs in nine big-league innings this season. His struggles and lack of strikeout stuff -- he has an 8.3 K/9 at Triple-A -- make him a shaky fantasy option. Landon Knack was optioned to Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said his concern level was "not high" after Liberatore exited Thursday's start versus the Royals due to fatigue, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The velocity on the southpaw's four-seamer dropped below 90 mph in the fifth inning, prompting a visit from Marmol and the trainer and the pitcher's eventual removal. However, Liberatore did not undergo imaging after the game and there doesn't appear to be any worry that he's injured. Rather, the pitcher believes mechanical issues were the main factor in him feeling fatigued. Liberatore has struggled in back-to-back starts and it's possible he's going through a "dead arm" phase after he spent the bulk of last season in a relief role. He's tentatively lined up to face the Blue Jays at home next week, but the date of his next start is not set in stone.