MLB Player News

The Twins placed Woods Richardson on the 15-day injured list Monday due to an illness.

Woods Richardson had a scheduled start over the weekend pushed back due to a stomach bug, and he wasn't able to recover from the illness quickly enough to avoid a stint on the IL. The right-hander is eligible to return Aug. 16 and should be ready for activation at that time or shortly after. In the meantime, Jose Urena is likely to continue occupying Woods Richardson's spot in the Twins rotation.

Taillon (calf) struck out one batter and allowed seven earned runs on seven hits across three innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. He also hit two batters.

Making his first appearance at any level since June 29, Taillon didn't issue any walks but lacked command in the 64-pitch outing. Though the right-hander's results left much to be desired, he left the contest feeling healthy and without any reported setbacks with his calf. The Cubs may want to build Taillon up a bit more in another rehab start, but he appears to be closing in on a return from the 15-day injured list. Chicago added Michael Soroka to the back end of its rotation before the trade deadline, but Taillon is likely to slot in as the team's No. 3 starter behind Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd once he gets activated.

Bergert is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Royals are breaking two of their trade-deadline acquisitions into the rotation for the three-game set in Boston, as lefty Bailey Falter will start Monday's series opener before Bergert makes his team debut Tuesday. The 25-year-old Bergert reached the majors for the first time with the Padres earlier this season and logged a 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 34:18 K:BB in 35.2 innings over 11 appearances (seven starts). He could be in line for a brief stint in the Kansas City rotation, as Bergert will be at risk of moving to the bullpen or heading to Triple-A Omaha when Michael Lorenzen (oblique) likely makes his return from the 15-day injured list around the middle of August.

Falter is slated to start Monday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The left-hander will step into the rotation for what will be his Royals debut after Kansas City acquired him from Pittsburgh on Thursday in exchange for left-hander Evan Sisk and first baseman Callan Moss. Falter's 15.3 percent strikeout rate on the season is second-lowest among qualified starters in the majors, but he's induced weak contact at a high enough clip to net a 3.73 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 113.1 innings. His fantasy outlook is unlikely to change dramatically for the worse or better as he heads from Pittsburgh to Kansas City.

Houck (elbow) confirmed Sunday that he will undergo Tommy John surgery around mid-week and said that he's hopeful to resume pitching by the end of the 2026 season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "I know the minimum [recovery time from surgery] is probably around the 12-month mark, 12 to the 14-month mark. With that being said, if everything goes right, 12 months from now, plan on being back out there, running out to the mound at Fenway," Houck said. "But you also got to do it the smart way, the correct way...But I'm gonna do everything in my power to get back out there at this time next year and be essentially a trade deadline piece, come back and help in 2026."

According to Smith, Houck noted that he and his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, haven't yet discussed whether a late-2026 return is realistic, so the right-hander's tune could change depending on how his surgery goes. Even if Houck meets his goal, he probably won't be available for the big club until September of next season in a best-case scenario, and would likely be working out of the bullpen. Before landing on the shelf May 14 with a right flexor pronator strain, Houck struggled over his nine starts with Boston, logging an 8.09 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 32:17 K:BB in 43.2 innings. He was cleared to begin a rehab assignment June 18 but was shut down shortly before the All-Star break after a follow-up MRI revealed "significantly worse" damage to his elbow that ultimately prompted Houck's decision to get surgery.

Marquez (biceps) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Marquez was placed on the injured list July 23, but he has made relatively quick progress since. Manager Warren Schaeffer has already stated that Marquez will need a rehab assignment, so he may not be able to return until late August.

King (shoulder) yielded six runs on four hits, one walk and one hit batsman over 3.1 innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday. He struck out five batters.

King served up a pair of home runs and needed 61 pitches to cover his 3.1 frames. He averaged 92.2 miles per hour with his sinker and 92.7 mph with his four-seamer in the outing, which were both down a bit from his season averages. Some rust from King is not a surprise, as he was making his first game appearance since May 18 as he comes back from a pinched thoracic nerve in his right shoulder. Getting stretched out to 61 pitches means King could require just one more rehab start before coming off the 60-day injured list and rejoining the Padres rotation in mid-August.

Sears is slated to start Monday's game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Sears will be making his team debut this week after he was acquired along with right-hander Mason Miller on Thursday in a deal that sent four prospects to the Athletics. The 29-year-old southpaw had been a mainstay in the Athletics rotation this season but hadn't been especially effective, turning in a 4.95 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 14.4 K-BB% across 111 innings. With historically pitcher-friendly Petco Park as his home park, Sears could show some improvement with his numbers, as he had posted a 5.48 ERA and .387 wOBA over his 47.2 innings in the less forgiving confines of Sacramento's Sutter Health Park. Sears may need to get off to a strong start to his tenure with the Padres to ensure he sticks in the rotation for the rest of the season, as he or fellow trade-deadline pickup Nestor Cortes would seemingly be most at risk of moving to the bullpen once San Diego gets Michael King (shoulder) back from the injured list.

Urquidy (elbow) struck out one over a perfect inning in his first rehab appearance with Single-A Lakeland on Sunday.

Urquidy was making his first game appearance since he had Tommy John surgery in June 2024. The right-hander tossed 10 pitches over his scoreless frame and will presumably continue to be built up as a starting pitcher. The Tigers don't appear to have an opening in the big-league rotation for Urquidy, so he could wind up being used in long relief with the big club.

Houser is slated to start Monday's game against the Angels in Anaheim.

Houser will be making his Rays debut this week after he was acquired from the White Sox on Thursday in exchange for infielder Curtis Mead and right-handers Duncan Davitt and Ben Peoples. He'll essentially be taking over the rotation spot that previously belonged to right-hander Zack Littell, whom the Rays shipped to the Reds on Wednesday. Houser was a surprise standout in the White Sox rotation upon joining the big club in late May, logging a 2.10 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 47:22 K:BB in 68.2 innings over his 11 starts prior to being traded.