MLB Player News

The Rangers activated Gray (forearm) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Gray has been sidelined all season after suffering a fractured right forearm during spring training. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers plan to deploy Gray as a reliever, perhaps filling the setup role vacated by the injured Chris Martin (calf). Gray allowed three runs with an 8:2 K:BB over 8.2 rehab innings and threw 61 pitches in his last outing, so he's stretched out enough to make multi-inning appearances. However, the Rangers' preference may be to use him in shorter, high-leverage situations initially.

Strider (4-8) took the loss against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over five innings.

Strider was tagged for two homers in the fifth inning and managed just one clean frame, throwing only 59 of 104 pitches for strikes. It ends a run of four straight quality starts for the 26-year-old, though he's still allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine consecutive outings. He'll take a 3.72 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 89:30 K:BB over 72.2 innings into a road matchup with the Royals next week.

Verlander (1-8) earned the win against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing one hit and five walks while striking out three over five scoreless innings.

Verlander threw just 55 of 98 pitches for strikes and issued five walks for the second time this season, but he battled to earn his first win in 17 starts. It also marked the 42-year-old's first scoreless outing of the year, snapping a three-start stretch in which he allowed 14 runs (12 earned) over 11.2 innings. On the season, he owns a 4.70 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 70:33 K:BB across 84.1 frames and lines up for a home matchup with the Pirates next week.

The Orioles optioned Young to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday.

The move comes one day after Young allowed three runs over 4.1 innings in his start in the Orioles' loss to the Guardians. Young has produced an ugly 7.77 ERA in five starts with the Orioles, but he could get another opportunity next week during Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Blue Jays.

The Orioles activated Eflin (back) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

Eflin will rejoin the Orioles rotation Wednesday with a start against the Guardians after being sidelined nearly a month due to lower-back discomfort. The veteran right-hander threw 68 pitches over four innings in his final rehab outing in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last Friday, so Eflin will be somewhat limited from a workload perspective Wednesday.

Soroka (3-8) took the loss against the Reds on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

Soroka gave up a run on a single in the fourth inning, but that proved to be all the Reds would need as Nick Lodolo spun a complete-game shutout. Since allowing seven runs to the Red Sox on July 4, Soroka has yielded just four earned runs over his last three outings. He'll carry a 4.85 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 83:24 K:BB across 78 innings into a road matchup with the Astros next week.

Gusto has made his last three appearances for the Astros as a reliever, covering 6.1 innings in total while allowing two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five.

Gusto has made 12 starts for Houston this season and had been a fixture in the rotation since late May, but the Astros transitioned him to the bullpen shortly before the All-Star break. In Houston's final series of the first half, Gusto came on in long relief July 11 following a short start by Lance McCullers, and he made a pair of one-inning appearances in last weekend's series in Seattle. McCullers has since been placed on the injured list due to a blister on his right hand, so Gusto could be needed once again to plug one of the holes in the rotation. Houston is listing Hunter Brown and Colton Gordon as its starters for the final two games of its upcoming four-game series with the Athletics, but Gusto could be called upon to start or work in bulk relief Thursday or Friday.

Lodolo (8-6) earned the win against the Nationals on Wednesday, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out eight over nine scoreless innings.

Lodolo filled up the zone, throwing 76 of 105 pitches for strikes and recording nine whiffs on his curveball. It's officially the southpaw's second complete game of the season, though the first was a rain-shortened, six-inning start against the Twins on June 18. He's now delivered four straight quality starts while yielding only nine earned runs over his past seven outings. Lodolo will carry a 3.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 112:23 K:BB across 122.2 innings into a home matchup with the Dodgers next week.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Sasaki (shoulder) threw a 39-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and is on track to face hitters at the team's spring training complex next week, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Sasaki resumed mound work in mid-July and he will throw another bullpen session this weekend before progressing to facing hitters. The right-hander reportedly was topping out at 90 miles per hour in previous bullpen sessions, which is notably down from the norm, but it's not clear what his velocity looked like Wednesday. Sasaki has been sidelined since mid-May with a right shoulder impingement.

Rosario (elbow) had not had surgery yet as of April, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

There are plenty of rumors circulating online that Rosario still hasn't had the procedure, which was recommended in February. Even if Rosario had the procedure in July, he could potentially miss the entire 2026 season. Rosario was trending toward being a top-five pitching prospect at the time of his injury, so he's still worth stashing in most dynasty leagues, but it's a mystery as to when we'll see him healthy and pitching in games again.