MLB Player News

Harrison (ankle) made a one-inning start for Triple-A Worcester in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday, striking out two batters while allowing one earned run on two hits and one walk.

Harrison appeared to be a candidate to make a start or bulk-relief appearance with the Red Sox last week, but he sustained a minor ankle injury that may have played a part in him being bypassed for a promotion. The southpaw made enough progress in his recovery from the injury to pitch Sunday for Worcester, though he took on a much more limited workload than he typically handles during his starts.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Ort (elbow) could return from the 15-day injured list at some point during the postseason in a "best-case scenario," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Ort was placed on the IL on Friday due to right elbow inflammation, and Brown noted that the 33-year-old will be shut down from throwing for another 12-to-14 days before being re-evaluated prior to the final week of the regular season, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Though Ort doesn't look like he has a chance at making it back from the IL for Astros' season-ending road trip, he shouldn't require an extensive ramp-up period once he resumes throwing and could be available for the playoffs. Ort has mostly been used in middle relief this season, logging a 4.89 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 49:27 K:BB across 46 innings while nabbing two wins, one save and three holds in 49 appearances.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Sousa (elbow) could return from the 15-day injured list at some point during the postseason in a "best-case scenario," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Sousa hasn't resumed throwing since being placed on the injured list Aug. 22 due to a low-grade elbow flexor strain and doesn't appear to have a chance at returning before the end of the regular season. The 30-year-old will likely need to start throwing at some point in late September to put himself in consideration for a spot on the Astros' postseason roster. Before getting hurt, Sousa submitted a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 59:15 K:BB in 50.2 innings while collecting five wins, four saves and eight holds over his 44 appearances.

Mahle (shoulder) struck out three batters and allowed two hits and one walk over 2.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Round Rock.

After recording just three outs and getting rocked for five earned runs in his first rehab outing with Round Rock on Tuesday, Mahle returned to the hill five days later and fared much better. He pumped in 33 of his 47 pitches for strikes in the efficient performance, though his average fastball velocity of 90.2 miles per hour was about two ticks behind his season-long average prior to landing on the shelf June 15 due to right shoulder fatigue. Though Mahle isn't yet built up enough to handle a traditional starting role, the Rangers could have him return from the 60-day injured list later this week to work as a multi-inning reliever or to be used in tandem with Jacob Latz, who recently transitioned to the rotation after spending most of the season pitching in the bullpen.

Garcia is slated to make his next start Tuesday versus the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Garcia had been lined up to start this past Sunday's series finale versus the Rangers, but the Astros made a late change and instead had Framber Valdez take the hill on normal rest. Though Garcia wasn't dealing with any sort of injury, the Astros likely just wanted to build in more rest for the right-hander, who hadn't pitched in the majors since May 1, 2023 before he was activated from the 60-day injured list last week. After delivering a quality start and picking up a win over the Angels in his 2025 debut for the Astros last Monday, Garcia will draw a tougher test Tuesday in a road matchup with the Blue Jays, who sit atop the American League standings with an 82-61 record.

Ragans (shoulder) struck out seven and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk across three innings in a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Omaha.

Pitching in a game setting for the first time since June 5, Ragans had been expected to cover just two frames Sunday, but he ended up tacking on an extra inning to his workload after retiring six of the first seven batters he faced. Ultimately, Ragans tossed 45 pitches (34 strikes) in the rehab start, inducing 12 swings and misses while flashing a fastball that sat around 95 miles per hour. Ragans will likely need two more rehab outings to build his pitch count up to a typical starter's workload, though it's possible the Royals pull him off the minor-league assignment earlier than that if they're content with him making an abbreviated start or two in the big leagues upon his return from the 60-day injured list.

O'Neill (wrist) went 1-for-3 with a single in his first rehab game with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday.

O'Neill played in his first game in more than a month as he works his way back from right wrist inflammation. He served as Chesapeake's designated hitter Sunday and will be eased back into the corner outfield in the coming days. O'Neill should be ready for activation from the 10-day injured list within the next week or so.

Topa was removed from his relief appearance in Sunday's 5-1 win over Kansas City in the ninth inning due to left knee discomfort, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. "I had the doctor look at it and he said that structurally, everything looks good," said Topa.

Topa was in line for a save chance but exited with two outs in the ninth with the Twins holding a four-run lead, paving the way for Genesis Cabrera to record the game's final out. While Topa said that his knee is fine, he may need a few days off for any soreness to subside. Topa previously missed most of the 2024 season due to patellar tendinitis and a small tear in the patellar tendon in his left knee.

Vazquez (shoulder) resumed taking part in baseball activities over the weekend and hopes to return from the 10-day injured list by the end of the season, the Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Vazquez has been on the shelf since Aug. 8 due to a left shoulder infection, which he had surgically removed a couple weeks later. He hopes to return for a final few games of the season so that he can show he's healthy as he heads into free agency this winter.

Burger went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run during Sunday's 4-2 win over the Astros.

Burger capped off a three-run sixth inning with a two-run shot off Framber Valdez. The long ball was Burger's second in his last three games, and his 14th on the year. The first baseman has recorded a hit in six of his last seven games, going 9-for-25 (.360) with eight RBI during that stretch.