MLB Player News

Cruz (oblique) could return sometime in August, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Updates have been few and far between since Cruz hit the IL on June 30 with a high-grade oblique strain. Per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Cruz could start playing catch as soon as this weekend. Manager Aaron Boone said Friday that an August return is possible.

Manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Schlittler has been dealing with upper arm soreness, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Schlittler was originally supposed to start Friday's game against Atlanta, but the Yankees will now push back his first start of the second half. Imaging on the 24-year-old's arm came back negative, so he should be able to avoid a trip to the injured list and will likely take the mound sometime during New York's upcoming series in Toronto.

O'Neill is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

O'Neill was also on the bench for the final game before the All-Star break and has gone 3-for-22 in six contests since returning from the injured list in early July. The veteran outfielder has struggled to a .585 OPS in his first 30 games for Baltimore after inking a one-year, $16.5 million contract in December.

Manoah (elbow) will make a rehab start Sunday with Single-A Dunedin, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The right-hander surrendered four runs (three earned) while recording just one out during his first rehab outing Monday, and he'll attempt to ramp up his workload this weekend. Manoah will likely need at least a couple additional starts in the minors after Sunday before being considered for activation.

Santander (shoulder) hasn't resumed swinging and will be evaluated by the Blue Jays' medical staff in Toronto, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Santander will return to Toronto to undergo further evaluations. The outfielder has hit a plateau in his recovery from a left shoulder subluxation and hasn't been cleared to swing since being placed on the injured list May 30. He'll become eligible for activation toward the end of July, but there's no timeline for his return.

Burr will undergo a season-ending shoulder capsule operation, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Burr suffered a strained right rotator cuff July 9 and was immediately placed on the 60-day injured list. The 31-year-old right-hander will miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign after undergoing a corrective procedure on the injured shoulder. It's unclear if the injury will linger into the 2026 campaign.

Fried (blister) is "hopeful" that he'll be able to start in Toronto next week, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Fried has been playing catch since the blister first popped up in Saturday's start against the Cubs, and the team has not made an injured list move, but he has not done more than play catch. The lefty's status will likely be updated in a day or two if he is able to throw a side session, but as things stand, he should be considered questionable to make a start next week. Given that Carlos Rodon and Cam Schlittler could start the games Monday and Tuesday on plenty of rest, it would seem most likely for Fried to return in the final game of the series in Toronto on Wednesday.

Kwan isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Athletics due to a right wrist injury, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Kwan received an injection Wednesday to address the issue, which has been bothering him recently. The star outfielder is considered day-to-day going forward. Specifics regarding the injury are unclear. Cleveland kicks off a stretch of 13 games in 13 days Friday.

Varsho (hamstring) will play in a rehab game with Low-A Dunedin on Friday and is expected to need 5-to-8 rehab games before being activated from the 10-day injured list, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Friday's appearance will be Varsho's second minor-league rehab outing. He's expected to play 3-to-5 innings in the outfield during the contest. Varsho is likely to have his assignment transferred to Triple-A Buffalo sometime next week. If he sticks to the 5-to-8-game timeline, Varsho would likely be back before August.

Francis (shoulder) experienced shoulder discomfort while rehabbing and will be shut down for at least 10 days, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Francis has been on the shelf since June 17 with a right shoulder impingement, though he began throwing off a mound July 8. He suffered a setback while building back up at the Blue Jays' player development complex and won't throw for at least a week and a half. The hitch in his recovery likely means he won't be back until mid-August at the earliest.