MLB Player News

Brubaker (ribs) rejoined the Yankees on Monday after completing his rehab assignment, and manager Aaron Boone said that the right-hander is in line for "potential activation" from the 60-day injured list, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Brubaker has yet to make his Yankees debut since being acquired from the Pirates in March 2024, as he was limited to a slew of minor-league rehab appearances last season while completing his recovery from April 2023 Tommy John surgery. The right-hander received a clean bill of health heading into spring training, but he fractured three of his ribs after being struck by a comebacker in late February and has spent the last three-plus months working his way back from the injury. Brubaker has finally reached the finish line in his recovery, and he closed out his extended rehab assignment in impressive fashion by allowing one earned run on no hits and two walks over five innings in his most recent outing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Though Brubaker has been building up as a starter during his rehab, he may be more likely to work in long relief once the Yankees activate him within the next few days.

Cousins will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Cousins has dealt with issues with his pitching arm since the beginning of spring training and recently experienced a setback that has prompted him to get season-ending surgery. He will be shelved at least until the middle of the 2026 season.

Laureano is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

The Orioles will get two everyday players in Colton Cowser (soreness) and Ryan O'Hearn (ankle) back in the lineup Monday following multi-game absences, and though Laureano will head to the bench, he still appears to have a hold on a regular spot in the starting nine. Since returning from the injured list June 6, Laureano had started in each of the Orioles' ensuing nine games and slashed .250/.342/.438 with two home runs and six RBI. He maintains a .834 OPS on the season, good for second on the team behind O'Hearn (.893).

Mayo is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Rays.

The Orioles are facing right-hander Ryan Pepiot, marking the fifth straight contest that Mayo has been out of the lineup against a righty. Baltimore will go with Ryan O'Hearn at first base and Jordan Westburg at designated hitter.

O'Hearn (ankle) will start at first base and bat fifth in Monday's game against the Rays.

O'Hearn missed the previous two contests after injuring his left ankle this past Friday, but he's ready to roll for Monday's series opener. Coby Mayo will retreat to the bench after starting the last two games at first base in O'Hearn's place.

Cowser (soreness) will start in left field and bat eighth in Monday's game versus the Rays.

Cowser collided with the outfield wall in last Thursday's game against the Tigers and missed the three games after that with general soreness. However, he's feeling well enough to give it a go in Monday's series opener in Tampa Bay.

Dominguez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.

After going 2-for-15 at the dish while starting in each of the Yankees' last four games, Dominguez will head to the bench Monday as the Angels send right-hander Jose Soriano to the hill. With Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) making his return from the 60-day injured list and likely to see the bulk of the starts at designated hitter moving forward, Dominguez's opportunities to play against right-handed pitching could become more limited.

Clarke has not pitched for High-A Greenville since May 24 due to a blister caused by a hangnail issue, SoxProspects.com reports.

Clarke was one of the top breakout prospects of the first two months, as the 2024 fifth-round pick logged a 1.88 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 38:9 K:BB in 24 innings across Single-A and High-A. He has yet to throw more than 4.2 innings in a pro start but has demonstrated elite stuff from the left side. Clarke has not been placed on the injured list despite being sidelined for over three weeks.

Goldschmidt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.

The Yankees haven't indicated that Goldschmidt is dealing with a physical issue, but the 37-year-old will hit the bench for the second day in a row against a right-handed starting pitcher (Jose Soriano). Manager Aaron Boone will likely elaborate further on the lineup when he speaks to the media Monday, but Chris Kirschner of The Athletic speculates that the return of Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) from the 60-day injured list could result in the Yankees opting for a quasi-platoon at first base. With Stanton expected to get the majority of the at-bats at designated hitter moving forward, the right-handed-hitting Goldschmidt could give way at first base more frequently to the left-handed-hitting Ben Rice when the Yankees face righties. Goldschmidt owns a 91 wRC+ versus righties for the season, while Rice has posted a 132 wRC+ in those matchups.

The Astros recalled Alexander from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Alexander will be joining the Astros as a replacement on the 26-man active roster for right-hander Lance McCullers (foot), whom Houston placed on the 15-day injured list. Ryan Gusto will be pushed up a day in the Astros' pitching schedule to start Monday's series opener in Sacramento, but Alexander could be called upon to start Tuesday's game against the Athletics while Houston looks to keep a six-man rotation intact during a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The 32-year-old Alexander hasn't made a start in the majors since 2022, but he made four appearances in the majors with the Athletics earlier this season and gave up 13 runs (12 earned) in six innings. Since being claimed off waivers by the Astros on May 18, Alexander has worked out of the Sugar Land rotation and has posted a 1.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 15:8 K:BB in 20.2 innings over four starts.