MLB Player News

Means (forearm) struck out five and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and one walk over 4.1 innings in a rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Norfolk.

Means built up to 79 pitches in the rehab start, his fifth overall with Norfolk. The 31-year-old lefty hasn't performed as well as the Orioles had hoped during the rehab assignment -- he holds a 13.89 ERA, 2.41 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB in 11.2 innings -- but with Wednesday's outing arguably being Means' best yet, he could be cleared to return from the 15-day injured list soon. According to Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, the Orioles haven't ruled out the possibility of Means returning from the IL to start Sunday versus the Athletics, though the club may prefer to have the red-hot Albert Suarez (11.1 scoreless innings through two starts) make another turn through the rotation.

LeMahieu is still dealing with swelling in his right foot and will be shut down from baseball activity for a week, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

LeMahieu had to make an early exit from his first rehab game at Double-A Somerset on Tuesday after his fractured right foot began bothering him in the first inning. After getting checked out by team doctors Wednesday, he will officially be pulled off his rehab assignment and shut down from all activity for the next seven days. Next steps for the 35-year-old infielder will be determined once his seven days are up, though it seems his target return date will be pushed back well into May.

Gelof was diagnosed with a left oblique strain Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Gelof's injury was initially described as "left abdominal soreness" and caused him to be scratched from Oakland's lineup prior to Wednesday's game. However, his injury now appears to be more severe than initially thought, and it will likely cause him to land on the injured list. The A's haven't specified how long the 24-year-old may be out for, but Abraham Toro, who filled in for Gelof on Wednesday, will likely see consistent reps at second base in his absence.

Vest (1-1) allowed three runs on three hits across an inning of work to take the loss Wednesday against the Rays. He struck out one.

Vest has been mostly good so far this season, though his ERA climbed from 1.64 to 3.75 with this clunker. The righty turned in a 2.98 ERA across 48 games last year, so this poor performance will likely just be a blip on the radar. Vest should remain locked into a high-leverage setup role for the Tigers, but his fantasy value is somewhat limited because he's not seeing save opportunities at the moment.

Vierling went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-5 loss to the Rays.

With Gio Urshela (hamstring) and Andy Ibanez (hamstring) both on the injured list, Vierling has been seeing regular time at third base recently. He's now batting a solid .273, and the 27-year-old will retain some fantasy value as long he's starting most days. It remains to be seen what the Tigers will do when Urshela or Ibanez returns, though Vierling will likely shift into a utility role, as he's capable of playing in the outfield as well as at the hot corner.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said prior to Wednesday's 8-0 win over the Guardians that Yoshida is still viewed as the team's primary designated hitter, despite being on the bench for two straight matchups with right-handed starting pitchers, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. "He's an everyday DH, man," Cora said of Yoshida. "I don't know what the big deal is. [Tyler] O'Neill had to DH [on Tuesday]. [Rafael Devers] had to DH [on Wednesday]."

Yoshida's consecutive absences from the lineup created some question regarding whether the 30-year-old was still viewed as an everyday player after struggling to a .250/.333/.375 slash line through the Red Sox's first 24 games of the season, but Cora dispelled the notion that Yoshida's role was being downsized. The skipper noted that the Red Sox's injury situation was largely responsible for Yoshida being excluded from the lineup, as O'Neill was limited to DH duties when he came off the 7-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's 4-1 loss, and Devers was eased back in as a DH on Wednesday after having not played in a week due to a bone bruise in his left knee. O'Neill returned to his usual spot in left field Wednesday, but Devers may need another day or two as a DH before the Red Sox clear him to play third base. Since the Red Sox aren't keen on having Yoshida play in the corner outfield, he could miss out on more starts until Devers is back at third base on a full-time basis.

Rafaela started at shortstop and went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 8-0 win over the Guardians.

Rafaela made a fifth consecutive start at shortstop, which could be his primary home for the rest of the season. While his defense in center field will be missed, moving him to the infield allows the Red Sox to get better bats into the lineup. That's is important for a team missing Trevor Story (shoulder) and Triston Casas (rib).

Devers went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 8-0 win over Cleveland.

Devers was in the lineup for the first time in a week while dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee. He returned as the designated hitter and recorded his first multi-hit game since Opening Day. The next hurdle for Devers will be playing a game in the field.

Marsh was removed from his start Wednesday versus Toronto after getting hit by a comebacker, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Marsh took a 94-mph line drive off his right forearm during the fifth inning and looked to be in a considerable amount of pain before leaving the game with trainers. The Royals will take a closer look at him and should offer an update on his status after Wednesday's game. The 25-year-old righty pitched 4.1 innings of shutout ball before exiting.

The Rangers recalled Anderson from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Anderson has allowed four earned runs across two innings in the majors this season, and he'll now return to Texas with Austin Pruitt (knee) headed to the injured list. The 26-year-old right-hander figures to work exclusively in low-leverage situations while with the Rangers.