MLB Player News

Verlander (hip) tossed a bullpen session Saturday in Chicago, MLB.com reports.

Verlander returned to the mound three days after he completed a four-inning, 66-pitch simulated game Wednesday during which he topped out at 95.3 mph with his fastball, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. A left hip injury has kept him on the shelf since April 4, and while the 43-year-old hurler has been building up his pitch count in sim games, Detroit could still have Verlander go on a brief rehab stint before bringing him back from the injured list. He'll be re-evaluated Sunday before the Tigers determine his next step.

Burger went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Royals.

Burger was involved in the Rangers' three-run, walk-off rally in the ninth inning. His single plated the game-tying run before Ezequiel Duran won it with another single. For Burger, the RBI was his team-leading 37th. After an April that saw him hit .170 and dredged up memories of the early-season struggles in 2025 that eventually led to a demotion, Burger has responded in May by slashing .286/.343/.516 with five home runs and 18 RBI over 25 contests.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-1 loss to the White Sox.

Perez has only five home runs this season, but three of them have come in his last five games. The power surge is nice, but the outfielder is batting just .235 during the stretch, and he's batting only .172 overall this year. Perez looks like he can occasionally be a nice source of homers, but his low batting average will make him a volatile fantasy asset prone to extended slumps.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Saturday that Gasper has emerged as the team's preferred option at catcher against right-handed pitching, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Following a May 7 promotion, Gasper initially saw most of his opportunities at designated hitter with Roman Anthony (finger/wrist) on the shelf. Masataka Yoshida and Andruw Monasterio have since settled into a platoon at DH, but Gasper has poached starts behind the plate from Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong. Since his call-up, Gasper is slashing an impressive .340/.380/.404 across 51 plate appearances. With zero home runs or steals, eight runs and two RBI over 16 games, however, he isn't providing much fantasy value, and his batting average has been fueled by a .432 BABIP.

Duran went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 7-6 win over Kansas City.

Duran recorded the first walk-off plate appearance of his career, capping a ninth-inning, three-run rally with a flare single to right field. The versatile Duran has made himself indispensable as a fill-in at several positions for injured regulars, but he's played well enough to remain a lineup staple even when the roster gets healthy. Across 50 games this season, Duran is slashing .289/.343/.453 with four home runs, 29 RBI, five steals and 24 runs.

Hoerner went 2-for-6 with a stolen base and an RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Cardinals.

After a strong start to the season, it's mostly been a slog lately for Hoerner. He's batting just .206 in 27 May games with four stolen bases. In 31 games before May, the infielder batted .291 with seven steals. Hoerner's MLB track record suggests his numbers will climb again soon, and his ability to rack up stolen bases quickly continues to drive his fantasy value.

Pederson went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Royals.

Pederson ignited a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with a leadoff homer. That was the first of five consecutive hits, culminating with Ezequiel Duran's walk-off single to wipe out Kansas City's lead. The home run was Pederson's second in as many games and the fifth across his last five contests.

Langford (forearm) served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored in a rehab game for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Langford kicked off a rehab assignment Saturday. He should see time in the outfield in the minors in the coming days and is projected to return from the 10-day injured list when the Rangers' next homestand gets underway Friday against the Guardians, per MLB.com.

Pagan (hamstring) underwent an MRI exam Friday that showed positive results, MLB.com reports.

As a result, the reliever has been cleared to run on an anti-gravity treadmill. Pagan was removed from a game May 5 and placed on the 15-day injured list the next day due to a hamstring strain. He's eligible to return at any point but he's still well within his original return timeline of four-to-eight weeks.

Fernandez started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Saturday's 5-1 loss to Seattle.

Fernandez was a late addition to the starting lineup after Nolan Arenado (undisclosed) was scratched. Arenado has been battling a groin injury since Tuesday but made an appearance as a pinch hitter and DH on Friday, only to foul a ball off his leg and get hit by a pitch on the arm in his two plate appearances. Fernandez has gone 3-for-12 with two doubles and an RBI this week as a fill-in at third base.