MLB Player News

Woodruff (shoulder) has extended his flat-ground throwing to 105 feet, and his readiness for mound work will be re-evaluated at the end of September, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The initial expectation when Woodruff was diagnosed with a capsule injury in his right shoulder in July was that he'd require season-ending surgery. However, he was able to avoid an operation after the shoulder healed more quickly than anticipated, and Woodruff was cleared to resume throwing in late August. He will not make it back before the end of the regular season, but there's a slim chance Woodruff could pitch at some point in the postseason.

Cleavinger (forearm) has resumed playing catch but still doesn't have a timetable for a return from the 15-day injured list, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cleavinger landed on the IL in early September with left forearm tightness. A timeline for the reliever's return won't come into focus until he's throwing off the mound, and it's unclear when he'll be cleared for that. Cleavinger has logged a 4.79 ERA and 54:22 K:BB over 41.1 frames in 2026.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said recently that McClanahan (forearm) has resumed playing catch but still has "a long way to go" before returning to the active roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

McClanahan has been out since early September with left forearm tightness, and while Cash is "encouraged" the southpaw is progressing, the manager is unsure whether the hurler will make it back before the end of the regular season. If McClanahan does make a start later this month, it would likely be during the final week of the regular season and would involve a pitch count.

Murphy will be used as the White Sox's opening pitcher for Tuesday's contest in Cleveland, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Murphy will work the first inning or two before Davis Martin likely takes over in bulk relief. The left-handed Murphy has tossed two scoreless frames with a 5:0 K:BB in his two outings since being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte last week.

Martin will be utilized as a bulk reliever in Tuesday's game versus the Guardians, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

All 26 of Martin's appearances to this point have been traditional starts, but the White Sox have elected to use Chris Murphy in front of Martin as an opener for Tuesday's showdown in Cleveland. Martin has pitched well in two starts since coming back from the injured list, yielding a total of just one run over 10.2 innings.

Early (elbow) is expected to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Rochester, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

Early had been scheduled to kick off his rehab assignment and make his organizational debut Sunday with Double-A Harrisburg, but the affiliate's game was rained out that day. The Nationals will now look to have Early report to their Triple-A affiliate to continue building on his workload, after he tossed 30 pitches in a bridge league game one week earlier. After his upcoming rehab start, the Nationals could elect to bring Early back from the 60-day injured list for his next outing, though he likely wouldn't be stretched out enough to handle a traditional starting role.

Atlanta placed Lopez on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to right shoulder inflammation.

The right-hander took the loss Monday against the Cubs after giving up five runs across three innings, leaving him with a 7.94 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 0-4 record in his past five starts. Following the game, manager Walt Weiss indicated that Lopez has dealt with shoulder discomfort at times throughout the year, and the veteran hurler will now be sidelined for at least the final two weeks of the regular season. The 32-year-old closes out the 2026 regular season with a 4.54 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 73:34 K:BB across 79.1 innings, with his late struggles spoiling what had been a strong start to the campaign. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to rejoin Atlanta during the playoffs.

Jimenez (knee) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

It will be the first game appearance for Jimenez since the end of the 2024 campaign, as he's worked his way back from multiple knee surgeries. Atlanta has not ruled out adding Jimenez to its bullpen before the end of the regular season, but it will depend on how he looks and feels in his rehab outings.

Atlanta recalled Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

He's slated to start Wednesday's game against the Cubs, and with Reynaldo Lopez (shoulder) landing on the 15-day injured list and AJ Smith-Shawver demoted to the bullpen, Ritchie is a good bet to make additional starts down the stretch. The rookie hurler had been on a roll at Gwinnett, authoring a 2.14 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB in 33.2 innings across his last six starts. Ritchie has logged a 4.50 ERA and 53:36 K:BB over 58 frames covering eight starts and six relief outings with the big club.

Harrison failed to record an out and was charged with four earned runs on four hits in a relief appearance in Saturday's 13-9 win over the Reds.

After Harrison was lit up for 15 runs (13 earned) in his prior two starts, Brewers manager Pat Murphy elected to shift the left-hander to a relief role with the hope that the change would provide a needed reset. Though Harrison's velocity ticked back up Saturday, his command was still lacking, as he gave up a double and three base hits on 17 pitches before Murphy lifted him from the game. Per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Murphy expressed optimism after the game that Harrison would be able to bounce back from his recent rough patch, but the southpaw's recent form makes it unlikely that he'll resurface in the rotation in the near future.