MLB Player News

Pepiot (hip) threw a live batting practice session Friday, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's the first time Pepiot has faced hitters since he landed on the 15-day injured list just before Opening Day with right hip inflammation. Pepiot is expected to require at least one rehab start before rejoining the Rays' rotation, so it would be a push for him to make it back next week. That said, a season debut before the end of April for the right-hander is doable.

Berrios (elbow) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Berrios has a stress fracture in his right elbow, but he's been progressing in a throwing program without issue the last couple weeks. Exactly when and where his first rehab start will take place hasn't been determined, but Berrios will target 50 pitches in the outing. He could be ready to rejoin the Blue Jays' active roster around May 1 if all goes well.

Strider (oblique) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

It's presumed to be the last step before Strider heads out on a rehab assignment. Strider suffered the strained left oblique at the end of spring training and has missed his first three turns through the rotation, but it appears a 2026 debut will happen in the near future. Martin Perez has been filling in at the back end of Atlanta's rotation while Strider has been out.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Barger (ankles) will remain shut down from baseball activities through Monday's off day, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Barger is dealing with soreness in both ankles, though he's experiencing more discomfort in the left ankle. He is eligible to return from the 10-day injured list April 16, but given that he won't resume baseball activities until two days before that date, it's likely Barger will require more down time.

Murphy (hip) will have his rehab assignment delayed until Tuesday due to a personal matter, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Murphy is home tending to a family matter and will miss the entire weekend series for Triple-A Gwinnett. After missing all of spring training, Murphy is expected to have an extended rehab assignment before being cleared for MLB action.

Yesavage (shoulder) is scheduled to make another rehab start Tuesday or Wednesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The exact details of Yesavage's next start will depend on the weather, but if all goes well it's expected to be his final rehab outing before he rejoins the Blue Jays' rotation. Yesavage allowed four runs over 2.2 innings in his most recent rehab start with Single-A Dunedin, though he did strike out six batters. The plan is to get his pitch count up to around 70 in next week's outing, which would set Savage up for a relatively normal workload when he rejoins the big club. Yesavage has been working his way back from a right shoulder impingement.

Anthony is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in St. Louis.

Anthony is slashing only .217/.308/.348 in the early going and has also had throwing issues on days he's played the outfield. He'll begin Friday's contest on the bench while Jarren Duran handles left field and Masataka Yoshida occupies the designated hitter slot.

Chourio's fractured hand is showing signs of healing, but he still isn't cleared to resume hitting, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Chourio was hit on the hand while playing in an exhibition with Team Venezuela back on March 4. Originally expected to be sidelined 2-to-4 weeks, Chourio suffered the injury more than five weeks ago and still can't swing a bat. He's likely to need a rehab assignment once he's cleared to resume full baseball activities. Blake Perkins, Brandon Lockridge and Jake Bauers have been seeing extra playing time while Chourio has been sidelined.

The Athletics recalled Gelof from Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

He's taking the roster spot of the injured Brent Rooker (oblique). Gelof was slashing a blistering .366/.519/.732 with four home runs, three steals and a 13:7 BB:K at hitter-friendly Las Vegas. While those numbers are encouraging, Gelof's .205/.264/.348 line with a 36.1 percent strikeout rate since 2024 with the A's is not. He could see some action at designated hitter and/or second base while Rooker is out.

The Athletics placed Rooker on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right oblique strain.

Rooker suffered the injury on a swing during Thursday's game against the Yankees. He will be eligible for activation April 20, though oblique strains often require longer than minimum stints on the IL. Carlos Cortes is getting a start at designated hitter for the Athletics on Friday against the Mets in the team's first game without Rooker.