MLB Player News

McCullough (forearm) was activated from the 60-day injured list Sunday.

McCullough made four rehab appearances while working his way back from season-ending surgery, posting a 4.26 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 17 strikeouts over 12.2 innings in two showings in the Arizona Complex League and two with Single-A Myrtle Beach. He was reinstated from the 60-day IL on Sunday and looked strong in his first appearance of the year with Double-A Knoxville later that day, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks while striking out four in four frames.

Burns will not play in Tuesday's All-Star Game due to a right groin injury he suffered during his last start Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Burns, who labored through five innings and 106 pitches, was injured while covering home plate on a wild pitch. The right-hander said he didn't feel anything wrong while on the mound for the rest of the game but felt tightness the following day. He huddled with manager Terry Francona and the front office and decided it was best to not represent the National League in the midsummer classic. There has been no mention of imaging, which suggests the 23-year-old could return following the All-Star break.

Smith (shoulder) was activated from the 7-day injured list Sunday.

Smith made two rehab appearances at High-A Winston-Salem earlier this month, where he allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while fanning eight over 4.2 innings. He was activated from the injured list Sunday and made a start for Triple-A Charlotte later that same day, surrendering one run on three hits and one walk while collecting five strikeouts across four frames.

Burnes (elbow) began a throwing program July 10 and felt good following the session, MLB.com reports.

Burnes had been working his way back from Tommy John surgery during April and May but was forced to shut down in early June. The plan calls for him to throw off flat ground every other day and then progress to throwing off a mound. The Diamondbacks hope the right-hander can return in time for a September playoff push.

Williams (elbow) struck out two and allowed two hits and no walks over 2.2 scoreless innings Wednesday in a rehab start at Triple-A Rochester.

Through three starts since beginning his rehab assignment June 28, Williams has turned in a 3.18 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 5:0 K:BB over 5.2 innings across stops with Rochester, Double-A Harrisburg and Single-A Fredericksburg. Williams is building up his innings and pitch counts slowly but surely as he works his way back from last July's internal brace surgery and will likely require at least two or three more appearances in the minors to get fully stretched out. The Nationals don't appear to have a spot available in the rotation for Williams at the moment, though that could change in the aftermath of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Irvin (shoulder) struck out three and gave up one hit and no walks over three scoreless innings Monday in a rehab start in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Making his first appearance in a game since May 23 following an extended recovery from a right shoulder strain, Irvin looked sharp while facing off a lineup consisting mostly of teenaged hitters. He'll presumably shift his rehab assignment to a higher level this weekend when the Nationals' full-season affiliates are back in action following the All-Star break and will aim to push up his pitch count. Prior to landing on the injured list, Irvin had posted a solid 58:22 K:BB over 51.2 innings, but an elevated BABIP (.304) and low strand rate (63.4 percent) played a part in inflating his ERA (5.23) and WHIP (1.35).

The Mets announced June 1 that Hagenman (rib) has yet to resume a throwing program, MLB.com reports.

Six weeks have passed since the Mets have provided an update on Hagenman, so the 29-year-old righty could be stuck in a holding pattern in his recovery from the fractured rib he sustained in a March 5 Grapefruit League game. Once he finally completes a throwing progression, Hagenman will require an extended minor-league rehab assignment and will likely be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse once he's activated from the 60-day injured list.

Single-A Hill City placed Oakie on its 7-day injured list Wednesday due to a viral illness.

Oakie hadn't pitched for Hill City since June 24 before the club deactivated him two weeks later. The young righty is regarded as one of the Guardians' better lower-level pitching prospects but has struggled to a 7.15 ERA, 1.95 WHIP and 56:42 K:BB over 45.1 innings with Hill City this season.

Smith-Shawver (elbow) will make at least one more rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett, Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Smith-Shawver is in the final stages of his recovery from June 2025 Tommy John surgery. but he's not quite there yet. The 23-year-old right-hander built up to 58 pitches (28 strikes) with Gwinnett on Saturday, but the results weren't pretty as he gave up two runs on five hits and three walks over 2.1 innings. On the bright side, his fastball sat 95-97 mph and topped out at 98.7 mph before he began to fade in his third and final frame. Smith-Shawver's rehab assignment runs out July 29, and if Atlanta decides to max that out, he could fit in three more starts before coming off the IL.

The Astros nullified Burrows' previous optional assignment to Triple-A Sugar Land and placed him on the 15-day injured list Monday due to right elbow neuritis, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Burrows didn't make any appearance for Sugar Land after being optioned to the affiliate last Tuesday, which enabled the team to reverse the prior transaction and place him on the IL instead. The right-hander has posted a 5.99 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 75:35 K:BB across 94.2 innings over his 18 appearances (17 starts) with Houston this season, and he'll likely be headed back to Sugar Land once he fully recovers from the elbow injury.