• Will open Saturday's game
    Koening will serve as the Brewers' opening pitcher in Saturday's game against the Reds, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

    Advice: It's a familiar role for Koening, who is unscored upon over 4.1 innings in his first four opener assignments this season. He's expected to be followed Saturday by Bryse Wilson in bulk relief. Rotowire.com Today, 8:46 am
    Jared KoenigMIL - SP,RP
    1:10 pm vs CIN
     
  • Saddled with second loss
    Alexander (0-2) took the extra-inning loss against the Twins on Friday, allowing an unearned run on a hit and an intentional walk without recording an out.

    Advice: Alexander's lighting-quick outing resulted in the culmination of the Twins' comeback from a pair of deficits, with the southpaw intentionally putting Carlos Correa on and then conceding a walk-off RBI single on his first pitch to Max Kepler that plated automatic runner Austin Martin. Alexander has now allowed a run in three straight appearances and taken his first two losses of the season in consecutive outings, so it remains to be seen if he'll be kept out of high-leverage situations for the time being as he tries to get back on track. Rotowire.com Today, 8:27 am
    Scott AlexanderOAK - SP,RP
    PPD @MIN
     
  • Could rejoin rotation next week
    The Yankees are expected to decide this weekend whether Cole (elbow) will need another rehab start or if he's ready to rejoin the Yankees' rotation, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

    Advice: Cole was dominant in his third rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, pitching 4.1 innings during which he allowed an unearned run on two hits and no walks while striking out 10 batters. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner tossed 70 pitches in the outing, so he'd likely have his workload managed to some extent if his next trip to the mound is with the big club. If it's determined that Cole needs another rehab start, it would be for ramp-up reasons rather than due to effectiveness -- he's dominated minor-leaguers in his three appearances, posting a 19:0 K:BB while allowing just one earned run over 12.1 frames. Should Cole next move back into the Yankees' rotation, his season debut could come during the team's three-game set versus Baltimore next week. Rotowire.com Today, 8:23 am
     
  • Dominant in securing 10th hold
    Ferguson recorded a hold against the Red Sox on Friday by striking out all four batters he faced.

    Advice: Ferguson entered with two runners on base and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and finished the frame by fanning Jarren Duran. The lefty reliever returned for the seventh and proceeded to strike out the side on 15 pitches. It was the sixth straight scoreless outing for Ferguson, and he's picked up three holds and a victory while registering an 8:2 K:BB over five innings during that span. He leads the Yankees with 10 holds on the campaign. Rotowire.com Today, 8:09 am
     
  • Kyle Bradish exits Friday with elbow discomfort
    Kyle Bradish was removed from Friday’s start against the Phillies with right elbow discomfort.

    Advice: Not good. Bradish is slated to undergo further testing after lasting just five innings on Friday night before exiting after just 74 pitches. He was spotted shaking his elbow throughout the contest on a night where his velocity was up significantly from previous levels. The biggest concern here for fantasy managers is that the 27-year-old righty is roughly six weeks removed from returning from a UCL sprain in his right elbow that caused him to miss all of spring training and the opening month of the season. There should be an update on his status in the coming days and it seems highly likely that he could wind up requiring another trip to the injured list. We’ll have updates on the developing situation as they unfold. Rotoworld Today, 5:58 am
    Kyle BradishBAL - SP
    1:05 pm vs PHI
     
  • Kyle Bradish solid across five innings
    Kyle Bradish allowed two earned runs via solo homers in five innings on Friday in a loss to the Phillies. He struck out four and walked one.

    Advice: Bradish hadn’t given up a home run all season before Friday, but the Phillies put two in the seats for their only two runs. Still, Bradish was mostly in control with a heavy diet of sinkers to supplement his excellent slider and curveball. He left the game with 74 pitches one inning shy of qualifying for a quality start. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:47 pm
    Kyle BradishBAL - SP
    1:05 pm vs PHI
     
  • Dealing with elbow problems
    Bradish reported having issues with his right elbow after the fifth inning of Friday's game against the Phillies, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

    Advice: Manager Brandon Hyde said after the game that Bradish will undergo tests on his elbow to determine the cause of the issue. The 27-year-old missed the first month of the season after suffering a UCL sprain during spring training, so it makes sense why the Orioles are being cautious with him. He's lined up to pitch again next Friday against the Astros, but his chances of making his next start will likely depend on the results of his tests. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 8:46 pm
    Kyle BradishBAL - SP
    1:05 pm vs PHI
     
  • Gerrit Cole strikes out 10 in final rehab start
    Gerrit Cole delivered a dominant performance in his final minor league rehab start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday night, racking up 10 strikeouts over his 4 1/3 innings of work.

    Advice: Cole surrendered just an unearned run on two hits on the night and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 70 pitches — 46 of them for strikes. The Yankees plan to meet in the next day or two to discuss Cole’s status, but it would be shocking at this point if his next start didn’t come in pinstripes. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:27 pm
     
  • Looks sharp Friday
    Hendricks tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals. He allowed two hits and struck out one.

    Advice: Chicago starter Jordan Hicks departed after just 1.2 innings due to an oblique injury, which pushed Hendricks into action. The veteran responded well and had perhaps his best outing of the season, giving the Cubs some much-needed length out of the bullpen. While Hendricks still has an ugly 8.20 ERA overall, he's been better lately with 8.2 scoreless innings over his last three appearances. The veteran is the most likely candidate to move into the rotation with Wicks expected to land on the IL. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:38 pm