What It Means:

Zimmermann made two minor league rehab starts with Triple-A Toledo. He allowed just one run in those starts, though he only threw 78 pitches in his second outing, so there will likely be some sort of pitch cap on him during Thursday's start. The 30-year-old right-hander -- who owns a 3.95 ERA this season -- hasn't pitched since June 30 because of a right neck strain.

Zimmermann owns a poor 4.50 xFIP in 95 2/3 innings pitched this season, and his 15.15 strikeout percentage is well below the league average of 21.02 percent. We project him to record a 4.23 ERA with a 14.97 strikeout percentage over the rest of the year.