MLB Player News

Castano's scheduled start vs. the Mets on Thursday was has been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The Mets apparently produced a pair of positive test results, resulting in the postponement of Thursday's series finale. The Marlins have yet to announce how they will adjust their rotation following the postponement, leaving Castano's next start up in the air.

Martin (neck) was activated from the injured list Thursday.

Martin wound up missing two weeks with an esophageal constriction. Prior to landing on the shelf, the right-hander allowed one run across four innings of relief. Kyle Wright was sent to the team's alternate training site to make room on the roster for Martin.

Venditte was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a strained right oblique.

Venditte suffered the injury earlier in the week, and an MRI on Wednesday confirmed the severity of the issue. The Marlins have not offered up a timetable for Venditte's return, though he'll be eligible for activation at the end of August should he prove ready. Miguel Rojas was activated from the IL on Thursday in a corresponding move.

Webb (1-1) was credited with the victory in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cubs on Wednesday, firing 1.1 perfect innings during which he recorded two strikeouts.

The left-hander got four valuable outs in the seven-inning affair, bouncing back from his one hiccup of the season in the process. Webb had taken the loss in Game 2 of Monday's twin bill versus the Cubs by yielding three earned runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning, the only outing among his six appearances during which he's been scored upon thus far.

Romero is serving as the 29th man for Thursday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays.

He will likely be used as a long man if either game gets out of hand. Romero, a 23-year-old lefty, has yet to make his MLB debut and logged a 6.88 ERA in 13 starts at Triple-A last year.

Helsley (illness) is expected to enter the second phase of the re-entry process for gaining clearance to resume baseball activities during the early portion of the team's upcoming 11-day, 12-game homestand, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The hard-throwing right-hander has reportedly dealt with a slight fever during his bout with coronavirus, but this latest report seems to imply Helsley could be on his way back to full health. The 26-year-old will have to produce two negative COVID-19 test results at least 24 hours apart in order to officially enter the second phase of the re-entry process, which includes a cardiac evaluation and an antibody blood test. Helsley made two appearances during which he fired 2.2 scoreless innings before the Cardinals' season was paused for over two weeks due to the team's COVID outbreak.

Diaz (1-0) walked a batter but struck out four while giving up no hits in 1.1 innings as the Mets took care of the Marlins 5-3 Wednesday evening.

Diaz was called upon to enter in the eighth inning after Dellin Betances found himself in a two-out bases-loaded jam. Although wild at times, Diaz had his stuff working Wednesday as he struck out Jonathan Villar to escape trouble in the eighth and then struck out the side in the ninth to seal the victory for the Mets. The 26-year-old righty has given up just one run while owning an impressive 19:2 K:BB through 8.1 innings since Aug. 2, and could start seeing save chances again with Seth Lugo moving back into the rotation.

Diaz could operate as the Mets' closer with Seth Lugo moving to the starting rotation Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Lugo converted three of his five save chances with a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB this season, but the Mets want to see if he can translate that success into the rotation. Diaz allowed runs in two of his first three outings of the season to fall out of favor, but he's given up only one run and has a 19:2 K:BB in his past eight appearances (8.1 innings), including 1.1 scoreless frames to earn the win Wednesday against the Marlins. The Mets haven't made any official declarations regarding their plans for the ninth inning, but Diaz is the logical option given his pedigree and current form.

Martin (elbow) will be shut down for a couple weeks after suffering an oblique strain, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old is working his way back from Tommy John surgery last July, but his buildup will be interrupted due to the oblique strain. Martin figured to be a candidate to see the big leagues sometime in September, but that now appears unlikely since he won't be reevaluated for a few weeks.

Wilson was optioned to the Braves' alternate training site Wednesday.

The 22-year-old was recalled by the Braves last week and made one appearance during his time with the team, allowing two runs on one hit and four walks over 1.2 innings. Wilson could still rejoin the Braves later in the year, but for now he'll head back to the alternate training site.