MLB Player News

Castillo (forearm) is close to beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Castillo has been on the shelf all season with a left flexor strain, but he's finally nearing a return to game action. That said, given the length of his absence, Castillo will likely need to make multiple rehab appearances before the Padres feel comfortable bringing him back.

Morejon (shoulder) is scheduled to start for Double-A Amarillo on Wednesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Morejon is ready to rejoin the Sod Poodles' rotation after missing the past two weeks with a sore left shoulder. Prior to suffering the injury, the 20-year-old southpaw posted a 5.66 ERA and 28:11 K:BB in 20.2 innings (seven starts).

Strahm landed on the 10-day injured list with a left rib strain Wednesday.

The injury perhaps explains Strahm's poor showing Sunday against the Marlins, when he gave up seven runs in 4.1 innings. The severity of the injury is not yet clear, but the Padres likely want to manage Strahm's innings after he logged just 75.2 frames last season. Therefore, the team's bar for what is bad enough to send him to the injured list is probably quite low. Wednesday's starter Cal Quantrill was recalled in a corresponding move.

Lambert could be called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to start Thursday against the Cubs or Friday against the Mets, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

The Rockies haven't announced a replacement in the rotation for the recently demoted Kyle Freeland, but all signs point to Lambert filling the void. Lambert had been scheduled to start Tuesday for Albuquerque, but the Isotopes' decision to scratch him ahead of that game adds fuel to the notion that his next turn will come with the big club. Colorado currently lists Jon Gray as its scheduled starter for Thursday, but Newman notes that it's possible the Rockies push the right-hander so Lambert -- whose last appearance for Albuquerque came May 29 -- doesn't have to wait any longer to resume pitching. In his 11 starts at Triple-A this season, Lambert has posted a 5.07 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB across 60.1 innings.

Iglesias struck out two and worked around a base hit to turn in a scoreless ninth inning in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Cardinals, notching his 12th save in the process.

The save was Iglesias' first since May 24, with the closer only logging two appearances in between with the Reds not needing to protect any narrow late-inning leads in the preceding 11 days. Iglesias has now converted each of his last six save chances and is riding an 11-appearance scoreless streak.

Diaz gave up a hit and struck out the side in a scoreless ninth inning during Tuesday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.

The Mets closer entered with the game tied at 3-3 in the top of the ninth and a save chance no longer on the table, and he got Steve Duggar, Pablo Sandoval and Mike Yastrzemski to go down swinging. Diaz has only been scored upon once in his last 11 appearances and has a 15:2 K:BB over his last seven innings, and the 25-year-old is once again looking like one of the most dominant late-inning arms in baseball.

Clarke (1-2) took the loss Tuesday as the Diamondbacks were downed 9-0 by the Dodgers, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks over five innings while striking out four.

It wasn't a bad effort by the rookie right-hander, but with Hyun-Jin Ryu in typically stingy form opposite him, Clarke couldn't afford to make any mistakes. He'll carry a 4.43 ERA and 15:7 K:BB through his first 22.1 big-league innings into his next start Monday in Philadelphia.

Cabrera (0-2) took the loss Tuesday, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks over 4.2 innings as the Cardinals fell 4-1 to the Reds. He failed to strike out a batter.

The rookie wasn't fooling anyone on the night -- Cabrera fired 62 strikes among his 95 pitches, but alarmingly, he didn't generate a single swinging strike. Alex Reyes (finger) struggled in his last start for Triple-A Memphis, which may have bought Cabrera a little more time in the majors. However, the young southpaw hasn't shown anything yet to indicate he's really ready for the assignment. If he remains in the rotation, Cabrera's next outing will come Sunday on the road against the Cubs.

Neris collected the save against San Diego on Tuesday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning and giving up one hit while striking out two.

Called upon to protect a three-run lead, Neris slammed the door on San Diego by throwing 15 of his 20 pitches for strikes and allowing only a harmless single. He is now 11-for-11 in save opportunities this season and has racked up 36 strikeouts in 25 innings on his way to a tidy 2.16 ERA.

Garcia fired six hitless innings for Double-A Hartford on Tuesday, striking out 11 and walking none in a 3-0 victory.

The right-hander was utterly dominant as the Yard Goats nearly tossed a combined no-hitter, only to have it controversially broken up by a bunt single in the ninth inning. That doesn't take away from the fabulous effort by Garcia, who is lighting it up in Double-A to the tune of a 7-1 record, 1.92 ERA and 81:18 K:BB over 61 innings. He's established himself as a prospect to watch in the Rockies system and could find himself in line for a promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque sooner rather than later should he continue to dominate like this.