MLB Player News

Taillon (groin) played a light game of catch Thursday and will do so again Friday, Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.

Taillon landed on the injured list Thursday with a mild-to-moderate left groin strain. That he's already playing catch is a good sign and would seem to indicate he could return around the time he's first eligible.

Liberatore has a 2.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 30:8 K:BB in 22.2 innings over four starts for Triple-A Memphis.

The 6-foot-4 southpaw's fastball ticked up into the mid-90s this spring, and he has used that added velocity to get off to a strong start in a return to Triple-A. Adam Wainwright (groin) is nearing a return to the Cardinals' rotation, but Liberatore won't need much more seasoning before he is ready for another shot in the big leagues if other injuries occur ahead of him on the depth chart.

Perez gave up two hits and a walk over five scoreless innings while striking out five for Double-A Pensacola on Thursday.

Just a few days after his 20th birthday, the right-hander carved up an overmatched Birmingham lineup, producing 17 swinging strikes among his 71 pitches. It's Perez's first win of the year, and while his 17:5 K:BB through 14 innings in three starts perhaps isn't as dominant as many expected, it's important to remember that he's the youngest pitcher at the Double-A level. Merely holding his own against much older hitters would be impressive enough, but Perez has the talent -- and the high 90s heat -- to do much more. Despite his age, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him force a promotion to Triple-A sometime over the summer.

Pfaadt allowed three hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings for Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Pfaadt turned in his most dominant performance of the season during a week in which the parent club's rotation underwent a shakeup. The Diamondbacks designated Madison Bumgarner for assignment, but opted for Tommy Henry as an initial replacement. Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said logistics were the main reason for that decision, meaning Henry was closer to being on turn for a start Monday, per Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic. Hazen considered bringing Pfaadt up to start Friday instead, but the GM acknowledged the cascading effect it would have had on the rotation's existing members wasn't ideal. Hazen added that he feels Pfaadt is ready to pitch in the majors, and Thursday's performance by the organization's top pitching prospect appears to back up the GM's assessment. After a rocky first start this season, Pfaadt has settled in over three subsequent outings, posting a 1.62 ERA and 18:4 K:BB over 16.2 innings.

Senga (3-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings against the Giants. He struck out four and walked four.

While this was hardly a dominant start, Senga pitched well enough to take advantage of the Mets' lively offense in a 9-4 victory. The right-hander now has a 4.29 ERA and 1.52 WHIP through the first four starts of his MLB career. The three-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star is tentatively slated to face the Nationals at home in his next appearance.

Nelson did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing five runs on three hits and three walks over five innings against the Padres. He struck out four.

Nelson struggled with his command and threw just 47 of his 85 pitches for strikes, and the five runs allowed Thursday are the most he's given up across his four starts this year. He now has a 4.91 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 14:8 K:BB in 22 frames this season. The right-hander is tentatively slated to face the Royals at home in his next appearance.

Wacha did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing five runs on 10 hits and one walk over four innings in a 7-5 victory over Arizona. He struck out three.

Wacha has now allowed 12 runs in his last 8.1 innings pitched. Outside of tossing six scoreless innings against Atlanta on April 8, the right-hander has mostly been ineffective through his first four starts of the season. The Iowa native has plenty of time to turn it around, but he's currently a volatile fantasy option with a 7.08 ERA and 1.72 WHIP.

Feltner (1-2) earned the win over Philadelphia on Thursday, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings during which he gave up three hits and three walks while striking out six batters.

Feltner had a rough go his previous trip to the mound, giving up five runs in 3.2 innings last weekend in Seattle. He rebounded nicely Thursday, falling one out shy of a quality start and keeping the Phillies off the scoreboard. He struggled with his control again, issuing exactly three free passes for the third straight game, but balanced that by giving up just three hits, all of which were singles. Feltner has shown some decent strikeout stuff this season with 21 punchouts across 19 frames, but it's hard to be optimistic about his chances for sustained success given that he's also handed out 14 walks. Getting a better handle on his control will be key for the right-hander to further improve upon his 6.16 ERA.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed after Thursday's game against the Cubs that Grove (groin) would be placed on the injured list, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Grove left his start Thursday night after suffering a groin strain. After the game, Roberts suggested that the injury wasn't overly serious, but Grove will still be forced to miss at least the next two weeks of action. The team has a number of options to fill in for him, including turning to a four-man rotation or activating Tony Gonsolin (ankle) from the injured list.

Grove suffered a strain in his right groin during Thursday's start against the Cubs, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Grove was pulled in the fourth inning of his start after suffering an apparent lower-body injury. No formal move has been made yet, but it's likely that he'll end up on the injured list. The Dodgers have an off day Monday, so the team could opt to use a four-man rotation in the short term with both Ryan Pepiot (oblique) and Tony Gonsolin (ankle) still sidelined.