MLB Player News

Suarez (back) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Suarez has been on the 15-day injured list since late June due to a low back spasm, but interim manager Rob Thomson recently said that there's an "outside chance" that the southpaw will rejoin the rotation prior to the All-Star break. A better idea of Suarez's status will likely come into focus based on how he feels after Sunday's bullpen.

Eflin (knee) won't rejoin the Phillies' rotation until after the All-Star break, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Eflin initially hoped that he'd be able to return from the injured list after missing the minimum of 15 days, but the Phillies are choosing to take a more cautious approach to prevent against a more significant injury. He received a cortisone injection June 28 and will throw a bullpen session Sunday. Interim manager Rob Thomson isn't sure whether the right-hander will be cleared to return for the Phillies' first turn through the rotation following the All-Star break, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in action sometime in late July.

Perez struck out 10 without walking any over six one-run, two-hit innings for Double-A Pensacola on Thursday.

It's the second time in 13 starts for Pensacola the 19-year-old phenom has fanned double-digit batters, while it's also the second time this year he's completed six frames. Perez has compiled a masterful 3.05 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 87:14 K:BB through 62 innings in his first exposure to Double-A, and while the Marlins won't want to push him too aggressively given his age, it seems almost certain he'll get a promotion to Triple-A before the campaign is over -- and a big-league debut before he turns 20 next April could even be in the cards.

DeGrom (shoulder) tossed 36 pitches over three innings in Friday's rehab start with Single-A St. Lucie, striking out six batters, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander topped out at 101 mph with his fastball as he thoroughly overmatched Florida State League batters. "It felt really good, was just happy to get out there and get three complete innings," deGrom said afterward. The upcoming minor-league All-Star breaks complicate the timetable for his return to the Mets' rotation, but deGrom appears to be on track to rejoin the club before July is over.

Morton (5-3) picked up the win Friday, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks over seven inning in a 12-2 rout of the Nationals. He struck out seven.

Aside from a two-run blast by Juan Soto in the third inning, Morton was firmly in control, firing 69 of 105 pitches for strikes before exiting. The win was his first in over a month but the veteran right-hander has been pitching like an ace again recently, reeling off four quality starts in his last five trips to the mound and missing the fifth by only one out. Over that stretch, Morton has a 1.60 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 42:8 K:BB through 33.2 innings.

Bassitt (6-6) took the loss Friday as the Mets were downed 5-2 by the Marlins, giving up two runs on six hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The right-hander effectively missed only one turn through the rotation while on the COVID-19 list and delivered his fourth straight quality start and 10th of the season upon his return. Bassitt left the game with the Mets down 2-1 and got stuck with the loss. The 33-year-old will take a 3.94 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 98:26 K:BB through 96 innings into his next outing.

Lopez (6-4) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over five innings in a 5-2 victory over the Mets. He struck out five.

A third-inning solo shot by Brandon Nimmo was the only real blemish on Lopez's line, but the right-hander wasn't efficient and left after 93 pitches (64 strikes) with the Marlins clinging to a 2-1 lead. He also hit another batter, his sixth HBP in his last five starts. Lopez's early-season success has faded, and since the beginning of June he carries a 4.50 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 37:13 K:BB through 40 innings over seven outings.

Wainwright (6-7) gave up two earned runs on five hits and no walks while striking out three over nine innings to take the loss in a 2-0 defeat to the Phillies on Friday.

Wainwright pitched his first complete game of 2022 but did not get any run support and was saddled with a tough loss. The two runs he gave up both came as solo home runs off the bat of Alec Bohm. The 40-year-old veteran lowered his ERA to 3.15 with the nine-inning performance and he now has 84:27 K:BB on the season. He will look to follow up with another strong outing next week against the Dodgers.

Wheeler (8-4) gave up five hits and a walk while striking out five over seven shutout innings to earn the win in a 2-0 victory over the Cardinals on Friday.

Wheeler continued his dominant campaign by holding the dangerous Cardinals lineup scoreless over seven innings on 97 pitches. The 32-year-old right-hander has now thrown 14 scoreless innings in a row to begin July. The road win is an especially good sign from Wheeler, since he has fared much better at home this season. Wheeler's home OBA is .188 compared to .280 on the road. He will look to pick up his ninth win of the year next week, most likely at Toronto.

Ashby (2-6) gave up two earned runs on two walks and three hits while striking out three over five innings to earn the win in a 4-3 victory over the Pirates on Friday.

Ashby did just enough to earn the win against a weak Pirates offense by lasting five innings on 72 pitches. The only runs he gave up came on a two-run shot off the bat of Diego Castillo in the fourth. The win breaks a chain of poor outings which saw the 24-year-old left-hander's ERA spike from 2.70 at the end of May to 4.60 coming into this start. Despite the struggles, Ashby's plus stuff has racked up 76 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched this season. He is expected to take the mound next week at San Francisco.