MLB Player News

Sanchez (shoulder) will play catch off a mound Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

It was reported by Baseball America a few weeks ago that Sanchez is unlikely to return to game action this season, particularly in the majors, but he is still moving forward with his throwing program. Perhaps Sanchez could get work in during the Arizona Fall League if everything progresses well from here.

Luzardo (forearm) will start a throwing program this weekend, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

He is on the 60-day injured list with a left forearm strain and is not expected to return anytime soon. Given the severity of the injury, there could be some starts and stops in Luzardo's throwing program as he gets brought along very conservatively.

Clevinger was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

Clevinger has had a very disrupted season in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. A knee injury prevented him from making his season debut until early May, and he returned to the injured list with a strained triceps after making just three starts. He made it back from that injury for just a single start before hitting the COVID-19 injured list last weekend. He's back again after a relatively brief absence and will try to finally find some consistency on the mound. It's unclear when he'll next take the hill, as Nick Martinez and Blake Snell are pencilled in for the two weekend starts at Coors Field.

Boyd has a flexor tendon strain and won't throw for four weeks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He will be re-evaluated after the shutdown. Boyd had surgery on his flexor tendon in September 2021, so this is a concerning diagnosis. He hasn't pitched at all this season and should be considered out indefinitely.

Lodolo (back) will make a rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Louisville, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The left-hander covered two innings during his first rehab outing Monday at the Reds' complex in Arizona, and he'll make his next appearance at the highest level of the minors. Lodolo is expected to require another rehab start after Saturday's outing but could be back in the big-league rotation by the end of June.

Lopez (wrist) is starting Friday's game against the Mets, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Lopez exited last Friday's start against the Astros due to a right wrist contusion and was unable to make his start Wednesday against the Phillies. However, he'll rejoin the rotation for Friday's series opener against the Mets after getting a few extra days of rest. Over his last three starts, the right-hander posted a 3.12 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 17.1 innings.

Megill was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained right shoulder Friday, and he'll be shut down from throwing for four weeks before being re-evaluated, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Megill was removed from Thursday's start after 3.1 innings due to shoulder discomfort, and he was diagnosed with a strain after undergoing an MRI. The right-hander is likely to be sidelined until at least mid-August, as he'll require a significant ramp-up period following the lengthy shutdown. Max Scherzer (oblique) is hoping to return from the injured list in late June, but it's unclear who will step into New York's starting rotation in the meantime.

Smyly (oblique) has resumed playing catch, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Smyly sustained a right oblique strain in late May and is expected to spend about a month on the injured list. It's encouraging that the southpaw has been cleared to resume throwing, but he'll need to pitch off a mound and ramp up his intensity before he's in the mix to rejoin the major-league club.

Falter was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the 27th man to start the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Nationals.

Falter has been working as a starter in Lehigh Valley this season, and he posted a 2.77 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 13 innings over two starts after being demoted in late May. However, he'll rejoin the major-league club to make a spot start during Friday's nightcap.

Manager Craig Counsell described Ashby's injury as more of a fatigue issue following Thursday's loss to the Mets, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Ashby was diagnosed with left forearm tightness after exiting Thursday's matchup in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Counsell said the southpaw's early examinations didn't reveal anything too concerning. The 24-year-old will be evaluated further Friday, but he's optimistic that he'll be able to make his next scheduled start. If he's deemed healthy enough to pitch, Ashby tentatively lines up to take the mound at home against the Cardinals on Tuesday.