MLB Player News

Smyly (1-3) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits across 4.1 innings to take the loss in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Dodgers. He walked two and struck out four.

Clayton Kershaw and two Los Angeles relievers combined to shut out Chicago, so Smyly had no margin for error as he picked up his third loss of the season versus only one win. Despite the poor record, the lefty has actually pitched pretty well with a 3.04 ERA, but the 9-17 Cubs are struggling to win any ballgames these days. Smyly will look for a better outcome in his next scheduled start against the Diamondbacks.

Lopez (4-1) earned the win during Saturday's 8-0 shutout of San Diego, allowing five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in eight scoreless innings.

After escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first inning, Lopez rolled through San Diego's lineup en route to a tidy fourth victory to give him a share of the league lead. The 26-year-old fired 65 of 97 pitches for strikes and has now prevented the opponent from scoring in four of his six starts, compiling a 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 36 innings in the process. He'll look to keep it going against Milwaukee next weekend.

Gibson and the Phillies won't play Saturday against the Mets after the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Gibson was initially slated to start Friday before the game was called off, and he'll have to wait at least one more day before taking the mound. Saturday's matchup will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, and the right-hander will likely start in one of those two games.

Peterson was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Peterson started the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Atlanta and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings. He has a 1.89 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 19 innings over four appearances (three starts) in the majors this year and will be a strong candidate to step in if the Mets need a spot starter at some point.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Pepiot is "part of the conversation" to serve as a sixth starter for the Dodgers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Pepiot has gotten off to a strong start at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, posting a 2.05 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 26.1 innings over six starts. The right-hander hasn't yet made his major-league debut, but the Dodgers are considering a six-man rotation in May since the team has 31 games in 30 days. Even if Pepiot isn't called up as a sixth starter this month, it wouldn't be surprising to see him join the big-league club at some point in 2022.

Steele will start Monday's series opener in San Diego, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Steele was initially projected to start Saturday against the Dodgers, but the Cubs altered their pitching plans after Friday's matchup was postponed. The southpaw will get a few extra days of rest before taking the mound on the road against the Padres. Over his first five starts in 2022, Steele has posted a 5.50 ERA and 1.89 WHIP in 18 innings.

Heaney (shoulder) has joined the Dodgers in Chicago and will start a throwing progression this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Heaney has been shut down since April 20 due to his shoulder injury, but he'll begin his throwing progression by playing catch this weekend. While the southpaw will still have to ramp up his workload before he's in the mix to return to game action, it's encouraging that he'll be able to throw off flat ground. Tyler Anderson should remain in the starting rotation while Heaney is sidelined.

Lodolo (back) was examined Friday night and it was determined he wasn't ready to rejoin the rotation, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

According to manager David Bell, there is no timetable for Lodolo's return. Back issues can be tricky, especially with tall pitchers like Lodolo, who is 6-foot-6. He was originally going to get a great matchup this weekend against the Pirates, but now it's unclear when he will be ready to rejoin the rotation. We should get a clearer idea whenever he resumes a throwing program.

Cobb didn't factor into the decision during Friday's 3-2 loss to St. Louis, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in five innings.

Making his second start since returning from the IL, Cobb retired the first 10 Cardinals but slowed down from there with the outing ending in a two-run Harrison Bader home run. Manager Gabe Kapler opted to pull Cobb after the fifth despite a reasonable 74 pitches, meaning the 34-year-old has now failed to surpass five innings in each of his four starts. He'll carry a 4.80 ERA and 1.53 WHIP into his next start, tentatively slated to come Wednesday against Colorado.

Miley (elbow) will throw a bullpen session in the coming days and the next step is to be determined, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

He threw four shutout innings while allowing two hits and zero walks with three strikeouts Thursday at Triple-A, so it would seem things are progressing in the right direction. Miley could be nearing a return to the big-league rotation, or he could make another rehab start.