MLB Player News

Manager Mike Shildt said that Flaherty will be available out of the bullpen during Tuesday's game against the Brewers, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Flaherty allowed two runs in just one-third of an inning while serving as the opener in his return to the mound Friday. While he'll be available out of the bullpen beginning Tuesday, the skipper emphasized that Flaherty's role remains fluid. With that in mind, it still seems possible that Flaherty will be able to build up to start a game in the postseason should the opportunity present itself.

The Pirates will call up Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Wednesday against the Cubs, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The move was rumored earlier in the day Tuesday but has since been confirmed. The 21-year-old has had an impressive season in the upper minors, striking out 35 percent of opposing batters and walking just 5.6 percent en route to a 2.64 ERA, though just one of his 13 starts came at the Triple-A level.

Overton was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Tuesday, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Overton started Monday's game against the Reds and gave up four runs on six hits while striking out two in one inning to take the loss. However, he apparently sustained a shoulder injury that will force him to miss the remainder of the season. The right-hander had lined up to serve as the opener during a game in the Pirates' weekend series against Cincinnati, and it's not yet clear who will start in his place. Overton made nine appearances (three starts) with the Blue Jays and Pirates this year and recorded a 4.70 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 15.1 innings.

Miley (neck) won't return during the regular season, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Miley was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained neck last week and would have been eligible to return during the Reds' final series of the regular season, but manager David Bell ruled the southpaw out for the year with the team on the brink of elimination. He made 28 starts during his age-34 season and recorded a 3.37 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 163 innings.

DeGrom (elbow) will not pitch again this season, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

DeGrom reportedly hasn't suffered a setback, as he felt fine following a side session Monday. Manager Luis Rojas indicated that deGrom would return if they Mets still had anything to play for, but since that's no longer the case, the team decided there wasn't any reason to risk anything with their ace. Given that he's effectively healthy at this point, deGrom should be in line for a relatively normal offseason.

Syndergaard isn't expected to throw more than one inning in his return to action Tuesday against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Syndergaard will at least get to pitch a small amount this year after missing almost two full seasons due to Tommy John surgery, but he isn't built up enough for a proper start. He'll essentially be little more than an opener Tuesday, and if he starts again Sunday against Atlanta, he's likely to have his workload limited in a similar way.

Lopez (shoulder) threw three simulated innings in a bullpen session Tuesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Lopez has missed the entirety of the second half with shoulder strain. He threw two innings in a rehab game Thursday and reached three this time around, so it's possible he's activated to start over the weekend and asked to throw approximately four innings. The Marlins will wait to see how his shoulder responds before making a decision, as they have no incentive to risk aggravating Lopez's injury given that they're no longer in the playoff race.

The Pirates may recall Contreras to start Wednesday's game against the Cubs, according to Hector Gomez.

The team has not made an announcement regarding Contreras, so we'll have to wait for the move to become official. If the right-hander is recalled, then he has a decent matchup at home against the Cubs. One of the team's top pitching prospects, Contreras has compiled a 2.64 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 58 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. He also features an impressive 82:13 K:BB. Contreras missed time this summer with a forearm muscle strain and will likely be on a short leash, if he does make his MLB debut Wednesday.

Syndergaard (elbow) was activated off the injured list and will start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Tommy John surgery wiped out the entirety of Syndergaard's 2020 campaign, but he won't quite wind up missing all of 2021 despite a late-May elbow setback and another setback in late August due to COVID-19. He only threw a single inning in both of his rehab appearances after he got over the virus, so don't expect him to pitch deep into Tuesday's game. He'd be on normal rest to start Sunday's season finale against Atlanta as well, so he could be in line for a two-start week to close the season, but it's unlikely that he'll throw many innings in that game, either.

Gry (2-2) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks over 5.1 innings Monday, striking out four and earning a win over the Rockies.

Gray kept Colorado off the board through five innings and didn't face much of a threat until the sixth. He allowed the first three batters of the inning to reach base and eventually coughed up a three-run double to Ryan McMahon, ending his outing. The 6-foot-1 rookie has completed at least five innings in four straight starts but owns a 6.23 ERA during that span. Gray is expected to make his final start of the year this weekend at home against Boston.