MLB Player News
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Shota Imanaga SP | CHC
Cubs' Shota Imanaga: One more rehab start on tap
Imanaga (hamstring) will throw a bullpen session early this week before making the third start of his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Assuming he can make it out of Friday's outing without issue, Imanaga should be cleared to return from the 15-day injured list to make his next start with the Cubs either on June 25 or 26 in St. Louis. The right-hander made both of his first two rehab starts in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, most recently pitching Saturday and striking out four over four shutout innings. According to Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network, Imanaga threw 44 pitches in that start and tossed 11 more in the bullpen immediately after exiting the game, so he'll presumably be looking to push his pitch count up into the 60-to-75 range Friday.
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Zack Wheeler SP | PHI
Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Mows down Jays for seventh win
Wheeler (7-2) struck out nine and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks en route to claiming a win Sunday in the Phillies' 11-4 victory over the Blue Jays.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic broke some news on Wheeler earlier in the weekend, publishing a feature article in which the right-hander confirmed that he intends to retire when his three-year, $126 million contract extension expires at the end of the 2027 season. While the report may have some minor implications on Wheeler's outlook in dynasty formats, the 35-year-old's value in redraft leagues is unaffected. Wheeler has maintained his status as one of baseball's top aces thus far in 2025, with his sterling ratios, strong health in recent seasons and excellent team context having made him a reliable frontline pitcher for fantasy managers who selected him on draft day. He navigated a tough two-start week with aplomb, limiting potent Cubs and Blue Jays offenses to a combined three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out 16 batters over 12 innings.
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Merrill Kelly SP | TEX
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Gives up four runs in loss
Kelly (6-3) took the loss Sunday versus the Padres, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings.
Kelly started fine, but he gave up three runs, including a two-run home run to Jake Cronenworth in the fourth inning. Kelly has logged at least six strikeouts in eight straight starts, but this is the third time in that span he's given up four or more runs. The right-hander has a 3.41 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 86:22 K:BB through 87 innings over 15 starts this season. His next outing is projected to be in Colorado. His previous start against the Rockies came at home, when he tossed seven innings of one-hit ball and struck out 11 on May 18, though going into Coors Field always carries at least a little danger for pitchers.
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Nick Pivetta SP | SD
Padres' Nick Pivetta: Strikes out nine in win
Pivetta (7-2) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings to earn the win Sunday over the Diamondbacks.
Pivetta bounced back from a pair of rough starts against division rivals to begin June. He was excellent Sunday, throwing 67 of 94 pitches for strikes and limiting the damage to Eugenio Suarez's two-run home run in the fifth inning. Pivetta is up to eight quality starts in 14 outings, and he's maintained a 3.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 88:22 K:BB through 79.1 innings this season. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at home versus the Royals.
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Andrew Painter SP | PHI
Phillies' Andrew Painter: Bounces back at Triple-A
Painter struck out six batters and allowed one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Painter had permitted 10 earned runs in nine innings over his first two starts of June, but he took an encouraging step forward Sunday, facing just one batter more than the minimum while needing 72 pitches to record 15 outs. The right-hander now holds a 4.35 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 35:13 K:BB over 31 innings in his seven starts since joining Lehigh Valley after completing a four-start rehab assignment in the Florida State League. Painter's big-league debut was pushed back after he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023, but assuming he can build on Sunday's outing and continue to overwhelm Triple-A hitters, he should be ready to slot into the Philadelphia rotation at some point shortly after the All-Star break.
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Blake Snell SP | LAD
Dodgers' Blake Snell: Throws another side session
Snell (shoulder) threw approximately 20 to 25 pitches in a bullpen session Friday, MLB.com reports.
After getting back on the mound and tossing 15 pitches in San Diego on Tuesday, Snell increased the volume and intensity of his throwing in his second bullpen session since he landed on the injured list April 6. The southpaw was limited to throwing fastballs in Friday's workout, so he'll have to incorporate his full arsenal in future bullpen sessions before he advances to facing hitters in live batting practice. Snell still has a chance to return from the 60-day injured list before the All-Star break, though he may need to head out on a rehab assignment within the next two weeks to make it a reality.
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Austin Gomber SP | COL
Rockies' Austin Gomber: Sharp in season debut
Gomber allowed two hits and a walk over five scoreless innings Sunday in a no-decision against Atlanta. He struck out four.
It was an impressive return to the mound for Gomber, who gave up just two singles in an eventual 10-1 Rockies victory. The left-hander missed over two months after suffering a shoulder injury in spring training. Gomber made 30 starts for Colorado last season, going 5-12 with a 4.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 116 strikeouts. He's tentatively lined up to face the Diamondbacks at home in his second outing.
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Grant Holmes SP | ATL
Braves' Grant Holmes: Logs 15 strikeouts in loss
Holmes (3-6) took the loss Sunday against the Rockies, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. He struck out 15.
It was a dominant performance from Holmes, whose 15 strikeouts were the most in a game for any pitcher this season. However, a Ryan McMahon leadoff homer in the seventh inning proved to be enough to stick Holmes with a hard-luck loss in an eventual 10-1 Atlanta defeat. The 29-year-old right-hander sports a 3.97 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and an impressive 10.44 K/9 through 14 starts (79.1 innings) this season. Holmes currently lines up for a road matchup with the Marlins his next time out.
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Griffin Canning SP | NYM
Mets' Griffin Canning: Coughs up six runs in loss
Canning (6-3) took the loss in Sunday's game against the Rays. He conceded six runs on four hits and five walks over 4.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Despite not yielding an extra-base hit, Canning allowed a season-worst six earned runs mostly because he issued five free passes, also a season worst. He generated an uninspiring eight whiffs out of his 89 total pitches. After producing a 2.36 ERA across his first 42 frames, Canning sports a 6.08 ERA with a lackluster 21:17 K:BB in 26.2 innings over his last six outings. Things won't get easier for the New York right-hander, as he currently lines up to make his next start at division rival Philadelphia next weekend.
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Roki Sasaki SP | LAD
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Throwing program shut down
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Sasaki (shoulder) halted his throwing program a few days ago, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Per Ardaya, Roberts noted that Sasaki is "pain-free" and isn't dealing with any sort of setback with his shoulder that will warrant further testing, but the rookie right-hander indicated that he doesn't feel comfortable yet throwing at full intensity. Initially placed on the injured list May 13 due to a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki resumed throwing two weeks later but hadn't advanced beyond playing catch before he shut himself down. At this stage, Sasaki doesn't look like he'll have enough time to get stretched back out and return from the IL before the All-Star break, and if he's unable to resume throwing early on in the second half, his availability for the remainder of the season would be in serious jeopardy. Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 24:22 K:BB in 34.1 innings over his eight starts before being shelved.