MLB Player News

Gomber (forearm) played catch Friday and will throw a side session in the coming days before likely going on a minor-league rehab assignment, Danielle Allentuck of The Denver Gazette reports.

Gomber exited last Saturday's start with forearm tightness. The southpaw appears to have avoided a serious injury, but manager Bud Black noted that he's "still a ways away from a start." The skipper's words indicate that Gomber won't be activated from the injured list June 30 when he first becomes eligible. The 27-year-old, who posted a 1.62 ERA and 0.81 WHIP across eight starts prior to the injury, will likely need a rehab start before being activated. With that in mind, he figures to be in line for an early-to-mid July return to the Colorado rotation, assuming no setbacks in his recovery.

Stroman (hip) remains on track to make his next start, though the Mets will evaluate him Friday to make sure he'll be able to do so, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Stroman left his previous start against Atlanta with left hip soreness, but his MRI came back clean. Both he and the Mets have expressed optimism about his ability to avoid missing any time, though that's still not quite officially confirmed.

Strasburg (neck) is still limited to long toss but has extended his distance to 150 feet, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports. "Stephen still has a ways to go, but he's throwing the ball a little better," manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday.

The right-hander is inching closer to getting back on a mound, but the Nationals will be cautious with him after Strasburg lasted only 11.2 innings over three starts in his most recent return from the IL. Given how much ramp-up time he'll need once he does get cleared for the next steps in his recovery, Strasburg seems very unlikely to be back in the rotation before the All-Star break.

Buehler (7-1) took the loss in Thursday's 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Cubs, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts over six innings.

Buehler and Chicago starter Zach Davies were engaged in a tight pitchers' duel until the former allowed a Willson Contreras two-run homer in the sixth to go down 3-0. Buehler still pitched well enough to earn a quality start but that would be far from enough as Los Angeles was no-hit by the Chicago staff. The loss was his first since 2019 and snaps a 23-start stretch without a defeat for the 26-year-old right hander.

Davies (5-4) won Thursday's 4-0 game against the Dodgers, throwing six innings and allowing only five walks. He struck out four.

Davies pitched the first six innings of what was a combined no-hitter for Chicago against a formidable Los Angeles roster. The five walks are a season high and all of them came in the first four innings, but Davies ended strong by retiring nine straight Dodgers. It was an excellent rebound from his previous start against Miami, and he'll look to carry the momentum forward next week in Milwaukee.

Martinez (3-9) lost Thursday's 8-2 defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh, allowing five runs on five hits and seven walks with two strikeouts in five innings.

Martinez didn't have any control in this one as he threw only 48 of 87 pitches for strikes and walked a season-high seven batters, though only one came around to score. The majority of the damage came on Bryan Reynolds' three-run home run in the fourth inning, as Martinez was able to escape jams in the first and third frames relatively unscathed. Since lowering his ERA to 4.18 on May 21, Martinez has seen the mark balloon to 6.78 in the ensuing six starts.

Williams (abdomen) threw a bullpen session Thursday and could rejoin the team soon.

Williams threw a simulated inning Tuesday and ramped up his activity two days later. Manager David Ross said he wants to build up the righty's innings before he rejoins the team, but that could happen in the next few days. Williams could bump Alec Mills to the bullpen when he returns, though the Cubs may stay somewhat fluid with the No. 5 spot in their rotation to manage workloads this season.

Steele (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Steele has been sidelined since May 21 with the injury and is set for his first game action since. It's unclear how long he'll need to ramp back up, but he should be activated by late June or early July assuming he has no setbacks.

Worley's contract was purchased from independent Kane County on Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Worley was released by the Mets in June of 2018, but he'll now report to Triple-A Syracuse after he began the 2021 campaign in independent ball. The 33-year-old will serve as organizational depth going forward but could return to the majors at some point this year.

Wright was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander was hit hard in Wednesday's loss to the Mets, as he gave up five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one in two innings. Max Fried (finger) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list next week, so Wright will head back to the minors. Right-hander Jesse Chavez's contract was selected as part of a corresponding move.