MLB Player News

Mikolas (shoulder) threw a simulated game Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Mikolas threw an aggressive bullpen session earlier in the week, and he faced hitters Sunday for the first time since he sustained his shoulder injury Feb. 25. The right-hander threw fastballs and changeups during Sunday's simulated game and reportedly felt good afterward. Mikolas will likely throw a live batting practice in the near future that incorporates more breaking balls and could progress to a more traditional rehab process afterward.

Velasquez is preparing to start Friday against the Rockies, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Velasquez lost out on an Opening Day rotation spot but remained on the roster in a swingman role. With Matt Moore landing on the COVID-19 injured list Monday, Velasquez lines up as his temporary replacement. He unlikely to be a particularly appealing fantasy option in Coors Field, however. He's struck out an impressive nine batters in four innings of work this season but has also walked eight and given up four earned runs.

Sanchez was recalled by the Phillies on Monday.

Sanchez earns his first career call-up as the Phillies seek to replace a trio of players who landed on the COVID-19 injured list. He's made just a single appearance at the Triple-A level. He has a starter's build (6-foot-5) and four-pitch repertoire, but none of his secondary pitches are particularly promising and his command has been unreliable, so he'll likely wind up in the bullpen long-term if he's able to carve out a big-league role.

Snell allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven across five innings in Sunday's win against the Dodgers. He did not factor in the decision.

Snell recovered from a disastrous performance against the Pirates on Tuesday, holding the strong Dodgers offense to two runs. His damage came at the hands of Chris Taylor's two-run home run in the second inning. Aside from the ugly Pirates performance, the 28-year-old has three solid starts. However, he hasn't been able to go deeper than five innings yet this season. The southpaw still has a high strikeout rate with a 14.3 K/9.

Nola (1-1) allowed two hits and no walks while striking out 10 in nine scoreless innings to earn the win against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Nola was tagged with the loss in his last outing, but he bounced back with a dominant performance against St. Louis on Sunday. The right-hander gave up singles in the second and eighth innings, but he didn't encounter much trouble in the first complete game of his career. Through his first four starts of the season, Nola has posted a 2.19 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 24.2 innings. He lines up to make his next start of the season against the Rockies at hitter-friendly Coors Field on Saturday.

Miley fell to 2-1 after he surrendered four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings in Sunday's 6-3 loss to Cleveland.

According to Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Miley was ejected after complaining from the dugout about a strike call on teammate Jesse Winker, but the southpaw's day was already done at that point. After shutting out the opposition over his first 11 innings of the season, Miley's scoreless streak was snapped when Jose Ramirez took him deep for a two-out, solo home run in the top of the first inning. Miley would later serve up another three-run bomb in the fourth inning, which was all the offensive support Cleveland ace Shane Bieber would need to lead his side to the victory column.

Hendricks (0-2) allowed seven runs on seven hits across four innings to take the loss against Atlanta on Sunday. He walked three and struck out two.

Hendricks had a first inning to forget, as he allowed six runs on four home runs. It was the first time in Cubs' history that a pitcher has allowed four home runs in the first inning, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports. Hendricks was making his first start in 11 days after missing his last turn due to a non-COVID-19 illness, so he likely had a little rust to shake off, but it was still surprising to see the righty get hit so hard. His ERA shot up from 3.00 to 6.92 with the rough outing. Hendricks will look to get back on track Friday against the Brewers, a squad he blanked across six innings of work April 7.

Lopez (0-2) was tagged with the loss Sunday against the Giants after tossing six innings of one-run ball. He allowed six hits and two walks while fanning nine.

Lopez was the victim of the Marlins' offensive struggles in this one, as Miami went 3-for-29 as a team and didn't score a single run, negating Lopez's impressive outing. The right-hander has given up two or fewer runs in three of his first four appearances, and it seems his outing at Atlanta -- when he allowed six runs and nine hits across four innings -- was nothing more than a bump in the road. He owns a 3.32 ERA through his first 21.2 innings in 2021.

Wood (1-0) earned the win Sunday against the Marlins after tossing five scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and struck out four.

Wood made his season debut after a back strain kept him sidelined for the first two weeks of the season, and he couldn't have asked for a stronger performance. He allowed back-to-back singles to Miguel Rojas and Starling Marte to start the game, but he settled down afterward and retired 12 batters in a row before Brian Anderson reached on a throwing error by Brandon Belt in the fifth. He also tossed 42 of his 61 pitches for strikes, and after such an encouraging performance, he should not have any restrictions going forward in subsequent starts.

Senzatela (1-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings Sunday, striking out four and taking the loss against the Mets.

Senzatela turned in a solid outing but was simply outdueled by Marcus Stroman on Sunday. The 26-year-old righty put runners on second and third with no outs in the second inning but escaped with just one run crossing home plate. He then allowed a run in the fourth after a throwing error by C.J. Cron. Senzatela lowered his season ERA to 5.40 with an 11:5 K:BB through 20 innings. He'll take the mound at home again Saturday against Philadelphia.