MLB Player News

Freeland (shoulder) has resumed playing light catch, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Freeland is slated to miss at least a month after he suffered a left shoulder strain in late March, but he recently resumed throwing. The southpaw remains without a timetable to return, and Chi Chi Gonzalez should continue to fill in as a starter in Freeland's absence.

Syndergaard (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Syndergaard hit 96 mph during a bullpen session in mid-March, and he continues to progress in his throwing program while working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander is on the 60-day injured list and isn't expected to make his 2021 debut until mid-June, but his progress has been encouraging so far.

Musgrove (2-0) no-hit the Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday. He struck out 10 and did not issue a walk over nine scoreless innings.

The right-hander was nearly perfect -- the lone blemish across 112 pitches was a hit batsman in the fourth inning. Musgrove was traded to his hometown team in the offseason and is already looking like a steal for San Diego after two consecutive wins to kick off the 2021 campaign, including the first no-hitter in franchise history. He's gotten the job done by relying heavily on his secondaries, and with this refined pitch mix, Musgrove could be headed for that long-awaited breakout. He lines up to face his former team in Pittsburgh next week.

Mahle hurled four scoreless and hitless innings against Arizona on Friday, issuing four walks while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision.

Mahle looked dominant throughout the outing, inducing 17 swinging strikes and proving unhittable for four frames. However, he ran up his pitch count to 92 and was pulled before the start of the fifth inning. Still, there has been plenty to like about Mahle's first two starts, most notably his 15 strikeouts across nine frames. His next start is scheduled for Wednesday at San Francisco.

Morton (1-1) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over six innings in an 8-1 victory over the Phillies. He struck out seven.

The veteran right-hander got a lot more run support than he did in his season debut, but Morton didn't need much in the strong outing. He fired 58 of 83 pitches for strikes, and Morton will carry a 3.27 ERA and 12:3 K:BB through 11 innings into his next start, set for Wednesday at home against the Marlins.

Wheeler (1-1) took the loss Friday as the Phillies were routed 8-1 by Atlanta, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Given the traffic he put on the basepaths, Wheeler's final line could have been a lot worse, and he kept Atlanta off the board until Ronald Acuna smashed a two-run homer in the fifth. The right-hander fought his command all evening, throwing only 53 of 94 pitches for strikes in a big step backwards from his impressive season debut. Wheeler will take a 2.31 ERA and 14:4 K:BB through 11.2 innings into his next outing, set for Wednesday on the road against the Mets.

May won't start Sunday's game against Washington, but he is expected to take his next turn in the rotation soon, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Los Angeles is in the midst of a five-day stretch during which it plays only three games, and management is opting to have ace Clayton Kershaw start Sunday in order to prevent him from having to take off six days between starts. While May's spot in the rotation will consequently be skipped over, manager Dave Roberts indicated that he expects the right-hander to start again "shortly." That could mean that he'll open the team's following home series, which starts Tuesday against Colorado.

Kershaw is slated to start on normal rest versus Washington on Sunday, while Dustin May's next start will be bumped back, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers are in the midst of a five-day period during which they will play only three games, and they are opting to keep Kershaw on a regular schedule rather than have him take off six days between turns. The veteran southpaw is now lined up to face Nationals ace Max Scherzer in the rubber game of the Dodgers' first home series of the season.

Cueto (1-0) allowed one run on four hits and a walk and struck out seven in 8.2 innings in Friday's win over the Rockies.

Cueto nearly had a complete game, but he ran out of steam in the ninth after a stellar start. Jake McGee relieved him and retired the final batter. The 35-year-old Cueto is off to a strong start in 2021 with a 2.51 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 14:4 K:BB across 14.1 innings. The right-hander is expected to make his next start Wednesday against the Reds.

Buehler (1-0) allowed six hits over six shutout innings Friday, striking out four batters and earning the win over Washington.

Buehler quickly rolled through four innings without much trouble but had runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth frames. He was able to get out clean and pick up the win on Justin Turner's solo homer in the sixth. The 26-year-old Buehler has eight strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA through 12 innings and has yet to issue a walk this season. Buehler will get another home start next Thursday against the Rockies.