MLB Player News

Suarez was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies didn't initially specify why Suarez and three of his teammates were placed on the injured list, but it's since been revealed that all four are on the COVID-19 injured list rather than the normal 10-day injured list. That doesn't necessarily mean that any of them actually have the virus, as players can land on that list simply due to having had contact with someone who tested positive. It's not clear when Suarez is expected to return to the field, but even a minor delay may take him out of the running for an Opening Day rotation spot, something which seemed like a long shot to begin with.

Hamels (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Hamels had been dealing with a shoulder issue that dates back to an offseason workout. He indicated that he would have been on schedule to pitch by late May but stretched out his rehab schedule due to the delayed season. Friday's bullpen session was his third as he works his way back into game shape. He's expected to be used cautiously in his first few starts of the year, but he is expected to be on the Opening Day roster.

Rea is a candidate to break camp as the Cubs' fifth starter after Jose Quintana underwent thumb surgery Thursday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

With Quintana's status for the start of the season in serious doubt, Alec Mills is the early frontrunner to step in as the team's fifth starter, though president of baseball operations Theo Epstein also mentioned Rea and Adbert Alzolay as potential options. Rea, who hasn't appeared in the majors since 2016, compiled a 3.95 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 120 strikeouts across 148 innings (26 starts) with Triple-A Iowa in 2019.

Quintana underwent microscopic surgery Thursday to address a left thumb laceration and is expected to remain out for two weeks before resuming a throwing program, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

According to a press release from the Cubs, Quintana suffered the injury while washing dishes at his home in Miami last weekend, with the wound on his thumb requiring five stitches. When he met with doctors for further evaluation of the injury, Quintana was recommended to undergo surgery after nerve damage was detected in the thumb. The Cubs will see where Quintana stands in his recovery when he's re-evaluated in mid-July, but because he'll miss out on some necessary ramp-up time following MLB's shutdown, he looks highly unlikely to be ready for the Cubs' Opening Day game July 23 or 24. His expected absence could pave the way for both Tyler Chatwood and Alec Mills to crack the rotation as the Cubs' fourth and fifth starters.

The Phillies placed Suarez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to an unspecified issue, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Suarez was one of four Phillies placed on the IL on Wednesday, with no explanation provided behind any of the transactions. More clarity on Suarez's situation could come the next time manager Joe Girardi meets with the media, but for now, the 31-year-old's status for Opening Day in late July is muddled. Before MLB's shutdown in spring training, Suarez had been competing for a starting job with the big club, but he probably still finds himself on the outside looking in for a rotation spot even if Girardi opts for a six-man setup during the shortened season. The fact that Suarez is beginning summer camp on the IL will only further hurt his chances of handling a meaningful role with the Phillies when the season begins.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt suggested Wednesday that Mikolas (forearm) will be fully healthy when the team resumes workouts at summer camp this week, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Mikolas' clean bill of health comes as little surprise, as he had previously had an outside chance of making a full recovery from his strained flexor tendon by late March, when Opening Day was originally scheduled to occur. With the start of the season now having been pushed back approximately four months, Mikolas should be in store for a similar buildup program to the Cardinals' other starting pitchers during camp. Shildt added that he expects to use a five-man rotation when the 60-game slate opens in late July, which will likely result in offseason import Kwang-Hyun Kim settling for a long-relief role.

Rea will be a part of the Cubs' 60-man player pool this season and will head to Wrigley Field for summer camp.

The Wrigley Field group is more likely to see significant MLB playing time than the players the club is sending to South Bend for camp, but Rea is still jockeying with 21 other pitchers. The 30-year-old hasn't appeared in the majors since 2016. He made 26 starts for Triple-A Iowa last season, compiling a 3.95 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 120 strikeouts across 148 innings.

Darvish is the likely Opening Day starter, but Chicago manager David Ross is also considering Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Realistically, the competition is between Darvish and Hendricks, with Lester's name in the mix out of respect to the veteran's track record. Darvish started to look like an ace down the stretch last year, and with the amount the Cubs are paying the Japanese righty, they have every incentive to make him their No. 1 starter for the abbreviated 2020 season.

Lugo could be the pitcher the Mets call on most early in the season if any starters are on limited pitch counts, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

While the team doesn't intend to make any drastic changes to its current five-man rotation, GM Brodie Van Wagenen suggested Monday that the Mets could be a lot more flexible with bullpen roles. "We also have some high-velocity, high-stuff bullpen guys," he said. "We may see shorter starts from some pitchers early on in the year, and we may see bullpen arms in pitching situations earlier than maybe they otherwise have been accustomed to. We're going to use (the bullpen) with the mindset that every out counts, not just every inning." Lugo, as the one "high-velocity, high-stuff" reliever used to tossing multiple innings in an outing, seems the most likely candidate to move out of a setup role and instead take the mound in the middle innings if someone like Steven Matz or Michael Wacha exits early. Such usage would make Lugo -- who recorded seven wins, six saves and 21 holds in 60 appearances last season -- a prime candidate to vulture wins during the shortened campaign.

Taillon (elbow), who will not pitch in the majors in 2020, will attend camp in Pittsburgh as part of his rehabilitation, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

He'll take the spot of Edgar Santana, who was suspended for 80 games due to PED usage. The move will allow Taillon to continue working with the medical staff in Pittsburgh. In an effort to better maintain his health following a second Tommy John surgery, the righty has made several mechanical adjustments. He's shortened his arm action in his throwing motion and is keeping the ball closer to his body, moves intended to put less stress on his arm and elbow.