MLB Player News

Stripling (biceps) woke up with a sore neck and won't begin his rehab assignment as previously scheduled Tuesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Stripling was set to start his rehab stint Tuesday with a two-inning outing, but he'll instead take it easy for a few days due to the neck issue. The 29-year-old officially landed on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis.

Ryu (neck) will be activated off the 10-day injured list to start Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend Ryu could return as early as Sunday, and that is indeed when he will come off the IL. The 32-year-old landed on the shelf with neck soreness but will rejoin the rotation after the 10-day minimum. The injury wasn't apparent during his last start as he allowed only three hits over six scoreless frames.

Keller could be an option to join the big-league rotation following the demotion of Dario Agrazal.

This is simply speculation, but Keller really should be in the majors, and now there is a spot for him. He is scheduled to start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, so he will likely either be scratched from that start and summoned to the majors to start Friday in St. Louis, or we will have to wait until his next turn for him to join the big-league rotation. Keller has a 3.65 ERA and 67 strikeouts over his last 56.2 innings (10 starts) at Triple-A.

Gonsolin was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

It's a bit of a bummer that Gonsolin has to head back to the minors after an excellent start Monday against the Cardinals, during which he allowed just two hits and a walk over six scoreless frames while fanning seven. However, it was also an anticipated move, given the imminent return of Hyun-Jin Ryu (neck) and Ross Stripling (biceps). He is not the caliber of pitching prospect that Dustin May is, but Gonsolin is a very solid prospect in his own right. He features a plus mid-90s fastball -- he has hit triple digits before in shorter bursts -- a high-spin splitter and a swing-and miss slider. Look for him to be back in the majors this season, likely pitching out of the bullpen. He should get a call after rosters expand in September at the latest.

Marquez (cramps) has been cleared to start Tuesday's game against the Astros, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Marquez struck out 10 over six scoreless innings his last time out July 31 against the Dodgers before he was forced to exit prior to the top of the seventh after succumbing to full-body cramping. A few days of treatment were apparently all Marquez needed to overcome the issue, so he's not expected to face any limitations in his return to the mound Tuesday. He'll be matching up with Zack Greinke, who is making his Astros debut.

Mejia was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Mejia was picked up just one week ago by the Cardinals, but he's been booted off the 40-man roster after surrendering three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out two over three innings of work since joining St. Louis (two appearances). Junior Fernandez's contract was selected from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.

Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that he expects Urias to capture a spot in the Los Angeles rotation in 2020, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports. "We project [Urias] to be a starter for us next year and many years to come," Roberts said.

Urias opened the current season in the rotation and has started in six of his 25 appearances, but the Dodgers have been mindful of restricting his workload in each of those outings, as he's topped 90 pitches on just one occasion. The Dodgers haven't formally outlined Urias' role for the remainder of 2019, but due to the recent big-league arrivals of prospects Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May along with the eventual returns of Hyun-Jin Ryu (neck), Ross Stripling (biceps) and Rich Hill (forearm) from the injured list, the team should have enough starting depth to get by with limiting the 22-year-old lefty to relief duty the rest of the season. Urias has already shown that he can provide value as a multi-inning reliever behind an opener or as a high-leverage stopper late in games. Over his 19 appearances out of the bullpen, he's submitted a tidy 1.93 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a .190/.268/.270 slash line.

Peralta allowed three earned runs over 0.2 innings in Monday's victory over the Pirates.

Peralta appeared to be settling into the Brewers' late-inning mix when he recorded two wins and a save between July 21-27, but it's unclear how secure he is in that role as things stand, as he has allowed at least one earned run in four straight appearances. The Brewers don't have many other options, though, which could help Peralta earn the opportunity to get back on track without losing his standing in the pecking order.

Lyles (7-7) allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks and one strikeout across five innings while earning a victory against the Pirates on Monday.

As he returned to PNC Park, Lyles once again ran into home-run trouble. He gave up 12 homers in his last eight starts with the Pirates before getting traded last week, and he tossed up two more home runs Tuesday, though it led to just three runs and only one earned. Behind a strong offensive performance from the Brewers, Lyles was able to beat his old club, improving his record back to .500. He also has a 4.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 92.1 innings this season. Lyles will start again Saturday at home against the Rangers.

DeGrom (7-7) allowed two runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts across seven innings while earning a victory in the first game of a doubleheader against the Marlins on Monday.

This broke a streak of deGrom allowing one run or fewer in four straight starts, but still, he owns a 1.09 ERA in his last five outings. DeGrom may only have a .500 record, but the rest of his numbers are stellar -- 1.07 WHIP, .222 batting average against and 182 strikeouts in 143 innings. He will pitch again Sunday at home against the Nationals.