MLB Player News

Flaherty (2-1) gave up one run on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts in six innings Saturday in Pittsburgh, picking up his second win of the season.

He needed 88 pitches (61 strikes) to get through six frames and lowered his ERA to 2.15 through five MLB starts. The Cardinals will have a tough decision to make when Carlos Martinez (lat) returns in a few weeks, but Flaherty is doing everything in his power to claim a long-term spot in the rotation. He will face this same Pirates team Thursday, this time at home.

Anderson allowed five earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five across 3.2 innings Saturday against the Mets. He did not factor in the decision.

Anderson continued his season-long troubles with walks and home runs. The trouble began immediately as he walked two batters in the first inning, leading to three runs. The Mets then added solo home runs in the second and third innings before chasing him in the fourth inning. After the game, Anderson said that he has been struggling with his mechanics but was confident he would get them figured out, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. While there is no guarantee Anderson can fix his issues, there is at least some explanation to his large increase in his walk and home-run rate compared to last season.

Nola gave up one run on one hit and three walks while striking out 10 in 6.2 innings Saturday against the Blue Jays. He did not factor into the decision.

Unfortunately, Jaime Garcia pitched Nola to a draw before the Phillies offense broke that tie in the eighth inning. Nola wasn't missing a ton of bats early on, but he now has 39 strikeouts over his last 33 innings (five starts) and has 67 strikeouts in 71.1 innings on the season. Nola has established himself as a bonafide SP1, and the only quibble anyone can have is that he has yet to eclipse the 170-inning mark in a big-league season.

Hill (finger) is still "a ways away" from being able to pitch without his blister-prone finger uncovered, which he would need to do before returning to the big-league rotation, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Dave Roberts didn't give a firm timetable, but it should be weeks, not days before Hill returning to game action is a realistic possibility. In the meantime, Brock Stewart will get at least one more turn, while Ross Stripling may be pitching his way into a rotation spot even after Hill gets healthy. Clayton Kershaw (biceps) could return to the rotation Thursday, which would likely result in Stewart getting sent to Triple-A.

Kershaw (biceps) threw a 60-pitch simulated game Saturday and says he "should be" ready to pitch in five days, meaning he could start Thursday's home game against the Phillies, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

He said that if the team decides to activate him for Thursday's start, he'll be ready, so all signs point toward him joining the rotation next week. The situation should become clear in the coming days, but Kershaw's owners should be prepared to deploy him in weekly lineups.

Darvish was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with right triceps tendonitis, retroactive to May 23.

He was scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Giants, but instead Tyler Chatwood will be moved up to start that game. Darvish had actually rebounded nicely from a rough start to the season, giving up two runs with 12 strikeouts over his last 10 innings (two starts), but his ERA on the season still sits at an unsightly 4.95 with a 1.42 WHIP. Mike Montgomery, Duane Underwood and Alec Mills seem to be the leading candidates to slot into the rotation while Darvish is sidelined. He is eligible to return June 2 on the road against the Mets.

Cueto (elbow) will begin a throwing program Monday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

After a shutdown period, Cueto is now ready to take the initial steps on what will be a long road back to a big-league mound. He will start with flat-ground throwing before progressing to bullpen sessions, then live sessions and ultimately a minor-league rehab assignment. He was diagnosed with a right elbow sprain earlier this month and was moved to the 60-day DL, making him ineligible to return until late June at the earliest.

Soroka (shoulder) is expected to make a minor-league rehab start before returning to the Braves' rotation, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Soroka resumed mound work Friday, throwing his first bullpen session since landing on the DL. The Braves will be pressed for a sixth starter early next week with a doubleheader Monday, but they won't rush Soroka back to fill that void. The 20-year-old allowed six runs and posted a 15:4 K:BB in his first three career starts (14.2 innings).

Lugo is an option to start the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Braves, but he won't be stretched out if he does get the assignment, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway has apparently been paying attention to what the Rays have been up to, and he's considering deploying Lugo or Robert Gsellman for an abbreviated "start" much like the ones Sergio Romo has been making. Lugo seems the more likely candidate of the two, however, as Gsellman has become a key part of the late-inning mix in front of closer Jeurys Familia, while Lugo has worked multiple innings in three of his last five appearances. If either of them does get the nod, don't expect that hurler to pitch more than 2-3 innings, making it impossible for him to pick up a win and limiting his fantasy appeal for the day.

DeSclafani (oblique) gave up six runs on eight hits over five innings for Triple-A Louisville in a rehab assignment appearance Friday. He'll probably need at least one more outing before getting activated from the DL, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

The good news for DeSclafani is that he was able to throw 93 pitches without a setback, and he struck out eight batters, walking just one. The Reds have plenty of alternatives to remove from the rotation to make room for him, too -- Sal Romano has struggled recently, as has Tyler Mahle. Moreover, they could opt to move Homer Bailey and his 6.21 ERA to the bullpen, though that would take some courage, given his contract.