MLB Player News

Wainwright (hamstring) will be activated from the disabled list Thursday in order to start Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.

The veteran has been sidelined since the latter part of spring training, but he appears to be fully healthy once again. Jack Flaherty will head back to the minors to make room for Wainwright on the roster. He'll take on Robbie Ray in the team's home opener.

Maeda will start Friday's game against the Giants, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Maeda was reportedly available out of the bullpen for Wednesday's contest, but after going unused, the Dodgers can insert him back into the rotation. The 29-year-old struck out 10 in across five innings in his first start of the season. He'll look to keep the good times going when he opposes Derek Holland on Friday, though it's worth noting that rain is in the forecast for San Francisco that day and could result in a postponement.

Flaherty was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

The Cardinals needed to clear a roster spot for Adam Wainwright (hamstring) to return from the disabled list, and Flaherty was a logical choice since he's unavailable for a few days following Tuesday's start. The 22-year-old pitched well, allowing just one run in five innings of work in the no-decision. He will likely be the first pitcher called back to the majors if another injury strikes the big-league rotation.

Hill's next start date is unknown as the Dodgers have yet to announce a starter for Friday and Saturday, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Hill's first start of the season came Sunday against the Giants, so his next start would naturally come Friday. That would require the Dodgers to skip Kenta Maeda, which they might do regardless of whether or not he's needed as bullpen insurance Wednesday. A further complicating factor is the threat of rain which hangs over Friday's game. If Friday's contest is rained out (or if a significant threat of rain causes the team to not want to waste one of its top starters), expect Hill to take the mound Saturday, likely setting him up for a rematch against the Giants' Chris Stratton.

Ryu could start Saturday against the Giants, though the Dodgers' next few starters are up in the air, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

A Saturday start would keep Ryu on normal rest after he made his first start of the year Monday. There is some uncertainty surrounding the Dodgers' next few starts, though, as they have an off day Thursday followed by a rain-threatened game Friday. The tentative plan appears to be to leave Kenta Maeda in the bullpen for a few games, with Rich Hill starting Friday and Ryu starting Saturday. If Friday's game is cancelled, however, it will presumably be Ryu and not Hill who gets skipped, with Hill's start being bumped back to Saturday. If that's the case, Ryu could be in the bullpen for some time, as the Dodgers would play just four games in eight days from April 5 to 12.

Maeda is available in the bullpen Wednesday, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Maeda will just be an insurance policy for the team Wednesday, though he may end up having his start skipped this time through the rotation, which could leave him as a bullpen option for a few more days. After starting the third game of the season Saturday against the Giants, Maeda's next natural start date would be Thursday, but the Dodgers are off that day. They could be off again Friday, as that day's game appears to be threatened by rain. Maeda could remain in the bullpen in order to keep the Dodgers' other starters on regular rest. He had success there during the playoffs in 2017, tossing 10.2 innings with an 0.84 ERA.

Kershaw will next appear for the Dodgers on Sunday against the Giants, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

A Sunday start would keep Kershaw starting on the typical four days' rest. The Dodgers have an off day Thursday and a potentially rain-threatened game Friday, so they may end up shuffling their rotation a bit, but they'll keep their ace on regular rest. Kershaw's opening two starts have resulted in a 2.25 ERA but a few question marks, as his velocity appears slightly down and he's already given up three homers. His strikeout and walk rates (25.5 percent and 5.9 percent) are still very solid, albeit a bit worse than his peak levels.

Urias (shoulder) had his tonsils removed Wednesday, which will prevent him from resuming his throwing program until next week, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Urias will miss at least half of the 2018 season while recovering from June shoulder surgery. A more concrete timeline for his return should be established once he's able to resume throwing off the mound. The tonsil procedure is obviously an issue unrelated to his arm troubles and shouldn't have any long-term effects on his ability to pitch, but it could delay his eventual return by a little bit.

Senzatela ceded three runs on two hits and a walk in one inning of relief during Tuesday's 8-4 loss to the Padres.

After losing out on a rotation spot in spring training, Senzatela hasn't taken well to the transition to the bullpen. He's been lit up for five runs in 3.2 innings while allowing hitters to reach base at a .389 clip. Senzatela could be at risk of a demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque the next time the Rockies need to make an addition to the 25-man roster.

Lugo is expected to be involved in what will likely amount to a bullpen game April 11 in Miami, Tim Britton of The Athletic New York reports.

He was absolutely filthy out of the bullpen Tuesday, pitching two perfect innings while striking out four on 22 total pitches (19 strikes). Lugo possesses a true 80-grade curveball, which can allow him to look dominant at times. His fastball, which had an average velocity of 91.2 mph last season, averaged 95.1 mph in his lone outing of 2018, but that may have just been a byproduct of it being a short stint where he could let it rip. Nonetheless, his dominant multi-inning outing out of the bullpen and potential start next week (with Robert Gsellman likely piggybacking) makes him an intriguing option in deeper formats. Jason Vargas (hand) could join the rotation April 13 if his simulated game goes well this weekend. If that happens, Lugo is expected to move to a full-time long-relief role, where he could continue to provide deep-league value.