MLB Player News

Syndergaard (lat) is scheduled to throw batting practice Wednesday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

This is another encouraging step in Thor's rehab, as it will mark his first time facing live hitters since landing on the shelf back at the end of April. If everything goes well, Syndergaard should be able to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment shortly after. He still doesn't have a concrete return date, and the Mets will likely continue to handle him with extra precaution seeing as they're well out of the playoff race.

Manager Dave Roberts said Wood (chest) will receive a cortisone shot and be placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Wood was already planning to skip his next start due to a sternum joint issue, so the Dodgers decided to shift him to the DL to open up a roster spot until he's ready to return. He doesn't seem too worried about the issue, and believes he'll be ready to return to the rotation after the minimum 10-day stay, which would line him up to start Sept. 2 against the Padres. Ross Stripling is the leading candidate to take his place in the rotation for Saturday's start against the Brewers.

Cueto (forearm), who was scratched from his scheduled rehab start due Monday to an illness, will start for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The illness apparently wasn't anything overly serious, as Cueto is set to make his scheduled rehab start just a day later. He's expected to need two rehab starts before rejoining the big-league rotation, so barring any setbacks, it looks like he should be ready to go right around the beginning of September.

The Phillies will recall Thompson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start Thursday's game against the Marlins, Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

With the Phillies playing six games in five days this week due to Tuesday's doubleheader, Thompson will join the rotation as a temporary sixth starter. It's unlikely that Thompson will be needed in a starting role beyond Thursday, but if the bullpen is in need of additional depth during the weekend, the right-hander could stick around with the big club and transition to long-relief duty.

Burnes tossed eight scoreless innings for Double-A Biloxi on Monday, giving up two hits and no walks while striking out eight.

No pitcher in the Brewers' farm system has improved their long-term outlook more since the beginning of the season than Burnes, who dominated in the Carolina League and hasn't slowed down since moving up to the Double-A ranks. The stellar outing Monday dropped his ERA to 1.97 over 77.2 innings with Biloxi, during which the right-hander has compiled a stellar 80:12 K:BB mark. If Burnes is able to maintain his current form over his final few starts of the campaign, he could receive an opportunity to audition for a starting gig with the big club next spring.

Velasquez will undergo surgery to repair a vascular issue with his right middle finger, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

According to Meghan Montemurro of The News Journal, manager Pete Mackanin said the issue was clogging blood flow to Velasquez's middle finger, which explains why he had been experiencing numbness. Montemurro also noted that Velazquez wasn't dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome, which is a huge relief given the extensive recovery process that comes with it. He'll now be sidelined for around 6-to-8 weeks, and the Phillies are confident he'll be ready for spring training. Since the 25-year-old has already been shifted to the 60-day disabled list, effectively ending his season, he'll now turn his focus towards getting ready for 2018. After a lackluster 2017 campaign (5.13 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 72 innings), his fantasy outlook for next season has taken a considerable hit.

Alvarez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Tuesday, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez hasn't pitched in the majors since 2015 -- when he was the Marlins' Opening Day starter -- thanks to a myriad of shoulder issues. The 27-year-old has compiled a 3.09 ERA in 32 innings (seven starts) with the independent Long Island Ducks this season, but his 13:14 K:BB leaves something to be desired. On a more positive note, Alvarez's fastball has been clocked at up to 98 miles per hour during his time with the Ducks, according to Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com, which bodes well for the former All-Star's chances of eventually earning his way back to the big leagues. Alvarez will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin his tenure with the Phillies.

Eflin (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday.

After Eflin departed his most recent start Friday with right shoulder discomfort, the Phillies had been hopeful he wouldn't require a trip to the DL, but those plans were foiled after he was later diagnosed with a strain. Until Eflin is cleared to resume a throwing program, he'll face an uncertain timetable to return from the DL, forcing the Phillies to add a new pitcher into the rotation for the time being. Mark Leiter, who was moved to the bullpen last week to make room for the recently recalled Ben Lively, seems to be the most logical candidate to assume Eflin's spot in the rotation.

The Phillies transferred Velasquez (finger) to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday, Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Since Velasquez's DL stint was retroactive to Aug. 10, the move to the 60-day DL means that he won't be eligible to return this season. The 25-year-old was deactivated after experiencing numbness in his right middle finger, which is an issue often consistent with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that often requires surgical intervention. Velasquez met with a TOS specialist last week, but the Phillies have yet to provide word on whether he's dealing with the condition or if he'll need to undergo a procedure in the coming weeks. More news on that front should come in the near future, but even if Velasquez doesn't need to go under the knife, his fantasy outlook has dimmed considerably heading into 2018. After a promising first season with the Phillies, Velasquez took a major step back in 2017, producing a 5.13 ERA and 1.50 WHIP and surrendering 15 home runs over 72 innings.

Davies (14-7) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts over six innings but took the loss Monday against the Giants.

Davies threw his sixth quality start in his past seven outings, but the Brewers didn't give him a single run of support. The righty now owns a 2.92 ERA since the All-Star break. His 35:17 K:BB over 52.1 innings is uninspiring, but Davies has allowed just two home runs over eight starts, and he'll continue to succeed if he can keep the ball in the yard like that.