MLB Player News

While Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg showed no massive signs of an injury during Saturday's start at Pittsburgh, he did reveal some troubling points with his velocity at times. Strasburg, who was limited last week by what manager Davey Johnson described as forearm tightness, was tagged for a two-run homer by Clint Barmes in the fifth inning on a 94 mph fastball.

He still matched a season-high seven innings of work and averaged 95.8 mph with his fastball, according to MLB.com, but that mark was marginally lower than it was in his previous outings this year, prompting even the slightest concern.

"He didn't show any indication at all that he was hurt," one scout who watched Strasburg pitch Saturday told CBSSports.com. "(But) at 93 with a straight fastball, he'd be just another guy."

Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin enjoyed another quality start as he picked up his fourth win of the season Saturday night against the Padres.

Corbin (4-0), who made his sixth start of the season, fired six scoreless inning before serving up a solo home run to Chris Denorfia in the seventh for his only damage of the night. The left-hander yielded just one run and five hits over seven innings of work. He struck out seven and walked three in 97 pitches, 59 strikes.

Corbin has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his six starts. He has struck out seven or more in three of his last four starts. The 23-year-old is is projected to make his next scheduled start Thursday at home against Philadelphia. He is 5-3 with a 2.63 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) at Chase Field.

Watching Zack Greinke go down in just his second start for the Dodgers this season was disappointing, but the news since he underwent surgery to repair his fractured collarbone has been consistently positive.

Greinke threw a full bullpen session Saturday without discomfort, an indication that he might have shaved as much as two weeks off his initial eight-week timetable to recover. If so, it looks like we could get Greinke back before the end of May.

It obviously still hurts for Fantasy owners to have to live without their projected ace, but the updated timetable should put you at ease. If you were thinking about pulling the trigger on a panic trade to shore up your rotation, this could be the news that steadies your hand.

Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley experienced a drop in velocity during his last outing Friday night against the Padres.

Miley, who gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings, watched video of his start in an attempt to understand what went wrong.

"Mechanics weren't too bad," Miley said to MLB.com. "Might have been rushing, flying open a little bit. Nothing major."

Miley is projected to make his next start Wednesday at the Dodgers. He is 2-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his last three starts at Dodger Stadium.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels turned in a solid performance but was pegged with his fourth loss of the season during Saturday's contest against the Marlins.

Hamels (1-4), who made his seventh start of the season, surrendered a solo home run to Marcell Ozuna in the second and another solo shot to Chris Valaika in the third for his only damage of the night. The left-hander was charged with two runs and four hits over eight innings of work in a 2-0 defeat. He struck out six and did not issue a walk on 106 pitches, 73 for strikes.

Hamels has lost two of his last three starts despite allowing four runs and striking out 20 over 22 innings in that span. He is scheduled to start Thursday at Arizona. He is 2-1 with a 4.71 ERA in his last three starts at Chase Field.

Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright was roughed up a bit during Saturday's contest against the Brewers. Wainwright, who made his seventh start, allowed a season-high five runs on 11 hits over just 5 1/3 innings of work in a 7-6 win.

The right-hander did not get off to a great start, surrendering a leadoff single to Norichika Aoki before Jean Segura roped the next pitch he threw over the center-field fence for a two-run homer -- the first long ball the the right-hander has surrendered.

Wainwright was able to settle down until he ran into more trouble in the sixth. He allowed a solo home run to Carlos Gomez and then a two-run single to Jonathan Lucroy, which chased him from the game.

However, the Cardinals were able to re-take the lead in the seventh, taking Wainwright off the hook for the loss. He finished with five strikeouts and did not issue a walk, while earning his first no-decision of the year.

Wainwright is scheduled to face the Rockies at home next Saturday.

Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who is on the 15-day disabled list, completed his first full bullpen session Saturday. He threw roughly 40 pitches in front of pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, manager Don Mattingly and medical director Stan Conte without discomfort.

"He's feeling pretty good," Mattingly said. "That doesn't mean there aren't still boxes we need to check off before he's ready (to go on a rehab assignment)."

Greinke, who originally had an eight-week timetable from a fractured left collarbone, is three weeks into his recovery process and is working ahead of schedule, according to MLB.com. His prognosis could be cut down by two weeks, barring any set backs, the Orange County Register reports.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who was battling forearm tightness, turned in a solid outing as he struck out eight but did not factor into the decision Saturday afternoon against the Pirates.

Strasburg, who made his seventh start of the season, served up a two-run home run to Starling Marte and another two-run shot to Clint Barmes in the fifth for his only damage of the evening. The right-hander surrendered four runs and five hits in seven innings of work in a 5-4 victory. He walked two on 95 pitches, 65 for strikes.

Strasburg has struck out eight in each of the last two starts. He has allowed six runs in 13 innings over that span.

He is scheduled to pitch Saturday at home against the Cubs. The 24-year-old allowed one run and five hits over seven innings of work his last time out against the Cubs in 2012.

Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton's May 14 return date against the Brewers will likely have to be pushed back, the right-hander told MLB.com Saturday. Morton, who was slated to make his season debut against Milwaukee, was flown back to Pittsburgh after he experienced tightness in his right shoulder during a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis Friday night.

"It's a setback for my readiness, sure -- assuming it will alter my schedule," Morton said. "I'm not expecting anything bad. A lot of it was precautionary, a bump in the road."

Morton is expected to undergo a full examination some time over the next few days.

He has posted a 1.69 ERA with 10 strikeouts over four rehab starts (16 innings) while working his way back from Tommy John surgery.

The Braves' home game against the Mets scheduled for Saturday was postponed due to rain and a makeup date was not announced. Atlanta said it would skip the turn of pitcher Julio Teheran, who was scheduled to start Saturday, and keep the rotation intact with Tim Hudson maintaining his spot for the series finale Sunday.

Teheran's next start is projected for Thursday at San Francisco. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts on the road this season.