MLB Player News

Perez (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Jupiter on Saturday, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough indicated last week that Perez was about a month away from rehab games, but evidently that timeline has been moved up. Perez will likely need all of the allotted 30 days on his rehab assignment, which would set him up for a season debut in late May. The 22-year-old right-hander is coming back from April 2024 Tommy John surgery.

Kershaw (toe/knee) covered three innings Tuesday for Double-A Tulsa in his second rehab start, allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out four.

After tossing three scoreless frames in his first rehab outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on April 16, Kershaw moved down a level and matched that innings count, but he doubled his pitch count from 30 to 60. Since he opened the season on the 60-day injured list while recovering from left toe and left knee surgeries, Kershaw won't be eligible for activation until May 17, so he'll likely build up to around five or six innings and 80 to 90 pitches over two or three more rehab starts before making his 2025 debut.

The Padres are expected to recall Bergert from Triple-A El Paso prior to Friday's game against the Rays, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

He'll take the roster spot vacated by Kyle Hart, who was optioned to El Paso on Thursday. Bergert has been used as a starting pitcher at El Paso, holding a 5.16 ERA and 24:10 K:BB over 22.2 innings covering five starts. He'll be used in relief with the Padres and will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.

Glasnow (lower leg) is listed as the Dodgers' starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Pirates in Los Angeles.

Glasnow was lifted after four innings during his previous start Sunday after experiencing right lower leg cramps, but the Dodgers never expected him to miss any turns through the rotation. After getting some extra time to recover, Glasnow shouldn't face any workload restrictions when he takes the hill on six days' rest. Though he sports an elevated walk rate (13.9 percent) through his first four starts, most of Glasnow's other ratios (3.71 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 31.9 K%) have been solid. Fantasy managers shouldn't have any qualms about making him active Sunday in a home matchup against one of baseball's weaker offenses.

Falter (back) is listed as the Pirates' scheduled starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The 28-year-old lefty departed after four innings in his latest start Tuesday due to back tightness, but he's apparently bounced back and will be ready to take the hill Sunday on normal rest. While Falter has delivered a strong 1.19 WHIP through his first five starts of the season, most his other ratios (5.19 ERA, 12.5 K-BB%) have painted an unflattering picture of his performance. He won't be a recommended streaming option as he takes on a stellar Dodgers offense on the road.

Kelly (leg) is listed as the Diamondbacks' scheduled starting pitcher for Saturday's game against Atlanta at Chase Field.

Kelly was lifted in the sixth inning of his latest start Sunday after experiencing right leg cramping, but the issue never appeared to be serious enough to keep him from making his next turn through the rotation. Since being torched for nine earned runs over 3.2 innings in an April 3 loss to the Yankees, Kelly has been sharp over his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB across 17.2 frames.

Walker (shoulder) is listed as the Phillies' scheduled starter for Friday's game against the Cubs in Chicago.

Walker developed some right shoulder stiffness Saturday against the Marlins, but the 32-year-old checked out fine following his between-starts bullpen session and will be ready to toe the rubber on five days' rest. Though he was expected to begin the season in the bullpen, Walker ended up winning a spot in the Opening Day rotation after Ranger Suarez (back) landed on the injured list. Walker has fared well through four starts, turning in a 2.29 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 19.2 innings.

Freeland (finger) is listed as the Rockies' probable pitcher for Friday's game against the Reds in Colorado.

Freeland suffered a blister during his most recent start this past Sunday against the Nationals, but he'll be ready to pitch on his normal four days' rest after completing his between-starts bullpen session without incident. The lefty enters Friday's outing having gone 0-4 with a 4.85 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 26 innings through five starts.

Burnes allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out eight in 5.1 innings Thursday against Tampa Bay. He didn't factor into the decision.

It was a nice performance overall by the star right-hander, though he couldn't stick around long enough to get his third straight quality start. Burnes began the game with three clean innings and yielded a season-low three hits and one earned run, also tying a season high with eight punchouts. He committed a fielding error in the sixth inning, so both of the runs allowed in the frame were unearned, much to the delight of fantasy managers. Burnes still has work to do to improve his 4.05 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 25:12 K:BB over 26.2 innings (five starts), but things won't get much easier in his next scheduled outing at New York against the Mets.

Hart was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Hart has had an up-and-down start to the season while in the Padres' rotation, but the result is a 6.00 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 21 innings. The team's exact plans are unclear, though Stephen Kolek was in competition for a rotation spot during spring training and is on the same starting schedule as Hart.