MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said his concern level was "not high" after Liberatore exited Thursday's start versus the Royals due to fatigue, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The velocity on the southpaw's four-seamer dropped below 90 mph in the fifth inning, prompting a visit from Marmol and the trainer and the pitcher's eventual removal. However, Liberatore did not undergo imaging after the game and there doesn't appear to be any worry that he's injured. Rather, the pitcher believes mechanical issues were the main factor in him feeling fatigued. Liberatore has struggled in back-to-back starts and it's possible he's going through a "dead arm" phase after he spent the bulk of last season in a relief role. He's tentatively lined up to face the Blue Jays at home next week, but the date of his next start is not set in stone.

Manoah (elbow) will face live hitters Tuesday for the first time since a hybrid internal brace procedure last June, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Manoah remains on track in his rehab, and he's nearly ready to face hitters after weeks of bullpen sessions. The right-hander is expected to begin a rehab assignment in July and rejoin the Blue Jays by August if all goes well.

Bieber (elbow) was scratched from Friday's scheduled rehab start for Double-A Akron due to soreness, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Bieber experienced soreness after throwing a bullpen session with the RubberDucks on Tuesday. A consultation with Dr. Keith Meister, the physician who performed his Tommy John surgery last year, led to the recommendation that the right-hander pause his rehab for one week. "Obviously a little bit of the setback with shutting him down for a week, but it seems to be all normal -- normal rehab from Tommy John," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "These things happen. So we'll reassess where we are in a week."

The Athletics re-signed Brooks to a minor-league contract Thursday.

Brooks has been assigned to Double-A Midland after pitching in the Mexican League to begin the year. The 35-year-old made four starts and one relief appearance for the Athletics last season, posting a 5.06 ERA and 12:8 K:BB over 26.2 frames.

Rodriguez (shoulder) will start Friday's series opener against the Reds, MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez, who is on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, joined the Diamondbacks earlier this week and will be activated Friday. The left-hander's return comes at a key moment for the team, which lost Corbin Burnes (elbow) earlier this week.

Keller (1-8) took the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out five in 6.1 innings during Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Astros.

Keller gave the Pirates some length once again, but his streak of five straight quality starts was snapped on a night when the first pitch was delayed by over three hours due to rain. The result was his second-worst start of season, behind only a seven-run disaster against the Yankees back on April 4. Keller hasn't picked up a win since his opening start of the season, a time frame spanning 12 starts, despite allowing three runs or fewer in nine of them. The right-hander's ERA is up to 4.13 on the season, and his next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Marlins.

Valdez (6-4) allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out 11 in seven innings during Thursday's 8-2 win over the Pirates.

Valdez turned in one of his best performances of the season Thursday, striking out a season-high 11 batters on the way to the win. The 31-year-old has been dominant of late, notching six straight performances of at least six innings with three runs or fewer. Over that stretch he has a 1.84 ERA in 44 innings with 47 strikeouts. The left-hander's next scheduled start is a favorable home matchup with the White Sox on Wednesday.

Knack covered just 3.1 innings Thursday, allowing four runs on four hits and five walks while striking out one during a 6-5 win against the Mets. He didn't factor in the decision.

It was a tough outing for a pitcher who looked like he was turning a corner after back-to-back quality starts. Of Knack's 86 pitches Thursday, 40 of them were balls, leading to a season-high five walks. He also surrendered a season-high three home runs, though the fact all three were solo shots limited the damage. Knack has given up nine home runs in his past five outings, partially leading to his 5.12 ERA on the season. He isn't guaranteed to stick in the rotation, but the right-hander is tentatively scheduled to make his next start on the road at San Diego.

Wright (shoulder) struck out five and gave up one hit and one walk over 3.2 innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Wright's rehab assignment moved up to Triple-A Omaha after beginning at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. The 29-year-old hasn't pitched in the majors since September 2023 with Atlanta due to shoulder surgery and subsequent setbacks. The road back has been long and challenging, and while there may not be a clear spot in Kansas City's rotation, Wright is expected to be activated soon and could contribute out of the bullpen.

Peterson didn't factor into the decision Thursday after allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six in seven innings during a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers.

Peterson continues to pitch well in 2025, with the three earned runs given up Thursday tying his season high through 12 outings. He's been up to the challenge in his two starts against the Dodgers with five runs allowed across 14.2 innings. The 29-year-old has thrown at least six innings in five of his last six starts and sports a 2.58 ERA over that timeframe. Peterson is next slated to start at home against the Nationals next week.