MLB Player News

Atlanta recalled Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

He'll join Atlanta's 26-man active roster as a replacement for right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (forearm), who was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. According to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Elder will also take over Lopez's spot in the rotation, as he's scheduled to start Tuesday in the first game of Atlanta's home series versus Milwaukee. Elder has previously made nine starts for the big club this season, delivering a 5.67 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB across 46 innings.

Atlanta placed Lopez on the 15-day injured list Monday with right forearm inflammation.

Atlanta had been hoping that Lopez would miss just one turn through the rotation after an MRI revealed no structural damage to his forearm, but the right-hander wasn't progressing as quickly as expected, as he hadn't thrown off a mound since exiting his last start July 28. The club will now give Lopez some extra time to heal up, and since his placement on the IL is backdated to this past Friday, he'll be eligible for activation as soon as Aug. 17. Atlanta called up Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move, and he'll step into Lopez's spot in the rotation and start Tuesday's game against the Brewers.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Friday that Williams (elbow) remains limited to throwing off flat ground, adding that it will "be a while" before the right-hander gets back on the mound, MLB.com reports. "He is feeling better, it's just been a slow process," Martinez said.

Despite not heading into spring training with a guaranteed rotation spot, Williams was one of the Nationals' top pitchers over the first two months of the season, accruing a 2.22 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across his 11 starts. He was then diagnosed with a right flexor muscle strain in early June and has struggled to shake off the injury, as he's still not progressed to mound work two months later. Even if Williams is given the green light to throw bullpen sessions within the next few days, he'll still need several weeks to get fully stretched back out for starting duty. Williams doesn't look like he'll be a realistic option for the Washington rotation until September, and he might be brought back as a reliever if his rehab process remains slow over the next few weeks.

Mule (elbow) has turned in a 3.72 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 22:26 K:BB across 29 innings in nine starts with Single-A Myrtle Beach since returning from the 7-day injured list May 28.

Mule underwent Tommy John surgery in late March of last year but made a speedy recovery from the procedure, as he was cleared to begin a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on May 4. After four starts in Arizona, Mule joined Myrtle Beach but has struggled mightily with controlling his offerings. Control hadn't been a strong suit for Mule before he underwent Tommy John surgery, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Cubs soon abandoned the idea of developing the hard-throwing right-hander as a starter and moved him to the bullpen at Myrtle Beach.

Senzatela (elbow) is likely to begin a rehab assignment Thursday, MLB.com reports.

Senzatela threw a simulated game Sunday and totaled 28 pitches while throwing his entire arsenal. He'll now head to the Arizona Complex League and should soon be in line for his first game since last May.

The Padres list King (calf) as their scheduled starting pitcher for Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh.

King will return to the mound for the first time since July 27 after having his turn in the rotation skipped this past week while he contended with lingering left calf soreness, which stemmed from being struck by a comebacker. The right-hander was able to play catch Friday and Saturday without incident and looks like he'll be ready to start Wednesday after completing a bullpen session Monday. King has turned in quality starts in four of his last five outings while accruing a 1.76 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 35:7 K:BB over 30.2 innings.

Cobb (hip/shoulder/finger) covered 4.2 innings in his rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Columbus, striking out five while allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks.

Cobb spotted 44 of his 69 pitches and sported a fastball that maxed out at 94.9 miles per hour. The right-hander has now made seven rehab starts overall, but Saturday's was his first as a member of the Guardians organization after he was acquired from the Giants on Tuesday. At this point, Cobb looks to be fully stretched back out after having spent all season on the injured list up to this point while recovering from offseason hip surgery. Cobb also had his rehab program slowed down by a sore shoulder and more recently, a blister, but neither issue looks to be a concern moving forward. Assuming the Guardians were satisfied with how Cobb fared Saturday, he could come off the 60-day IL and make his 2024 MLB debut as soon as Friday, when the Guardians will begin a four-game series with the Twins with a doubleheader.

Woods Richardson allowed three runs on six hits and three walks over four innings in a no-decision Sunday. He struck out six in the win over the White Sox.

Woods Richardson tossed two scoreless frames before the White Sox scored a pair of runs in the third inning and another in the fourth. He's been chased in the fifth inning or earlier in three of his last four starts, generating a 5.60 ERA during that stretch. Woods Richardson produced a 2.84 ERA over his first 10 starts, but that number has jumped to 5.04 over his last nine outings, resulting in a 3.87 ERA through 95.1 innings. His next outing is lined up to be a home tilt with the Guardians.

Flexen (2-11) allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits and three walks over 1.2 innings Sunday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Twins.

Flexen gave up a pair of runs in the first inning before the Twins broke out with a six-run second. He failed to complete at least three innings for the first time since June 14. In 16 starts since his last win May 8, Flexen has gone 0-8 with a 6.09 ERA. His season ERA is up to 5.53 with an 83:46 K:BB through 114 innings. His next outing is projected to be at home against the Cubs.

Wheeler (11-5) got the win Sunday against the Mariners, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out nine over eight scoreless innings.

Wheeler was engaged in a pitcher's duel with Logan Gilbert for the first six innings before the Phillies eventually opened up the game with five runs in the eighth. Sunday was Wheeler's sixth scoreless outing of the year, as he only allowed a first inning double by Cal Raleigh and a base hit from Victor Robles in the third. He went on to finish the day by retiring the final 15 hitters he faced. Wheeler managed to not issue multiple walks for the first time since June 22 and his nine strikeouts were his most since he had nine against the Giants on May 28. The 34-year-old further strengthened his NL Cy Young case and now owns a 2.77 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 148:41 K:BB in 136.2 innings. He lines up to face the Diamondbacks on the road in his next start.