MLB Player News

Cease (9-8) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out 10 over seven shutout innings to earn the win Saturday over the Guardians.

In three of his last five starts, Cease has delivered one-hit ball, though this was arguably his most dominant outing of the season. It was also his fourth start of the year with double-digit strikeouts. Cease is now at a 3.76 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 159:37 K:BB through 122 innings over 21 starts. He's projected for a road start versus Washington next week, though that could become a more challenging assignment at Baltimore if the Padres opt to call up a fifth starter for their first time through the rotation after the All-Star break.

The Dodgers will activate Kershaw (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list to start Thursday's game against the Giants, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Earlier Saturday, manager Dave Roberts accidentally stated Kershaw would start Wednesday and Tyler Glasnow (back) would start Thursday, but the Dodgers will instead flip the order in which the two pitchers will make their respective returns from the IL. Kershaw experienced a couple of setbacks in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery that pushed back his 2024 debut, but he checked out fine upon making two minor-league rehab starts this month, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across seven innings. He got up to 67 pitches in his most recent outing Friday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, so it's expected he'll be on some sort of pitch count Thursday.

Williams (0-2) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five over 3.2 innings, taking the loss Saturday versus the Padres.

The Guardians mustered just two baserunners, giving Williams next to nothing for support. He had a particularly rough fourth inning, loading the bases and allowing all three runs on his line in that frame on three hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. This was the shortest of four starts for Williams so far, and it looks like he's still shaking off some rust after missing the first three months of the year with an elbow injury. Williams has a 4.50 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 14:8 K:BB over 18 innings this season. The right-hander's next start is projected to come at home versus the Tigers.

Glasnow (back) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Giants, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Earlier Saturday, manager Dave Roberts accidentally said that Glasnow would start Thursday and Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) would start Wednesday, but the two pitchers will actually flip spots in the pitching schedule. Glasnow didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment after being placed on the IL shortly before the All-Star break, but he should be able to provide the Dodgers with plenty of length in his return to the rotation after he threw 58 pitches across three simulated innings Friday. Even so, Glasnow will likely be operating on some sort of restriction with his pitch count Wednesday in his return to the Dodgers rotation.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Glasnow (back) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Thursday's game against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

After throwing 58 pitches over three simulated innings Friday, Glasnow said that he expected to return to the rotation Wednesday, but the Dodgers will wait an extra day before activating him. Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) will return from the 60-day injured list to make his season debut for the Dodgers on Wednesday, while Glasnow gets the ball for the series finale Thursday. The 30-year-old Glasnow turned in a 3.47 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP with 143 strikeouts across 109 innings before landing on the IL on July 9 with lower-back tightness.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Kershaw (shoulder) will return from the 60-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw had been rumored to start at some point during the Dodgers' four-game home series against the Giants, and Roberts confirmed that the veteran lefty will make his season debut Wednesday. In his latest rehab outing Friday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Kershaw threw four innings and 67 pitches, so he'll likely be operating under some sort of pitch count Wednesday. Since resuming his rehab assignment July 13, Kershaw has made two starts, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts over seven innings.

Scherzer was pulled after two innings in his start in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Orioles after experiencing right arm fatigue during the outing, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports. The right-hander took the loss and dropped to 1-3 on the season after giving up four earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out one batter.

Scherzer threw 53 pitches through two frames, and though he was initially preparing to go back in the game for the top of the third inning, he and manager Bruce Bochy decided it was for the best to turn the game over to the bullpen. The three-time Cy Young Award winner spent almost three months on the injured list to start the season due to back, thumb and forearm injuries before being activated June 23. He was stretched out to 95 pitches by his fourth start, but has now been limited to 71 and 53 pitches in his last two appearances. While Scherzer shared optimism that the arm fatigue is a short-term concern, it wouldn't be surprising if the 39-year-old's workload in future starts remained somewhat limited. He tentatively lines up to make his next start Thursday against the White Sox in Arlington.

Garcia (elbow) threw 15 pitches in a bullpen session Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Garcia threw 15 pitches as part of his first mound work since July 4. While Saturday's session was a major step toward resuming his rehab assignment, Garcia will likely have to complete additional bullpens before being shipped out. The 27-year-old is 14 months into his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Verlander (neck) threw 40 pitches during a bullpen session Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Verlander is recovering from a neck injury that has sidelined him since June 18, but he's thrown a pair of bullpen sessions in the last week and was stretched out to 40 pitches Saturday. At this point, it's unclear if the 41-year-old will require a minor-league rehab stint.

Kochanowicz (0-2) took the loss against the Athletics on Saturday, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings.

Kochanowicz surrendered a three-run home run to Brent Rooker in the first frame and then four more runs in the fourth. The rookie has yielded 11 earned runs in his first seven major-league innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Should he remain in the rotation, the 23-year-old lines up for a rematch with the Athletics next week.