MLB Player News

Blackburn (finger) had his rehab start scheduled for Friday with Triple-A Las Vegas postponed because of the blister he developed during his previous outing Sunday, MLB.com reports.

The right-hander continues to play catch for the time being, but manager Mark Kotsay says there's no current timetable for Blackburn's next rehab start. Blackburn had worked up to 62 pitches in Sunday's outing, yet the setback and time off between starts now appears likely to delay his big-league season debut into May.

DeSclafani (1-1) allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings, taking the loss Friday versus the Mets.

DeSclafani gave up one run in the second inning and three more in the fifth, while the Giants' bats were limited to five hits in the 7-0 shutout loss. This was the first time the right-hander failed to record a quality start in four outings this season. Despite the poor showing, he's got a 2.63 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 21:2 K:BB across 24 innings. His next start is projected for next week versus the Cardinals.

Stripling will rejoin the San Francisco rotation and start Sunday's series finale with the Mets at Oracle Park, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Stripling opened the season as a member of the rotation, but he made just one start before making his subsequent three appearances as a long reliever. With Alex Wood (hamstring) landing on the injured list earlier this week, Stripling will get a chance to slot back into the rotation, but he'll be doing so with a streamlined repertoire, according to Slusser. Stripling said he has abandoned using the new changeup he had been experimenting with earlier this season, which he hopes will lead to improved command as he moves back into a starting role.

Alcantara was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against the Guardians due to biceps tendinitis but is expected to start next week against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

It's never a good sign to see a pitcher dealing with an arm injury, but the fact that Alcantara will avoid the injured list for now is encouraging. He's expected to miss just one start, with Devin Smeltzer filling in for him in the first half of Saturday's doubleheader. It's possible the biceps issue partially explains Alcantara's disappointing 5.47 ERA to start the year.

DeGrom (wrist) threw a bullpen session Friday, but the Rangers have yet to confirm that he'll be able to start Sunday versus the Athletics, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that he'll have a better idea about deGrom's availability Saturday. DeGrom was removed from a start earlier this week with right wrist soreness after tossing four no-hit innings.

Davis did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and zero walks over 4.2 innings during a 4-3 loss to the Phillies. He struck out five.

Making his second start in place of German Marquez (forearm), Davis once again served as an admirable fill-in option. He was tagged for two runs (one earned) in a shaky fourth that included an error, a hit by pitch and a run-scoring balk, but other than that, he was solid and got pulled in the fifth after giving up a two-out single to Nick Castellanos. Through two starts (9.2 innings), Davis holds a 0.93 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and a strong 10:3 K:BB.

Kopech didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 8-7 loss to the Rays, surrendering five runs on six hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out a season-high nine.

As has been the norm for Kopech to begin the season, he looked dominant at times but also fell victim to one bad inning, in this case a four-run first by Tampa Bay. The right-hander generated 16 swinging strikes on 104 pitches, but his command remains erratic -- he's walked at least three batters in all four of his outings. Harold Ramirez's two-run shot in the opening frame was the eighth homer Kopech has served up in only 20.2 innings. He'll carry a 6.97 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 23:14 K:BB into his next start, likely to come next week in Toronto.

Nola did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over seven innings during a 4-3 win over the Rockies. He struck out three.

Nola allowed back-to-back, one-out singles to Kris Bryant and Charlie Blackmon in the first before serving up a three-run shot to Ryan McMahon with two outs. However, that was the only damage Colorado could muster against the right-hander, who cruised through six scoreless frames after his shaky first. After walking just three batters through his first three starts, Nola has given up three walks in back-to-back starts, and he currently sports a 5.40 ERA with a modest 22:9 K:BB through five starts (28.1 innings).

German (1-2) took the loss Friday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks over six innings against Toronto. He struck out six.

German served up a two-run home run to Vladimir Guerrero in the first and a two-run shot to Brandon Belt in the sixth. The right-hander has now given up four homers in four starts and sports a 4.50 ERA, but he has a stellar 25:7 K:BB through 20 innings and his 1.05 WHIP is encouraging. His next start is tentatively scheduled against the Twins, who struck out 11 times the last time they faced German.

Kikuchi (3-0) earned the win Friday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings during a 6-1 victory over the Yankees. He struck out three.

Kikuchi got some early run support, and aside from a solo home run from Oswaldo Cabrera in the second inning, he cruised through six frames en route to his third victory of the season. After four starts (21.1 innings), Kikuchi sports a 3.80 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP with a solid 20:5 K:BB. He's tentatively scheduled to pitch again during next week's three-game set against the White Sox.