MLB Player News

Gonsolin (forearm) threw in the outfield Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Gonsolin landed on the injured list Monday with a right forearm strain, but initial reports suggested he was in line for a short absence. His MRI results were encouraging Friday, clearing him to begin throwing.

Heaney will start Monday against the Giants, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Heaney doesn't have the best health track record, so when it was announced that he was no longer the scheduled starter Sunday against the Padres, it looked potentially concerning. As it turns out, the Dodgers simply wanted to give their rotation some extra rest, so Ryan Pepiot will be called up to start Sunday while Heaney and the rest of the rotation get pushed back a day.

Pepiot will start Sunday against San Diego, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

Pepiot owns a mediocre 4.02 ERA through his first seven major-league starts, with a high 16.1 percent walk rate and a low 21.3 percent groundball rate standing as significant red flags. The Dodgers have a commanding lead in the NL West, however, so they can afford to send him out for a spot start in order to give their other starters some extra rest.

Brown will make his major-league debut as a starter Monday against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brown worked as both a starter and a reliever for Triple-A Sugar Land this season, posting a 2.55 ERA and 31.5 percent strikeout rate in 106 innings. He was called up Thursday, but his role down the stretch was initially unclear. Whether or not he sticks in the rotation beyond Monday's outing may depend on how he performs. Control will be key, as his strong stat line in the minors came with a poor 10.6 percent walk rate.

Kopech (knee) threw a bullpen session Friday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Kopech has been on the injured list since Aug. 23 due to a left knee strain, but he's now been cleared to resume mound work. The White Sox hope that he'll be able to return from the IL when first eligible Sept. 7, but the team will wait to see how he progresses in the coming days prior to officially determining his return date.

Mahle (shoulder) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Saturday's start against the White Sox, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Mahle landed on the injured list Aug. 20 but recently threw a bullpen session and a few simulated innings. It seems unlikely that the right-hander will face a significant workload restriction Saturday since he's returning from the injured list just one day after he was first eligible.

Houck will undergo back surgery next week, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Houck was expected to require surgery to correct a disc issue in his back, and manager Alex Cora confirmed Saturday that the right-hander will undergo a procedure in the coming days. However, Houck is expected to be ready for spring training in 2023. It's not yet clear what role he'll play next season after he saw his fair share of save chances in 2022.

Wood was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement Saturday.

Wood has been dealing with the issue for a while, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports, which may explain his 13.86 ERA over his last three starts. The move was made retroactive to Thursday, so Wood will be eligible to return Sept. 16, but the Giants haven't decided whether or not to shut him down for the season. The team has been all but eliminated from playoff contention, as it sits 10 games back of the sixth seed, so Wood may simply start his offseason early in an effort to be as healthy as possible heading into next season.

Oviedo allowed two hits and three walks while striking out four across three scoreless innings Friday against the Blue Jays. He did not factor into the decision.

Oviedo made his first start with the Pirates since being acquired at the trade deadline. He effectively limited runs and generated nine swinging strikes on 77 pitches. On the other hand, he also issued three walks and had 22 pitches fouled off, racking up his pitch count and forcing him into a short outing. Given the Pirates' lack of competitiveness, they are likely to continue to give Oviedo opportunities to work out of the rotation to close the campaign.

Morton (7-5) picked up the win in Friday's 8-1 victory over the Marlins, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out seven.

The veteran righty served up a solo shot to Jerar Encarnacion to lead off the third inning, but otherwise Morton was dominant and fell short of his 10th quality start of the year only after walking a batter with two outs in the sixth and getting the hook. In six outings since the beginning of August, Morton sports a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 49:10 K:BB through 36 innings.