MLB Player News

Flexen won't start as scheduled Tuesday at Washington since the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

The right-hander last started July 4 in San Diego and delivered 6.2 scoreless innings, and he'll have to wait another day before retaking the mound due to some severe weather. The game is being made up via a doubleheader Wednesday, and Flexen figures to start one of those contests. The postponement means it's likely to be his last outing before the All-Star break.

Heaney (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Heaney threw a live bullpen session Tuesday, clearing the way for him to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. The left-hander is expected to cover 3-to-4 innings Saturday, and it remains to be seen if he'll require another rehab start before rejoining the big-league club. Manager Dave Roberts said Heaney could be limited to about 75 pitches per start upon his return, though it's unclear whether that would be a temporary measure.

Kikuchi (neck) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kikuchi isn't eligible to return from the 15-day injured list this week after he was deactivated July 7 due to a neck strain, but the fact that he's back on the mound already suggests he won't be in store for an extended absence. Even if he remains uninhibited as he builds back up from the injury, Kikuchi may not be guaranteed a spot in the Toronto rotation upon his return from the IL. The veteran southpaw was productive over a stretch of five starts in May, but he's mostly struggled in his other 11 outings on the season. He'll carry a 5.12 ERA and 1.57 WHIP into the All-Star break.

Gausman (ankle) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and could be an option to start Thursday's home game against the Royals, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Gausman hasn't pitched since exiting his July 2 start against the Rays after suffering a bruised right ankle when he was struck by a comebacker, but the Blue Jays continue to delay any potential move to the injured list. The team is seemingly hopeful that he'll be ready to return to the rotation for the final series before the All-Star break, but a decision on his status might not be made until the Blue Jays get a chance to re-evaluate him Wednesday. If Gausman isn't ready to pitch against Kansas City, rookie Max Castillo would likely receive another turn through Toronto's rotation.

Montas (shoulder) felt good after a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and hopes to start during the three-game series against the Astros this weekend, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander had a throwing session Saturday and has now completed a successful bullpen session. The A's have refrained from placing Montas on the 15-day injured list due to the shoulder inflammation to this point, and it appears he's on track to re-enter the rotation without being placed on the shelf.

Soroka (Achilles/knee) threw a bullpen session Monday with no apparent issues, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The right-hander's rehab from Achilles surgery has been stalled over the past week after he was struck in the knee by a comebacker during live batting practice, so it's a good sign he's back on the mound. Soroka will likely need to return to throwing live BP before being cleared for a rehab assignment, which will be lengthy given he hasn't seen MLB action since 2020.

Manager David Bell said Tuesday that he expects Mahle (shoulder) to return from the 15-day injured list to make a start during one of the Reds' first three games out of the All-Star break, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Mahle was placed on the 15-day injured list July 6 with a right shoulder strain, but he looks as though he'll spend close to the minimum amount of time on the shelf. The right-hander was able to do some throwing Tuesday after taking the past five days off to rest, and Cincinnati's coaching and training staffs apparently both came away encouraged by how he looked. Mahle will continue to steadily ramp up the intensity of his throwing before he's penciled in for a start against the Cardinals during Cincinnati's first series of the second half.

Gibson (personal) was placed on the restricted list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Blue Jays.

The veteran right-hander is unable to enter Canada for the two-game series due to his vaccination status. Gibson last pitched Saturday against the Cardinals, so the move to the restricted list won't affect his turn through the rotation. He tentatively lines up to pitch Friday in Miami.

Nola (personal) was placed on the restricted list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Blue Jays.

Nola is unvaccinated and unable to travel with the team to Toronto for the two-game series this week. The transaction won't affect the right-hander's spot in the rotation since he pitched Monday against the Cardinals, taking the loss after giving up five earned runs over seven innings. He still lines up to start Saturday or Sunday in Miami.

Liberatore is slated to work as the Cardinals' bulk reliever behind opener Jordan Hicks in Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Liberatore has turned in a mixed bag of results while working as a traditional starter in his first six big-league starts. In three of those outings, he's kept the opposition off the board over 14 innings, and in the other three, he's surrendered 13 earned runs in 10.2 innings. A matchup with a Dodgers lineup that features Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman as the top three batters in the order likely wouldn't have set Liberatore up for much success, so Hicks will likely cover an inning or two before giving way to the rookie. The arrangement should allow Liberatore to work deeper into the contest and improve his chances of factoring into any decision.