MLB Player News

The Phillies plan to have Buehler, who has been assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, make his first start with the big club Sept. 12 versus Kansas City, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Buehler was assigned to Lehigh Valley after signing a minor-league contract with Philadelphia on Sunday, but he'll remain at Triple-A on a short-term basis before joining the big club when it expands its rotation to six men Sept. 12. With Zack Wheeler (shoulder) out for the season, the Phillies seem to be opting to deploy a six-man rotation down the stretch, with Taijuan Walker and Buehler making up the final two starting slots. Buehler should be able to get in three starts with the Phillies if he indeed debuts with the club against Kansas City.

The Phillies officially signed Buehler to a minor-league contract Sunday and assigned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Though Buehler's contract is a minor-league deal, it's likely just a formality so that the Phillies can avoid a move when the active roster expands from 26 to 28 men Monday. Since the veteran hurler officially joined the organization before the end of Sunday, he'll still be eligible for the postseason roster. Buehler will likely serve in a swingman role down the stretch while offering the Phillies an experienced arm with past postseason success.

The Astros will activate Garcia (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Monday to start the team's series finale versus the Angels, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Garcia will be making his first major-league start since May 1, 2023 following a lengthy recovery from Tommy John surgery and related setbacks. The right-hander will get the green light to rejoin the Astros after a nine-appearance minor-league rehab assignment, during which he posted a 3.30 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 38:7 K:BB over 30 innings. In Garcia's most recent rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land, he allowed one run over six frames while throwing 75 pitches, so he should be able to handle something close to a normal workload in his 2025 Astros debut.

Buehler agreed to a one-year contract with the Phillies on Sunday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Cut loose by the Red Sox earlier in the weekend, Buehler was able to quickly find work with another playoff-contending organization that was looking to bolster its starting depth. Though he owns a lifetime 3.56 ERA over parts of eight big-league seasons, Buehler languished during his time in Boston, submitting a 5.45 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 84:55 K:BB in 112.1 innings over 23 appearances (22 starts) before losing his spot on the roster. The 31-year-old boasts extensive playoff experience dating back to his time with the Dodgers, and the Phillies are hopeful that the right-hander can provide the pitching staff with a lift in September as the team potentially gears up for a deep postseason run. With Zack Wheeler (shoulder) recently getting shut down for the season, the Phillies have kept Taijuan Walker in the fold as their fifth starter and have received decent results from him, so Buehler won't necessarily be in store for a rotation spot right away with Philadelphia. Instead, he could head to the bullpen and serve as a long-relief option initially once the Phillies formally add him to their roster Monday.

Manager John Schneider said after Sunday's 8-4 win over the Brewers that Scherzer was pitching through upper-back tightness, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports. The right-hander took a no-decision after striking out one and giving up four runs on nine hits and no walks across four innings.

The 41-year-old threw 45 of 67 pitches for strikes and generated just three whiffs while surrendering a pair of home runs, with his early exit ending a run of six straight starts of at least six innings. The back issue hasn't seemed to stir up much cause for concern, though it's worth keeping an eye out for any updates on Scherzer ahead of his next turn through the rotation, which currently lines up for next weekend on the road against the Yankees.

The Phillies transferred Wheeler (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.

The transaction was merely a formality, as Wheeler has already been ruled out for the season after recently having a procedure to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder as well as a more significant thoracic outlet decompression surgery. The latter surgery carries an estimated recovery timeline of 6-to-8 months, which could put Wheeler at risk of missing the start of the 2026 season. With Wheeler shifting to the 60-day injured list, the Phillies were able to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Tim Mayza (lat), who was claimed off waivers from the Pirates.

Susana was diagnosed with right triceps soreness after being removed from his start Saturday with Double-A Harrisburg, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The 21-year-old allowed three runs over 1.2 frames prior to exiting the contest, which ended a stretch of five consecutive starts in which he surrendered one or fewer runs. The severity of the injury isn't yet known, leaving Susana's availability for his next turn through Harrisburg's rotation up in the air.

Keller (6-13) took the loss Sunday against the Red Sox, allowing four runs (none earned) on four hits and a walk across five innings. He struck out seven.

After blanking the Red Sox through four innings, Keller fell victim to some poor defense behind him in the fifth -- Romy Gonzalez reached via error to start the frame before Jarren Duran legged out a three-run, inside-the-park home run with two outs. While he wasn't charged with an earned run Sunday, Keller has been shaky of late, posting a 7.59 ERA across seven starts coming into the day. Overall, the right-hander sports a 4.21 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP and 132:44 K:BB across 28 starts (156 innings) this season.

Giolito (10-2) earned the win Sunday over the Pirates, allowing a run on three hits and five walks over six innings. He struck out six.

While Giolito's five walks were the second-most he's issued in a start this season, the right-hander was able to minimize the damage en route to his 10th victory. Giolito has gone 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA in his last seven outings (43.2 innings), lowering his ERA to 3.38 on the season with a 1.23 WHIP and 105:43 K:BB across 22 starts (125.1 innings). He's currently slated to face the Diamondbacks on the road his next time out.

Severino (oblique) is scheduled to return from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday's game against the Cardinals in St. Louis, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

The right-hander has been sidelined over three weeks due to an oblique strain, and he'll rejoin the Athletics rotation without a rehab assignment. Following the layoff, Severino could face some workload limitations in his first couple outings back in the majors. The right-hander was in strong form prior to the injury with a 3.13 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 22:6 K:BB over his last four starts.