MLB Player News

Collins (elbow) will start in left field and bat seventh against the Cubs on Friday.

Collins made an early exit from Wednesday's contest after getting hit on the elbow by a pitch. After a day off Thursday, he's feeling well enough to return to the starting nine against Ben Brown and the Cubs. The 27-year-old outfielder is slashing .263/.333/.447 across 42 plate appearances this season and has recorded a base hit in each of his last five games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Kopech (shoulder) is expected to embark on a rehab assignment next week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kopech has been dealing with a right shoulder impingement over the past few weeks after starting the season on the injured list due to right forearm inflammation. He's been ramping up his pitch count in bullpen sessions and is set to start facing batters. Barring any setbacks, Kopech will start his rehab assignment next week, and how he responds after each outing will determine a timeline for his return to the majors.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reports Friday that Snell (shoulder) is expected to resume playing catch next week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Snell had his throwing program shut down after experiencing a setback with his left shoulder injury that caused him to be placed on the 15-day injured list April 6. He received a cortisone injection for his left shoulder this past Monday and will travel with the team to Miami next week to resume his throwing program.

The Rockies placed Feltner (back) on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to April 29.

Feltner had his last start pushed from Sunday to Monday against Atlanta due to a back issue. He took the loss in that outing after allowing five runs on a season-high 10 hits. He's eligible to be activated off the IL on May 14, but he'll undergo further tests to establish a concrete timeline for his return. The Rockies recalled Bradley Blalock from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move.

The Rockies recalled Blalock from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

Blalock has appeared in three games (one start) for the Rockies this season, allowing eight runs on 12 hits and two walks while striking out three over seven innings. He was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, but he'll return to the majors to give the Rockies another arm in the rotation after Ryan Feltner (back) was placed on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Weathers (forearm) is continuing his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Jacksonville, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander is working his way back from a forearm strain he suffered during spring training, and he covered three scoreless innings during his first rehab start last weekend. Weathers will continue building up his workload Friday and will likely require at least one additional rehab outing beyond that before making his season debut for the Marlins.

Pham is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres.

After a run of five straight starts in left field, Pham finds himself on the bench Friday for the second consecutive game. The veteran outfielder has gone 2-for-18 with six strikeouts during that stretch and has a .461 OPS for the season. Alexander Canario is getting another start in left Friday, as Pham may be losing his grip on an everyday role.

Strider (hamstring) has yet to be cleared to throw off a mound, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Strider has been playing catch, but it's been two weeks since he's thrown off the bump and it's uncertain when he'll be cleared for that. Given that layoff, it figures to be at least another couple weeks before he's ready to rejoin the Atlanta rotation even in a best-case scenario. Strider has been sidelined since mid-April with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.

Kiner-Falefa (lower body) is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Padres.

The 30-year-old was forced to the bench Thursday due to the lower-body issue after a run of nine straight starts, and he remains out of the starting nine Friday. Jared Triolo will receive another start at shortstop in place of Kiner-Falefa.

Priester will work behind Tyler Alexander in Friday's game against the Cubs, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Alexander is expected to serve as merely an opener against Chicago, so Priester should still handle the bulk of the innings. Priester struggled in his last start against the Cardinals, giving up five runs on eight hits and three walks across five innings in a no-decision.