MLB Player News

Henderson (back) was sent to Triple-A Nashville to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Henderson will return to the mound in a contest for the first time since suffering a lower-back strain in late May. The right-hander has posted a 2.74 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 30 strikeouts over 23 innings across five starts with the Brewers so far this season, and he has a strong chance of securing a spot in the major-league rotation once healthy.

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Dodgers.

Merrill has gone 14-for-55 (.255) over his last 13 games, a span that includes seven steals. The outfielder wasn't running all that much early in the season -- he's up to 17 thefts on 18 attempts now, but he has picked up the pace in the last couple of weeks. He's batting .212 with a .618 OPS, eight home runs, 31 RBI, 35 runs scored, 15 doubles and one triple over 79 games on the season.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Dodgers.

Machado has had a homer and a double in three of his last eight games. He is hitting .321 (9-for-28) with eight RBI in that span, showing some signs of life after what's largely been a disappointing first half aside from steady power production. The third baseman is still batting just .188 on the year with a .664 OPS, 15 homers, 44 RBI, 39 runs scored, 15 doubles and one stolen base over 80 contests.

O'Hearn went 3-for-5 with two homers, an additional run scored and four total RBI in Sunday's 9-4 win over the Reds.

O'Hearn put the Pirates ahead 5-4 with a 421-foot blast off Brady Singer in the fifth inning before extending the lead to 8-4 with his second home run, a three-run shot off Pierce Johnson in the eighth. Prior to Sunday, O'Hearn had homered just once in his previous 16 games. Overall, he's slashing .286/.342/.479 with 13 homers, 50 RBI and 38 runs scored across 284 plate appearances this season.

King (5-7) allowed four runs on three hits, four walks and two hit batsmen while striking out five over 4.1 innings to take the loss versus the Dodgers on Sunday.

King threw just 54 of 90 pitches for strikes. His sharp outing versus Atlanta last Monday looks like the anomaly -- he's walked at least three batters in three of his last four starts, and he's also plunked three batters over that span. King is at a 3.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 83:39 K:BB through 96.1 innings over 17 starts this season. He is projected to make his next start in a road rematch with the Dodgers.

Duran secured the save Sunday against the Mets, allowing no runs on no hits and one walk in a scoreless ninth inning.

The Mets brought the possible winning run to the plate in a one-run game, but Duran got Luis Torrens to fly out and seal the win for Philadelphia. The hard-throwing right-hander has now submitted seven scoreless outings in a row and 26 for the season among 30 appearances. Through 28.2 innings, Duran sports a 1.57 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 44:6 K:BB while converting all but one of his 22 save opportunities.

Henriquez walked one and struck out none in a scoreless and hitless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Padres.

Henriquez's high-leverage chances have been increasing lately. He's earned the opportunities by allowing just three runs with a 21:4 K:BB over his last 18.2 innings. Tanner Scott was utilized in the seventh and eighth innings to deal with the middle of the Padres' order, and Henriquez was able to get Fernando Tatis to ground into a game-ending double play after the lineup turned over. Through 32.2 innings this season, Henriquez has a 2.76 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 33:11 K:BB while adding five holds. While save chances probably won't become a regular thing for the right-hander, he's earned manager Dave Roberts' trust to handle late-inning situations.

Luzardo took a no-decision Sunday against the Mets, allowing one run on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out six.

Luzardo mostly cruised through four scoreless innings to begin the afternoon, but the Mets were able to scratch a run across during the fifth frame. Sunday also marked four consecutive starts with two earned runs allowed or fewer for the hard-throwing southpaw, who has also accomplished that feat in eight of his last nine outings. Luzardo will take a 3.88 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 116:33 K:BB over 97.1 innings into his next scheduled start against the lowly Royals.

Sheehan (4-5) allowed one run on two hits, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out five over five innings to earn the win over the Padres on Sunday.

Sheehan put together a decent performance, throwing 55 of 84 pitches for strikes to snap his four-game losing streak and six-game winless stretch. He had fallen short of the five-inning mark in two of his previous three outings. While Sunday's outing was better, he still has a shaky 5.08 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and 81:22 K:BB across 72.2 innings over 15 starts this season. Sheehan's next start is projected to be at home in a rematch with the Padres.

Keller (6-5) earned the win Sunday over the Reds, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out four.

The win is the first since May 24 for Keller, who had struggled to an 8.25 ERA across 24 innings in his previous five starts. Overall, the right-hander sports a 4.87 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and 73:33 K:BB through 17 starts (94.1 innings) this season. Keller is currently in line to face the Nationals on the road in his next outing.