MLB Player News

Kerkering (forearm/illness) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Kerkering is officially on the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain, but his rehab assignment will build him back up after he missed most of the Grapefruit League schedule due to a bad case of the flu. As a reliever, the 22-year-old righty shouldn't take long to prepare for a return to Philadelphia's bullpen, so he could be able to come off the IL when eligible April 9.

Clarke underwent surgery Saturday to repair the meniscus damage in his right knee, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Clarke was originally expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks as a result of his injury, but his return timeline may be significantly extended by the procedure. A return later this season isn't completely out of the question, but it will depend on how quickly the 30-year-old righty is able to recover.

Ginkel allowed one hit over a scoreless ninth inning in Friday's 7-3 win over Colorado.

It wasn't a save situation, but Ginkel was given a soft entry to a ninth-inning role he's expected to occupy while closer Paul Sewald (oblique) is on the shelf. Sewald can come off the injured list April 9, but at the time of his setback, manager Torey Lovullo described the pitcher's absence as "weeks, not days," per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Ginkel, who has closing experience, is the most logical fill-in candidate. Nothing should be read into him pitching in a non-save situation; Ginkel's previous outing was a week ago in a Cactus League game against the Giants.

Fleming gave up one run on two hits and a walk over three relief innings Friday to record his first save of the season in a 7-2 win over the Marlins. He struck out three.

The 27-year-old southpaw entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Pirates ahead by four runs already, and he never gave manager Derek Shelton a reason to turn to another pitcher. Fleming tossed 58 pitches (33 strikes) in the appearance and likely won't be available for a few days, which could prompt Pittsburgh to option him to Triple-A Indianapolis in favor of a fresh arm. The save was the second of his career, and his first back in 2021 for the Rays was also of the three-inning variety, so he's not a late-inning option for the Pirates.

Phillips picked up a save Friday versus the Cardinals, striking out one in a clean inning.

Phillips set down St. Louis in order in the ninth inning, closing out a three-run Los Angeles victory for his second save this year. The 29-year-old right-hander figures to be a steady source of saves this year, holding down the closing job on an elite Dodgers team. Phillips converted 24 of 27 save chances last season, pitching to a 2.05 ERA with a 0.83 WHIP and 66:13 K:BB across 61.1 innings.

Thompson dropped to 0-1 in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Dodgers after striking out four while allowing five earned runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings.

All five of the runs charged to Thompson came via home runs, as the left-hander gave up solo homers in the first and second innings before Teoscar Hernandez added a three-run shot in the fourth. Thompson went 5-7 last season with a 4.48 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 72:25 K:BB across 66.1 innings. The southpaw figures to head back to the bullpen, or Triple-A Memphis, when Sonny Gray (hamstring) returns from the IL.

Kinley allowed one hit and walked two while striking out one in a scoreless inning Friday against the Diamondbacks.

Kinley is a candidate to serve as Colorado's closer, though he entered Friday's game with the Rockies down 7-3 in the eighth inning. He was also shaky in his first outing of the campaign, allowing a leadoff double before walking two. He escaped the jam, but it appears that Justin Lawrence may be in line to get the first chance for saves.

The Pirates sent Holderman (illness) to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday to begin a rehab assignment.

A lengthy battle with a virus kept Holderman out of action for a significant amount of time during spring training, so he will head to Indianapolis in order to properly prepare for his regular-season debut. The 28-year-old righty will be eligible to return from the IL on April 9.

Alvarado (0-1) took the loss Friday as the Phillies were downed 9-3 by Atlanta, coughing up five runs on three hits and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

Entering a 2-2 tie in the top of the eighth inning, Alvarado struggled with his control and tossed only 15 of 30 pitches for strikes. The left-hander left the mound with the bases loaded having allowed two runs, and Connor Brogdon let all three inherited runners cross the plate. Alvarado is still the top option for saves in what is likely to be a fluid Phillies bullpen, but a bad start to the season could let Jeff Hoffman pass him in the ninth-inning pecking order, and Orion Kerkering (forearm) could also be a factor once he's healthy.

Middleton (forearm) will start a throwing program Wednesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Next week will mark the first time Middleton has thrown since March 16 after he sustained a right forearm strain during spring training. He was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday, and Middleton's progress in the throwing program will give the Cardinals a better idea as to when the right-hander will be able to return to the majors.