MLB Player News

Turnbull (lat) was cleared to resume playing catch Saturday at the Phillies' facility in Clearwater, Fla., MLB.com reports.

Turnbull looks to be trending positively in his recovery from the strained right lat he sustained June 26, but he still has several checkpoints to hit in the rehab process before making his return from the 15-day injured list. Phillies manager Rob Thomson previously said that Turnbull was likely facing a 6-to-8-week recovery timeline, so the right-hander shouldn't be expected back from the IL until middle or late August.

Duran (5-4) allowed an unearned run on one hit without retiring a batter to take the loss Sunday versus the Giants.

Duran gave up a triple to Mike Yastrzemski to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning, and it turned into a run after Brooks Lee's relay throw ended up in the dugout. It's a tough way for Duran to take a loss, which also ended his 7.2-inning scoreless streak, but it won't hurt his ERA, which remains at 2.93 to go with a 0.98 WHIP and 29:10 K:BB through 30.2 innings. Since Duran was pitching in a tied game before giving up the run, he also will avoid taking his second blown save of the year, and his status as the Twins' primary closer is not in question.

Pagan (lat) began a throwing program July 2, MLB.com reports.

Pagan's throwing progression is expected to last most of the month before he reports to a minor-league affiliate for a rehab assignment. The right-hander is on the 60-day injured list with a right lat strain and won't be eligible for activation until Aug. 7.

Walker (6-3) retired both batters he faced and earned the win Sunday over the Twins.

Walker was called on for damage control after Camilo Doval blew a save chance. Walker got Willi Castro to ground out and Brooks Lee to fly out, keeping the game tied at 2-2 before Mike Yastrzemski tripled and scored on an error to win it for the Giants. Aside from a three-run stumble versus the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Walker continues to be quite steady in a high-leverage role. He's at a 2.32 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 62:10 K:BB through 50.1 innings while adding 17 holds and two blown saves this season. While reliever wins can be tricky to project, Walker's steady ratios, high strikeout rate and setup duties make him a reliable option for fantasy managers.

Doval allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one over one-third of an inning, taking a blown save in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Twins.

Doval's poor performance didn't stop the Giants from winning, but it made things a bit hairy in the ninth inning. The closer had gone five scoreless innings since his last blown save June 28, though he continues to put too many batters on base. For the season, Doval has a 4.38 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 49:24 K:BB over 37 innings while going 17-for-21 in save chances. If manager Bob Melvin changes his approach to the closer job, Doval could lose some of his save share to Ryan Walker or Tyler Rogers.

Smyly tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn a hold in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Cardinals.

Smyly picked things up after Chicago starter Jameson Taillon covered 5.2 innings, and the former was effective across his 16 pitches, earning his third hold of the season in the process. Smyly had a solid first half of the season, posting a 3.09 ERA across 35 innings of relief. While the veteran lefty has plenty of starting experience in his career, he's worked exclusively out of the bullpen so far in 2024, and he'll likely stick in that role after the All-Star break.

Lopez tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Cardinals. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two.

Despite getting released by the Mets in unceremonious fashion earlier this season, Lopez had a solid first half, as he finished with a 3.18 ERA across 34 innings. He's been even better since joining the Cubs at the end of June, posting a 1.17 ERA across 7.2 innings. Lopez may be able to seize a higher-leverage role after the All-Star break if he continues to pitch well out of the Chicago bullpen.

Faedo (4-1) walked a batter and retired one via strikeout to earn the win in Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Dodgers.

Faedo needed 12 pitches to close out the top of the ninth inning, then scooped up the win when the Tigers scored twice in the bottom of the frame. The righty finished a solid first half of the season in which he posted a 3.50 ERA and 38 strikeouts across 43.2 innings of relief. Faedo will remain a bullpen option for the Tigers after the All-Star break, and he can give the team multiple innings when needed.

Stanek left Sunday's game against the Angels after walking the first batter he faced in the eighth inning on four straight balls, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Stanek came on in the eighth to protect a 2-0 lead after Logan Gilbert fired seven scoreless frames. All four of Stanek's pitches were well off the plate, and he left with a trainer. Andres Munoz, who was already the top Mariners reliever to roster in fantasy, should get the save chances going forward.

Walston (elbow) isn't expected to return from the 15-day injured list until sometime in August, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

After turning in a 2.84 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 11:9 K:BB in 12.2 innings through his first three big-league outings (two starts), Walston was placed on the 15-day injured list June 6. His injury was initially classified as left elbow inflammation, but the Diamondbacks have since listed him with a left elbow strain, according to MLB.com. While Walston has resumed throwing off flat ground from 60 to 100 feet, the Diamondbacks haven't yet indicated that he's been cleared for bullpen sessions, so he still looks to be several weeks away from being stretched back out for a starter's workload. All of Jordan Montgomery (knee), Eduardo Rodriguez (lat) and Merrill Kelly (shoulder) are further along in their throwing progressions and appear poised to beat Walston back from the injured list, so the 22-year-old southpaw will most likely be optioned to Triple-A Reno once he's activated.