MLB Player News

Kelly (shoulder) is set to throw a bullpen session Friday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Kelly completed a bullpen session Tuesday, the first time he's thrown from the mound since landing on the injured list in mid-April with a shoulder strain. He'll continue building up his workload before progressing to facing live batters and remains on track for a mid-August return.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that Montgomery (knee) could be ready for Arizona's road trip immediately following the All-Star break, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Montgomery is set for a bullpen session Friday, which follows his return to mound work Tuesday after briefly being shut down with knee inflammation. Lovullo didn't give a specific target date for Montgomery's return, though it seems that the left-hander will be able to forego a rehab assignment.

Wicks (oblique) has not been progressing through his throwing program as well as the Cubs had hoped, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wicks is reportedly still feeling the effects of the right oblique strain that sent him to the injured list in mid-June, so he has yet to advance beyond playing catch. He remains without a firm return timeline, though it's unlikely he returns to Chicago's rotation before the end of July.

The Diamondbacks optioned Cecconi to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Cecconi allowed three earned runs in four innings during his start Wednesday, raising his ERA to 6.14 to go along with his 1.32 WHIP. The return of Miguel Castro (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list will force Cecconi back to Triple-A, where he's posted a respectable 3.38 ERA in 26.2 innings over five starts. Should the Diamondbacks run into any further trouble with their rotation depth, the 25-year-old may be brought back to Arizona, though a few solid outings in Triple-A would certainly improve his chances.

Civale (2-7) took the loss Thursday against Pittsburgh, allowing one run on six hits and two walks across 6.1 innings. He struck out six.

Civale blanked the Pirates until the seventh inning when he allowed a single, an RBI double and a walk before being pulled with one out. His one run allowed proved to be the difference, as the Brewers only managed two hits on the day, both of which came in the eighth inning. Though it goes down as a loss, Thursday's outing marked Civale's first time pitching into the seventh inning and was his first quality start since April 16. In two starts with the Brewers, Civale has surrendered five runs over 11.1 innings and owns a 14:5 K:BB.

Skenes (6-0) picked up the win Thursday against Milwaukee, allowing no hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch with 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings.

Skenes' excellent rookie season got even better Tuesday, as he tied his career high in strikeouts and logged his second hitless start. He finished the outing by retiring 16 consecutive batters and allowed a baserunner in only the second inning. The 22-year-old is undefeated through 11 appearances and has generated a quality start in nine of his last 10 outings. Skenes will enter the All-Star break with a 1.91 ERA and 89 strikeouts across 66.1 innings.

Wheeler (back) won't make his scheduled start Sunday against the Athletics, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The 34-year-old had an MRI on his back come back negative after he experienced lower-back tightness during Tuesday's start, but Philadelphia will play it safe and skip the right-hander's final outing before the All-Star break. Wheeler is expected to be ready to go to begin the second half, though it's unclear whether he'll be tabbed to start during the opening series in Pittsburgh next weekend.

The Cardinals optioned Graceffo to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.

As expected, Graceffo's latest stint with the Cardinals lasted just one day, as St. Louis called him from Triple-A Memphis to serve as the 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader with the Royals. He made his first MLB start in the second game of the twin bill and was the pitcher of record in the Cardinals' 8-5 loss, working 3.1 innings and striking out two batters while allowing three earned runs on four hits and no walks.

Knack isn't starting Thursday against the Phillies but could be utilized behind opener Anthony Banda, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers haven't announced their pitching plans beyond Banda, but Knack would be on turn to pitch after starting last Thursday against the Diamondbacks. The right-hander has a 2.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 31:9 K:BB across 34.2 innings this season.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo confirmed that Diaz will make another turn through the Arizona rotation Saturday versus the Blue Jays at Chase Field, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Jordan Montgomery (knee), Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) and Merrill Kelly (shoulder) are all in the midst of throwing programs and may be on track to return from the injured list within a few weeks after the All-Star break, but their continued absences should clear the way for Diaz to stick around in the big-league rotation for a little while longer. Diaz earned a second turn through the rotation after dazzling in his MLB debut Monday, striking out five while permitting just one run on four hits and one walk in a no-decision against Atlanta. Despite his limited big-league track record, the 23-year-old right-hander shapes up as a decent streaming option this weekend against a weakened Toronto lineup that could be without Bo Bichette (calf).