MLB Player News

Alcantara (forearm) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Monday, his second since resuming his throwing program last week, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, Alcantara made full use of his arsenal and indicated afterward the session that he was feeling good. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner remains hopeful to pitch again before the regular season ends, but he'll still need to face hitters in live batting practice or a simulated game before the Marlins are likely comfortable activating him from the 15-day injured list.

The Cardinals recalled Woodford from Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

He'll be joining the St. Louis bullpen as a replacement for right-hander Giovanny Gallegos, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis. Woodford will make his return to St. Louis' active roster for the first time since late June, as he was on the shelf for just over two months before being activated and optioned to Triple-A on Sept. 1. Since beginning his rehab assignment Aug. 10, Woodford has been getting stretched out during his time in the minors, making seven appearances over the past five weeks while pitching to a 2.18 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28:9 K:BB over 20.2 innings.

Teheran (hip) made the fifth appearance of his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Nashville, striking out one and working around two hits over two scoreless innings.

Teheran looks to be fully recovered from the right hip impingement that sent him to the 15-day injured list July 30, as he's already made a pair of five-inning starts for Nashville before being limited to two innings Friday. The Brewers haven't indicated that Teheran's early exit was the result of any setback with his hip; instead, the organization may just be looking to keep the right-hander healthy in case he's needed by the big club over the final two weeks of the regular season. Milwaukee doesn't have an opening in the rotation at the moment, and Teheran lacks the sort of power arsenal to be a difference maker out of the bullpen, so he may have to wait for an injury to one of the Brewers' five starters before he's activated.

Rutledge is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday versus the White Sox in Washington.

Despite getting lit up by the Pirates for seven runs on 10 hits and one walk over 3.2 innings in his MLB debut this past Wednesday, Rutledge will be awarded a second straight turn through Washington's six-man rotation. If Rutledge delivers shows improvement Tuesday, he could make one more start for Washington before the 2023 campaign comes to a close. The 24-year-old righty could get the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Opening Day rotation next spring.

The Reds optioned Spiers to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

He'll move off the 28-man active roster to clear a spot for right-hander Connor Phillips, whose contract was selected from Triple-A ahead of his scheduled start Monday versus the Twins. After making his first two big-league appearances with Cincinnati as a starter, Spiers worked out of the bullpen during his latest stint with the Reds. He made his lone relief appearance in Sunday's loss to the Mets, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks over three innings.

The Reds selected Phillips' contract from Triple-A Louisville ahead of his scheduled start Monday against the Twins.

He'll be making his third start of September with the Reds after posting an 8.31 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 8.2 innings between his first two big-league outings. After Monday, the Reds will be able to get by with a four-man rotation for the rest of the season as they look to chase down a playoff spot, so Phillips could be a candidate to return to Triple-A immediately after the start.

The Reds transferred Ashcraft (toe) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.

The move to the 60-day IL officially ends Ashcraft's season, which comes as little surprise after reports emerged over the weekend that the right-hander would soon undergo surgery to address a stress reaction in his right big toe. Ashcraft is expected to be in store for a relatively normal offseason and should be fully cleared in advance of spring training. He finished the 2023 campaign with a 7-9 record, 4.76 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 111:52 K:BB over 145.2 innings across 26 starts with Cincinnati.

Fried isn't expected to make his next turn through the Atlanta rotation until the team's four-game series in Washington over the weekend after he developed a hot spot on one of his fingers in his most recent start this past Tuesday in Philadelphia, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta isn't overly concerned about the issue, and with the National League East division crown already secured, the team can afford to proceed cautiously with one of its top starters. Even if Fried is cleared to pitch later this week as anticipated, he could still have his workload managed to some degree as Atlanta looks to ensure that he's not too overworked heading into what the team anticipates will be a long postseason run.

The Reds plan to call up Phillips from Triple-A Louisville to start Monday's game against the Twins, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Though Phillips was sent back to Louisville on Thursday, he'll be eligible to return to the Reds without spending the minimum 15 days in the minors because he had initially joined Cincinnati earlier this month as a replacement for a player placed on the COVID-19-related injured list. The Reds have four other healthy starting pitchers and three more off days over the final two weeks of the season, so Phillips may just be making a spot start Monday if manager David Bell chooses to get by with a four-man rotation the rest of the way. Phillips has been one of the Reds' top pitchers in the upper levels of the minors this season but labored in his first two big-league starts, striking out 10 over 8.2 innings while allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits and six walks.

Flexen (1-8) took the loss Sunday against the Giants after giving up four runs on five hits while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

Flexen got off to a very strong start, allowing just two hits and a run through five frames before things fell apart in the sixth. He began the inning with an out but proceeded to allow three straight hits and was pulled in favor of Matt Koch who could not help him strand the inherited runners. Some positives are that Flexen has struck out five batters in back-to-back starts and hasn't surrendered a home run in either start as well, both of which took place at Coors Field. He's struggled to a unsightly 7.19 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 70:34 K:BB in 91.1 innings. Flexen lines up for a road start against the Cubs this week.