MLB Player News

Kelly (calf) threw a 45-pitch bullpen session Thursday in which he simulated three innings of work, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was encouraged by the session, telling reporters Kelly "feels great" and is "in a really good spot." The right-hander was scheduled to undergo a follow-up ultrasound exam Thursday to ensure the blood clot in his calf is no longer an issue. As for scheduling his return, Kelly's stint on the injury list expires during the All-Star break. The earliest he could return is July 14, but Lovullo suggested holding Kelly back until a series in Atlanta that begins July 18, as the manager believes a rehab start in the minors might be needed. Since the minors are on break next week and don't resume until the 14th, that would be the earliest date for a rehab start.

Urias (6-5) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings to earn the win Thursday over the Pirates.

Urias gave up five runs over three innings in his return from a hamstring injury, but he was much sharper in his second start back. The southpaw threw 59 of 88 pitches for strikes to pick up a quality start. He's now at a 4.76 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 63:14 K:BB through 64.1 innings over 12 starts this season. He's had a couple of rough patches in the first half, so he'll be looking for a longer stretch of consistently good pitching after the All-Star break.

Oviedo (3-10) took the loss Thursday versus the Dodgers, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six over 6.2 innings.

Oviedo gave up a two-run home run to Freddie Freeman in the first inning, but he then retired 15 of the next 17 batters. In the sixth, Oviedo ran into more trouble with Max Muncy taking him deep for another two-run blast that decided the game. With five homers allowed over his last four starts, Oviedo's had some issues keeping the ball down. He's also lost six straight outings, though some of them were of the hard-luck variety. He's at a 4.75 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 87:40 K:BB through 100.1 innings over 18 starts this season.

Carrasco (3-3) allowed three hits and a walk while striking out four over eight shutout innings to earn the win Thursday over the Diamondbacks.

Carrasco had pitched into the seventh inning just once prior to Thursday's start, which was easily his best of the campaign. He ended a five-start winless skid with the gem against the NL West leaders. Even after the strong outing, the veteran right-hander has a 5.16 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 43:27 K:BB through 61 innings across 12 starts on the year.

Nelson (5-5) allowed seven runs on nine hits and struck out just one over three innings to take the loss Thursday against the Mets.

Nelson gave up two-run home runs to Pete Alonso and Francisco Alvarez in the short start. Prior to Thursday, Nelson had allowed a combined 10 runs over his last four starts, spanning 23.1 innings. The poor outing vaulted his ERA to 5.19 with a 1.43 WHIP and 65:29 K:BB through 93.2 innings to close out the first half. The Diamondbacks will be on the road for their first two series out of the All-Star break, so Nelson's next start is likely to be either in Toronto or Atlanta.

Sanchez did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one run on four hits over six innings against the Rays. He struck out two.

Sanchez's lone blemish came in the fifth inning, when he served up a leadoff home run to Isaac Paredes that tied the game. Outside of the long ball, Sanchez didn't have many issues with the second-best team in baseball, holding the Rays to just four total hits across six innings to log his second consecutive quality start. Since being called up for his second MLB stint of 2023 in mid-June, Sanchez owns a 2.14 ERA and a 17:2 K:BB across four starts (21 innings). He heads into the All-Star break with a fairly secure spot at the back end of Philadelphia's rotation given his recent form.

Flaherty (6-5) earned the win Thursday, allowing nine hits and two walks over 6.2 scoreless innings against the Marlins. He struck out five.

Flaherty did an incredible job limiting damage Thursday, keeping the Marlins off the scoreboard despite giving up nine hits. The outing marked Flaherty's second consecutive scoreless appearance, showcasing that he's fully recovered from a hip injury that forced him to miss a turn in the rotation in late June. Though the 27-year-old owns a 4.27 ERA on the season (17 starts), the statistic has been inflated by three poor outings in which he's given up 10 runs once and six runs twice. Not including that trio of starts, Flaherty has a strong 2.71 ERA. He's likely to next take the mound during the first series after the All-Star break versus the Nationals.

Perez (5-3) took the loss Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over six innings against the Cardinals. He struck out seven.

After retiring only one batter in his last start while giving up six runs, Perez rebounded with six innings of one-run ball. Thursday's outing should allow fantasy managers to breathe a sigh of relief and rest assured that Perez's nightmare start was nothing more than a fluke. Outside of his horrific performance against Atlanta, he's given up less than two runs in every appearance since May 28 (seven starts) and has struck out six or more batters five times across that stretch. Perez will have over a week to rest before his next start, which is projected to come during a rematch with the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Stroman said he will not pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, electing instead to rest up for the second half, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Stroman made the announcement after his final start before the break Thursday, in which he allowed four runs over five innings and settled for a no-decision against the Brewers. "I'm definitely looking forward to having a little bit of a break," he said. "Kind of just reset my energy, clear my mind and have a good second half." Stroman has been reliable at the head of Chicago's rotation so far with a 2.96 ERA across 112.2 innings. However, the righty only logged 138.2 innings last year as he dealt with a shoulder issue, so the extended absence makes sense as he aims to blow past that mark in 2023.

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

In what had the potential to be a breakout season, Contreras has struggled mightily. He lost his rotation spot in mid-June and has since been hit hard out of the bullpen. All told, he has a 6.59 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. Even so, if he can rediscover his stuff in Indianapolis, there's a strong chance that Contreras returns to the majors before the end of the campaign.