MLB Player News

Kelly (calf) threw a 31-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

This was the first time Kelly was on the mound since he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf last Tuesday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Kelly could rejoin the team's rotation soon after the All-Star break.

Flaherty (5-5) earned the win Saturday, allowing four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings against the Yankees. He struck out four.

Flaherty got himself back on track Saturday after allowing six runs in each of his last two starts. The right-hander fanned only four batters but produced 11 swinging strikes en route to his fifth win of the season. Flaherty has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last six starts and was able to lower his ERA from 4.95 to 4.60 with his performance against the Yankees.

Stroman (9-6) took the loss against Cleveland on Saturday, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings.

Stroman exited his previous start after 3.1 innings due to a finger blister, but he had recovered enough by Saturday to take his turn in the rotation. The right-hander struck out four of the first six batters he faced and finished with seven punchouts, but the Guardians got to him for three singles in the sixth frame, with all three of those batters coming around to score (two after he departed). Stroman has given up 11 runs (eight earned) over his past nine innings across two starts, increasing his season ERA from 2.28 to 2.76.

Urias (5-5) took the loss against Kansas City on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two batters over three innings.

Urias' return from a stint on the injured list due to a hamstring injury didn't go well, though part of the issue was bad fortune. Of the four hits he allowed in the first inning, three were bloop singles that left the bat at less than 72 mph. Regardless, the Royals put up five runs in that frame, and Urias' struggles weren't limited to bloopers -- he also issued a walk and hit a batter with a pitch. The southpaw retired five of the final six batters he faced, but he was lifted after 66 pitches since he was on a pitch count following the layoff. Urias will look to bounce back and go deeper into his next start, which is projected to be a home outing against Pittsburgh.

Nelson (5-4) allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out six over 7.1 innings to earn the win Saturday over the Angels.

Nelson gave up a solo home run to Anthony Rendon, but the Diamondbacks were able to take the lead in the sixth inning. After plenty of ups and downs early on, Nelson has turned in a pair of impressive starts in his last two outings, limiting the Angels and Giants to a combined two runs, six hits and three walks over 14.1 innings. The 25-year-old trimmed his ERA to 4.67 with a 1.38 WHIP and 64:29 K:BB through 90.2 innings over 17 starts. It remains to be seen if he can sustain his recent success, which he'll attempt to do in a projected home start versus the Mets next week.

Liberatore (1-3) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out just one over 4.1 innings, taking the loss in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Yankees.

Liberatore has failed to complete five innings in four of his last five outings, and he's given up 12 runs (eight earned) across 10.2 innings in his last three starts. The southpaw was pushed back a day after Friday's rainout, but the extra rest didn't do him much good. With a 5.68 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 22:15 K:BB over 31.2 innings through eight appearances this year, it's fair to question how much more leeway Liberatore has when it comes to staying in the Cardinals' rotation. He could ultimately swap spots with Steven Matz, who is currently in the bullpen, or the Cardinals may opt to bring up a starter from Triple-A Memphis, though no one on the farm is doing much to differentiate themselves. St. Louis will need a spot starter Wednesday due to this doubleheader, and it's possible Liberatore may not start again until after the All-Star break.

Gore exited Saturday's start against the Phillies with a blister on his left middle finger, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Gore was crushed for seven runs prior to exiting the game with trainers in the third inning. He will undergo further evaluation, so it remains unclear if he'll make his next scheduled start prior to the All-Star break.

Stripling will start Sunday's game against the Mets, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Stripling was activated from the injured list June 25 and has since pitched once in relief. He worked three innings during that appearance, so he shouldn't have a significant workload restriction.

Kershaw (shoulder) threw off flat ground Saturday, and the Dodgers will decide Sunday if he's ready to start Monday against the Pirates, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Kershaw is dealing with left shoulder inflammation, and while the issue hasn't yet been bad enough to send him to the injured list, that remains a distinct possibility. The All-Star break arrives in just over a week, so even missing one start would mean that Kershaw might as well hit the injured list. If that is indeed the case, Michael Grove would likely start Monday and could be in line for a two-start week, with another potential outing coming next weekend against the Angels.

Woodruff (shoulder) will delay his next bullpen session as he hasn't been recovering as well as the Brewers would like, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Woodruff made just two starts into the season before suffering a shoulder strain, which wound up being serious enough for him to require a trip to the 60-day injured list. He's been throwing since late May and has been throwing bullpens since mid-June, but the Brewers are seemingly unhappy with his progress. The team is characterizing his latest delay as merely an example of caution, but it's hard not to worry about even a minor setback when it comes to a pitcher's shoulder. The Brewers hope he'll get back on a mound early next week.