MLB Player News

Steele (forearm) will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday against the Orioles, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Steele got through a bullpen session Thursday without any hiccups, clearing up any remaining concern about his ability to rejoin the rotation. The left-hander will be returning from the IL in the minimum 15 days and is skipping a rehab assignment, so it's possible he won't quite be ready for a full workload against Baltimore. Steele posted a 2.65 ERA in 12 starts before going down with a left forearm strain.

Smith-Shawver (1-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk over 5.2 innings against the Rockies. He struck out six.

Smith-Shawver was solid Thursday, earning his first major-league win in his second start. Through his first two outings (13.1 innings), Smith-Shawver has a 2.03 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB after pitching to a 1.09 ERA in 33 innings in Triple-A. He's certainly earned a spot in Atlanta's rotation while Max Fried (forearm) and Kyle Wright (shoulder) are sidelined. Smith-Shawver tentatively lines up for a road matchup with the Phillies in his next outing.

Freeland (4-8) took the loss Thursday, allowing seven runs on nine hits and three walks over 4.1 innings against Atlanta. He struck out one.

Most of the damage against Freeland came in the second inning, when he was tagged for five runs on four hits. The 30-year-old southpaw had pitched well in his prior two starts, allowing three runs over 12 innings, though he's only logged five or more strikeouts once in his last six outings. Freeland's ERA is now up to 4.48 with a 1.34 WHIP and 50:22 K:BB through 15 starts (80.1 innings). He's currently slated for a road matchup with the Reds in his next outing.

Nola (6-5) earned the win Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk over 6.2 innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out nine.

All of the damage against Nola came in the bottom of the third, when he allowed three consecutive hits to open the inning before eventually surrendering a three-run home run to Ketel Marte. He rebounded nicely, however, striking out the side in the very next inning after the Phillies' offense had retaken the lead. The right-hander has allowed at least four runs in six of his last nine starts, though he's now racked up 28 strikeouts to only six walks through 20 innings during three June outings.

Sheehan will be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his major-league debut against the Giants on Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Sheehan was promoted from Double-A Tulsa to Oklahoma City last weekend but will wind up making a start in the big leagues before he starts for OKC. The 23-year-old has been fantastic this season at Tulsa, putting up a 1.86 ERA and 88:23 K:BB over 53 innings. Questions remain as to whether Sheehan will be able to throw enough strikes, but he has a big fastball and an excellent changeup that he uses to miss plenty of bats. With the Dodgers' rotation battling multiple injuries, Sheehan could potentially get multiple starts if he pitches well.

Grove allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over five innings in a no-decision against the White Sox on Thursday.

There's rarely a bright side when a pitcher gets blasted for four long balls, but in this case at least all four were solo blasts, and that the Guardians didn't push any runs across the plate otherwise. Grove did manage 18 whiffs and seven punchouts, which tied his season-high mark. The right-hander has given up exactly four runs in each of his past three starts, totaling 14 innings over that span, but Los Angeles may have no choice but to stick with him given its injury-burdened rotation. From a fantasy perspective, managers can probably do better than Grove's current 8.10 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and lack of any wins across seven outings.

Gore allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four batters over 5.2 scoreless innings in a no-decision against Houston on Thursday.

Gore threw just 51 of 95 pitches for a strike and walked more batters Thursday than he did in his previous three games combined, but he didn't allow any extra-base hits. That helped him keep the Astros off the board, and he finished with his second scoreless outing of the campaign. Since dominating the Royals with 11 punchouts in seven innings May 28, the southpaw has notched just 13 strikeouts over his subsequent 16.2 frames, and he's been inconsistent in that category throughout the season, though his overall 10.5 K/9 is solid. Gore's 3.74 ERA and 1.38 WHIP aren't exceptional, but the 24-year-old has shown improvement in his second MLB campaign, and he could yet fulfill the potential that made him one of the game's top pitching prospects just a few years ago.

Stroman (8-4) earned the win Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings against the Pirates. He struck out five.

Stroman extended his win streak and quality start streak to six Thursday, pushing him to a league-leading 13 quality starts. He's been on a tear in that span, sporting a 1.51 ERA and 31:14 K:BB across 41.2 innings, including a complete game shutout against the Rays. He'll look to continue his dominance in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled to be a rematch with Pittsburgh at PNC Park.

Oviedo (3-6) took the loss Thursday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk over 4.1 innings against the Cubs. He struck out eight.

Oviedo was hit around by the Cubs on Thursday, giving up his most hits and runs since May 6. Most of the damage came in the fifth inning, when Oviedo gave up three hits to the first four batters faced before getting yanked after 100 pitches. Though he struggled to limit damage, he popped for his second-most punchouts of the campaign after recording five strikeouts in each of his last four starts. After allowing five runs and three homers in his first start of 2023, Oviedo has given up just two long balls since, with a 4.18 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 71 innings (13 starts) during that span.

Manager Torey Lovullo did not commit to Nelson making his next scheduled start, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Nelson allowed 10 hits and five earned runs across four innings and took the loss in Thursday's game against the Phillies. He has had inconsistent results this season and has particularly struggled with walks of late, giving up 15 free passes across his last 31.2 innings while striking out only 20. It's unclear who the team would tab to take his place, though Drey Jameson has pitched in long relief -- he threw 2.1 scoreless innings Thursday -- and Brandon Pfaadt could get a second chance in the big-league rotation.