MLB Player News

Wright (shoulder) was cleared to begin a throwing program Thursday, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Wright was placed on the injured list in early May because of a shoulder strain and is likely to remain sidelined until after the All-Star break, but he can begin building up this week with flat-ground work. That will eventually morph into bullpen sessions and then live batting practice, with a minor-league rehab assignment to follow. If all goes smoothly, the 27-year-old right-hander could return to Atlanta's starting rotation in about four weeks.

Sanchez could be called up to start for the Phillies on Saturday at Oakland, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Sanchez is no longer listed in the rotation at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, so he's probably getting promoted in some capacity. The 26-year-old left-hander missed the first three weeks of the 2023 season due to a triceps strain and has since registered a 4.35 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 44:29 K:BB across 49.2 innings in the International League.

Wood (back) is likely to return from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday's game against the Dodgers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

John Brebbia is slated to serve as the Giants' opening pitcher Friday and Logan Webb is locked in for Sunday. The Giants will presumably turn to Wood to fill the open spot in the rotation Saturday, assuming he endures no sudden complications with the back injury that has sidelined him since the beginning of June. He tossed three innings of one-run ball in a 53-pitch rehab start last Sunday at Triple-A Sacramento.

Gray threw a sweeper 26 times in Wednesday's start against the Astros, throwing 18 strikes with the pitch and generating four swinging strikes, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

The pitch is a new one for the right-hander, but it's quickly progressed from bullpen experiment to effective in-game weapon. Per Statcast, Gray had only thrown four total sweepers coming into Wednesday's start and instead had used four other pitches -- four-seam fastball, slider, curve and cutter -- more than 17 percent of the time this season while also mixing in an occasional sinker (seven percent). The 25-year-old cites pitchers like Yu Darvish and Chris Bassitt as veterans he's attempting to emulate with a more diverse arsenal, and there have been signs in 2023 the approach is working. While Gray's swinging strike rate remains basically unchanged from last year at 11.4 percent, he's generating more groundballs than ever before (42.2 percent) and has cut more than seven points off his HR/FB% (career-low 11.4 percent), pointing to a pitcher who's producing more weak contact than before. While his career-best 3.19 ERA isn't reflected in his 4.89 xFIP, Gray is taking steps toward evolving into a reliable mid-rotation arm.

Matz (0-7) allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and struck out two in one inning to take the extra-inning loss versus the Giants on Wednesday.

This is Matz's first loss since moving to the bullpen. He's given up four runs (three earned) over seven innings with a 7:0 K:BB in that span, and he's also yielded two hits and hit two batters. The southpaw is still on the outside looking in for the Cardinals' starting plans, but Matthew Liberatore hasn't exactly run away with the No. 5 starter job with mixed results over his last three outings. Matz has a 5.49 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 52:20 K:BB over 57.1 innings this season, and he'll likely remain in a bullpen role until the struggling Cardinals opt to mix up the rotation.

Gray didn't factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing four runs on six hits over seven innings in a 5-4 loss to the Astros. He struck out five.

Gray settled down after allowing two runs in the first inning, holding Houston off the board until he surrendered a pair of solo home runs in the fourth. Notably, it was the first time this season that Gray didn't issue a walk. The 25-year-old right-hander is 4-5 with a solid 3.19 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 66:37 K:BB across 14 starts (79 innings) this season. Gray's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Cardinals in his next outing.

Contreras (3-6) took the loss in Wednesday's 10-6 loss to the Cubs. He allowed five runs on three hits and two walks with a strikeout over 1.1 innings.

Contreras initially looked good in his debut out of the bullpen, setting the Cubs down in order in the fifth inning. However, his fortunes changed in the sixth as he was tagged for five runs in the frame while recording just one out. Since the start of June, Contreras has allowed 17 earned runs in just 5.2 innings. His ERA is up to 6.55 with a 1.60 WHIP and 44:27 K:BB through 57.2 innings this season. If Contreras continues to struggle in a relief role, a trip to Triple-A could be on the horizon.

Snell (ankle) is listed as the Padres' probable starting pitcher for Saturday's game against the Rays.

Snell contended with swelling in his left ankle after being struck by a comebacker during his most recent start Sunday in Colorado, but neither the injury nor pitching at Coors Field prevented him from delivering his best outing of the season. The veteran southpaw set season highs in both innings pitched (seven) and strikeouts (12) while allowing one run on just three hits and one walk. After a middling start to the season, Snell has been rolling over his last four turns through the rotation, pitching to a 0.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 33:10 K:BB in 24 innings over that stretch. With the swollen ankle apparently not proving to be too bothersome during his between-starts bullpen session, Snell looks like he'll face no restrictions Saturday while facing off against his former team for the first time.

Kelly didn't factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks over six innings in a 4-3 extra-inning loss to Philadelphia. He struck out seven.

Kelly recorded his eighth quality start over his past nine appearances. During that span, he's posted a 2.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 64:17 K:BB across 56.2 innings. Given his strikeout prowess (9.7 K/9) and efficiency (83 innings across 14 starts), Kelly has emerged as one of the elite fantasy options this season. He'll look to stay sharp during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled as part of a three-game set versus Milwaukee.

Smyly (6-4) earned the victory in Wednesday's 10-6 win over Pittsburgh, allowing five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four over six innings.

The Pirates jumped on Smyly for three runs on a pair of homers in the first inning, but the veteran left-hander settled down from there, holding Pittsburgh to two more runs over his final five frames as the Cubs came back for a 10-6 win. The win snapped a three-start losing streak for Smyly, who's pitched to a 6.04 ERA over his last four outings after he hadn't allowed more than two earned runs in his previous nine starts. He now sports a 3.59 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP and 65:21 K:BB through 14 starts (77.2 innings) this season.