MLB Player News

Taillon (groin) threw a 45-pitch simulated game Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It might have been the final step of side work for Taillon before he is cleared to embark on a minor-league rehab assignment, though there's also a chance that he is allowed to skip a rehab stint altogether. The 31-year-old right-hander landed on the injured list April 20 because of a left groin strain. Caleb Kilian filled his rotation spot last week before getting optioned back to Triple-A Iowa.

Wood (hamstring) threw live batting practice Tuesday in Houston, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Wood is traveling with the Giants as he nears the end of his recovery from a left hamstring strain, which was initially expected to cost him several weeks. He's less than two weeks removed from suffering the injury and could soon be cleared to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment. It all points to the 32-year-old starter being an option again for San Francisco by the middle of May.

Pfaadt could be promoted from Triple-A Reno to start Wednesday against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Nothing has been officially announced by Arizona, but the fact the Diamondbacks aren't yet listing a confirmed starter for Wednesday points to Pfaadt likely getting the call to the big leagues. Pfaadt has thus far checked all the boxes for his Triple-A development, and he would be available to make the start Wednesday on six days' rest. Pfaadt, who logged 167 innings in the minors last season, has a career 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 87 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Stripling did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and zero walks over five innings during a 7-3 loss to Houston. He struck out five.

After four straight short outings (three as a reliever), Stripling tied his season high with five innings Monday. He also struck out at least five batters for just the second time this season and didn't surrender a walk for a third time. Given his back-to-back solid starts (four earned runs over 8.1 innings), it seems safe to assume Stripling's spot in the rotation is secure as long as Alex Wood (hamstring) remains on the 15-day injured list.

Lauer (finger) is listed as the Brewers' probable starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Lauer tore the nail on his left middle finger during his most recent start last Tuesday against the Tigers, but the issue won't prevent him from missing a turn through the rotation. Instead, the Brewers are just opting to give him an additional day off between starts, as Freddy Peralta has leapfrogged Lauer in the pitching schedule and will take the hill for the series opener in Colorado on Tuesday. Through five starts this season, Lauer has gone 3-2 with a 5.19 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 23:10 K:BB across 26 innings.

Gore (3-2) took the loss against the Cubs on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over four-plus innings. He struck out four batters.

Gore enjoyed his best start of the campaign his last time out, striking out 10 batters and giving up just one run across six innings in a win over the Mets. The southpaw was unable to carry that success over to his start against Chicago, as he gave up a pair of runs in the first inning and two more in the fifth before being pulled. The four runs were a season worst for Gore, while his strikeout total was his lowest of the campaign thus far. Gore has demonstrated some promising progress in his second MLB campaign, highlighted by an 11.3 K/9 and a respectable 3.77 ERA. However, his 1.42 WHIP and 5.2 BB/9 are concerning.

Smyly (3-1) earned the win over Washington on Monday, allowing one run on six hits and no walks while striking out two batters over seven innings.

Smyly made one significant mistake in the outing, serving up a 424-foot solo shot to Lane Thomas in the second inning. Aside from that, the lefty hurler faced little resistance, as he allowed multiple batters to reach base in only one frame. Smyly nabbed his second quality start in his past three appearances, and he's now given up one or zero runs in four of his six starts this season. The veteran was lit up for six earned runs over 4.2 frames in his 2023 debut against Cincinnati, but since then he's been outstanding, posting a 1.48 ERA and 0.69 WHIP over 30.1 innings.

Morton (3-3) was tagged with the loss in the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets on Monday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six batters over 5.1 innings.

Morton gave up a run in each of the second and fifth innings but looked to be in good shape when Atlanta scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. However, the veteran hurler walked two straight batters with one out in the bottom of the frame, and both came around to score after he was pulled from the contest. Morton came into Monday on a roll with three straight quality starts, but his inability to get through the sixth against New York brought that streak to an end. While he's posted a decent 3.38 ERA on the campaign and has struck out 32 batters over 34.2 frames, Morton's 15 walks are a concern.

Megill pitched 5.2 innings against Atlanta in the second game of a doubleheader Monday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four batters. He did not factor in the decision.

Megill got through five frames without yielding a run and carried a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning. However, he got into trouble in that frame by allowing a leadoff double and two walks to find himself in a bases-loaded, two-out jam. Eddie Rosario tagged the right-hander for a bases-clearing double, wiping out his lead and ending his outing on a sour note. Megill won his first three starts of the season but hasn't picked up a victory since. Over his past three outings, he's recorded a 6.14 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and unpalatable 10:8 K:BB over 14.2 frames.

Strider improved to 4-0 with a win over the Mets in the first game of a doubleheader Monday. He pitched five innings, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out eight batters.

Atlanta staked Strider to a 6-1 lead after two innings, but he served up a three-run homer to Pete Alonso in the following frame that brought the score much closer. To his credit, Strider bounced back by retiring the final nine batters he faced, allowing him to hang around just long enough to pick up his fourth win. The right-hander walked three but tossed 74 of his 107 pitches for a strike, and he did his usual standout work missing bats by notching 15 swings-and-misses. The four earned runs Strider allowed were a season high while the eight strikeouts were a season low, which speaks to how well he has pitched as a whole through six starts.