MLB Player News

Sanchez will be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start Wednesday's game against the Reds, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The Phillies will elect to give the starting rotation an extra day of rest with the home stretch of the regular season in sight, as Sanchez's spot start will push each member of the rotation back by a day. The southpaw's last outing dates back to July 10 against the Cardinals, when he surrendered two runs on two hits and one walk while fanning one over three innings.

Smyly (5-7) allowed just one run on four hits across seven innings but took the loss Monday against the Cardinals. He walked two and struck out six.

An Albert Pujols home run in the seventh inning was the only offense against Smyly, but it was enough to lead St. Louis to a 1-0 victory, as Jordan Montgomery outdueled Smyly with nine shutout innings. Despite the loss, Smyly still looked really good for the fourth game in a row. In those outings, the lefty has allowed just three earned runs across 24 innings, and he's struck out 23 against just five walks. The veteran has lowered his ERA to 3.47 in the process, and the good run has put Smyly back on the fantasy radar. He'll look to keep it rolling in his next scheduled start Saturday against the Brewers.

Woodford will start Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cubs, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Woodford figures to serve as an opener in this one, as he hasn't pitched more than 1.2 innings since June 4 against the Cubs. The right-hander owns a 2.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with a 13:8 K:BB across 23.2 innings so far this season.

Kershaw (back) threw a three-inning simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Monday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kershaw took another step forward by facing batters on his home mound. Skipper Dave Roberts has already noted that the southpaw will not go down to the minors for a rehab assignment, and assuming Kershaw is feeling fine after Monday's outing, the plan is for him to toss a four-inning sim game Saturday in Miami, per Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA. After that, Kershaw would be cleared to return at the beginning of September if all is well with his back.

Butto was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday.

Butto was knocked around Sunday in his major-league debut, so the Mets decided to return him to Syracuse for the time being. He is one of the club's top prospects, so he figures to be back in the big leagues at some point, either this season or next.

Hendricks disclosed Monday that he's recovering from a capsular tear in his right shoulder and won't return from the 15-day injured this season, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Hendricks wasn't believed to be dealing with any structural damage in his shoulder after being diagnosed with a strain in early July, but he apparently did suffer a tear that "stems from a chronic issue, rather than happening on one pitch," according to Montemurro. The veteran right-hander isn't expected to need surgery to recover from the injury, and he will report to the Cubs' spring training facility in Arizona to get in some strengthening work in over the next 2-to-4 weeks. Since his focus at this stage is getting healthy for spring training, the non-contending Cubs won't push him to make a late-season return from the IL.

Matz (knee) threw 30 pitches during a low-intensity side session this weekend, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Although Matz didn't throw with much intensity over the weekend, he apparently felt good afterward since he'll throw another bullpen session Wednesday. It's not yet clear when the southpaw will be able to begin a rehab assignment, but he's trended in the right direction over the last few weeks.

Pepiot was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday.

Pepiot started Sunday against the Marlins and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings to earn the win. In spite of his quality start, the right-hander will head to the minors after Brusdar Graterol (shoulder) was reinstated from the injured list. Although Clayton Kershaw (back) is over a week away from returning, the Dodgers will likely roll with a five-man rotation for now since Dustin May is back in action.

Alexander was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

Alexander was sent to the minors Wednesday but will rejoin the big-league club after Aaron Ashby (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday. The Brewers haven't yet indicated what role Alexander will play following his call-up, but it's possible that he serves as a starting pitcher in Ashby's absence. Over 12 appearances (seven starts) in the majors this year, Alexander has posted a 5.18 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in 48.2 innings.

Ashby was placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation Monday, retroactive to Aug. 20.

Ashby struggled during Friday's start against the Cubs, giving up six runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out eight in five innings. It's possible that his injury contributed to his struggles, and he'll ultimately be forced to miss time. The Brewers haven't yet indicated who will take Ashby's place in the rotation, but Adrian Houser (elbow) could come off the injured list this week.