MLB Player News

Megill (shoulder) will throw live batting practice Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Megill resumed mound work in mid-August and has been cleared to take another step in his recovery process by facing hitters Friday. The right-hander is expected to pitch out of the bullpen once he's cleared to return and hopes to rejoin the Mets in late August or early September.

Walker (back) will start Tuesday against the Yankees, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Walker exited his start against Atlanta last Tuesday due to back spasms and was unable to start Sunday, but he'll return to action after receiving a few additional days of rest. The right-hander has had mixed results since the All-Star break, posting a 6.97 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in 20.2 innings over five starts.

Liberatore is a candidate to start one of the two games during Tuesday's doubleheader with the Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Liberatore has joined the Cardinals' taxi squad for their trip to Wrigley Field, and he'll likely be formally called up from Triple-A Memphis and designated as the 27th man once Tuesday arrives. Although he's in the mix to start Tuesday, manager Oliver Marmol said that he's leaning toward starting Jake Woodford. If that's the case, Liberatore would likely be available as a long reliever. Over seven appearances (six starts) in the majors this season, Liberatore has posted a 5.33 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 27 innings.

Hendricks (shoulder) said Sunday that he'll move his rehab to the Cubs' spring training facility in Arizona this week to build up his throwing, but the right-hander noted his main focus at this stage in the season is to get ready for 2023, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Though Hendricks didn't rule himself out for the season while he continues to recover from a strained right shoulder, his comments implied that he won't be pushing for a return as the 52-68 Cubs play out the string over the next six and a half weeks. Before the Cubs provide a more definitive stance on Hendricks' potential return in 2022, the team will likely wait and see how he responds to throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters in Arizona over the next few weeks. Given the strong likelihood that Hendricks will be shut down or make only a couple late-season starts if he does get activated from the 15-day injured list at some point, fantasy managers still holding him in redraft leagues can probably feel comfortable cutting bait at this point.

Butto allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks over four innings against the Phillies on Sunday. He struck out five and did not factor in the decision.

The Mets eventually won the back-and-forth thriller, letting Butto off the hook in his MLB debut. The right-handed rookie was tagged with a pair of three-run homers by Alec Bohm. Butto will likely head back to Triple-A Syracuse, where he's posted a 4.00 ERA this season.

Gibson allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits and three walks over 4.1 innings against the Mets on Sunday. He struck out three and did not factor in the decision.

Gibson wasn't very efficient in Philadelphia's loss on Sunday, needing 105 pitches to record just 13 outs. Two runs scored against him on an error in the second inning before he allowed another run in each of the third and fourth frames. Gibson has been charged with fewer than four earned runs in seven of his last eight starts, posting a 3.21 ERA during that span. The veteran righty is lined up to face the Pirates at home next week.

Kelly allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts across six innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Sunday.

Kelly allowed three runs in the first inning but settled in after that and left with a one-run lead. The Diamondbacks' bullpen couldn't make it stick, sending the right-hander to his fifth straight no-decision. In that span, he's logged four quality starts, permitting just five runs with a 32:11 K:BB across 32 innings. The 33-year-old has a 2.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 128:47 K:BB through 150.1 innings across 25 starts overall. Kelly will look to get back in the win column next weekend in a road start versus the White Sox.

Woodford (2-0) allowed a hit in 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday over the Diamondbacks.

Woodford got the last two outs in the sixth inning and the first two in the seventh, with the Cardinals pulling ahead in the seventh on a two-run Nolan Arenado single. This was just the second appearance Woodford's made since he was called up Aug. 11, and he's covered three scoreless frames in that span. The right-hander has a 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 13:8 K:BB through 23.2 innings in the majors this season as a multi-inning relief option.

Quintana allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks across 2.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Diamondbacks on Sunday. He did not strike out a batter.

Quintana began his Cardinals career with two quality starts in three outings, but he didn't pitch well Sunday. He threw just 39 of 73 pitches for strikes and left after allowing four batters aboard in the third inning. His teammates picked him up from there, with the bullpen providing 6.1 innings of one-hit ball while the offense rallied ahead in the seventh inning to get him off the hook. Through 122.2 innings across 24 starts this year, Quintana has logged a 3.45 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 105:40 K:BB. He'll look to get back on track next weekend versus Atlanta.

Alcantara (11-6) allowed six runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out five in 3.2 innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Dodgers.

By all measures, Alcantara's first tangle with the Dodgers in 2022 was his worst start of the year. The six runs and 10 hits were season highs for the right-hander, who also failed to complete five innings for the first time all season. He's now allowed at least four runs in three of his last five outings, though he kept runs off the board in the other two in that stretch. The Marlins' ace has a 2.19 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 157:44 K:BB through 176.2 innings through 25 starts this season. He'll look to shake off this dud next weekend in a home rematch against the Dodgers.