MLB Player News

Kershaw (pelvis) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw has made steady progress of late, most recently throwing roughly 30 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Kershaw is expected to throw four innings in his rehab appearance and then rejoin the Dodgers' rotation. That would put him in line to start at some point during next weekend's series against the Giants.

Flaherty (shoulder) is expected to report to Double-A Springfield next week to start a rehab assignment, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The right-hander has pitched against live hitters multiple times over the past week, and he's now poised to begin a rehab assignment. Flaherty threw about 40-to-50 pitches in his last session and should continue ramping up his workload from there. Given he's been sidelined for the first two months of the season with a right shoulder injury, the 26-year-old will likely require multiple starts in the minors before making his 2022 debut for St. Louis.

Smyly (oblique) said Thursday that he doesn't have a timetable for his return but could miss about a month, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Smyly landed on the 15-day injured list due to a right oblique strain Wednesday, and he appears to be in line for more than a minimal IL stint. However, the southpaw said that his recovery timetable will depend on how he feels as he builds up his workload. Smyly will rest and receive treatment during his first few days on the shelf before he resumes throwing, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Woodruff (ankle) played catch Thursday and maintains hope he'll be ready to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible June 12 or shortly thereafter, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Woodruff noted that his sprained right ankle felt better Thursday than it had at any point since he suffered the injury May 27. So long as the swelling in his ankle continues to subside as he starts the ramp-up process, Woodruff should have a good chance at meeting his goal of returning from the IL in expedient fashion. Jason Alexander entered the rotation Wednesday as a replacement for Woodruff and should get at least one more turn through the rotation after delivering a quality start in his MLB debut.

Miley (shoulder) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session earlier Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs have yet to reveal how Miley felt coming out of the workout, but the fact that he isn't being shut down from throwing four days after landing on the injured list suggests that his strained left shoulder isn't a long-term concern. Chicago replaced Miley in the rotation with Matt Swarmer, who will pick up his second start in Saturday's doubleheader with the Cardinals after limiting the Brewers to four runs over six innings Monday in his MLB debut.

Sanchez (shoulder) was cleared to begin "dry mound" work this week, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

De Nicola notes that Sanchez will be throwing at around 75 miles per hour, so he's not yet arrived at the point in his rehab program from shoulder surgery where he's throwing normal bullpen sessions. That said, the activity marks another step forward for Sanchez, who had previously been limited to throwing off flat ground. Sanchez is without a definitive timeline to make his season debut, but he looks to be multiple weeks away from pitching in minor-league games, at the very least.

Lodolo (back) threw approximately 30-to-35 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The rookie southpaw plans to throw off a mound again Saturday as he builds up following a lengthy shutdown due to a lower-back strain. Because he hasn't pitched in a game since April 24, Lodolo could need at least two minor-league rehab starts before the Reds are comfortable reintegrating him into the big-league rotation.

Clevinger (triceps) is in line to come off the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Brewers in San Diego, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Clevinger looks to be on track to return from the shelf in the near-minimum amount of time after he was placed on the IL on May 22 with a strained right triceps. The right-hander will rejoin the big-league rotation without requiring a minor-league rehab assignment beforehand, but the Padres could ease him back into the mix Sunday with a lighter workload than usual. Assuming the Padres keep a six-man rotation in place when Clevinger returns, Nick Martinez is likely to move back to the bullpen.

The Dodgers optioned Grove to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Los Angeles brought up Caleb Ferguson to join the bullpen as a replacement for Grove, whom the organization likely wants to continue making regular starts at Triple-A. Grove was summoned from the minors Saturday when the Dodgers were in need of a multi-inning arm out of the bullpen, but he made just one appearance during his latest stint in the big leagues. He was charged with three earned runs on three hits and a walk in an inning of relief in Wednesday's 8-4 loss to the Pirates.

Freeland (ankle) is listed as the Rockies' starting pitcher for Saturday's game against Atlanta in Colorado.

Freeland appeared to be at risk of landing on the injured list after he was diagnosed with a left ankle impingement following his most recent outing Sunday in Washington, but he apparently checked out fine following his between-starts bullpen session and looks like he'll be ready to return to the mound on five days' rest this weekend. The southpaw owns a 6.25 ERA and 1.67 WHIP across 31.2 innings at Coors Field this season.