MLB Player News

Megill (biceps) said Sunday that he expects to begin throwing live batting practice within the next few days, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Megill landed on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis May 15, but he's made strong progress in his recovery following a brief shutdown. The right-hander will be evaluated for a minor-league rehab start after he faces live hitters, and he expects to need 1-2 rehab starts prior to rejoining the major-league club.

Freeland was removed midway through the sixth inning of his start Sunday against the Nationals after he landed awkwardly while delivering a pitch, Joe Trezza of MLB.com. He was charged with five earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out two over 5.2 frames.

The Rockies will likely provide an update on the nature of Freeland's injury after the contest, but Trezza suggests that the southpaw may have been dealing with an arm-related concern in addition to the apparent lower-body issue that ended his day early. Freeland's velocity was down from its usual levels throughout the afternoon, and the lefty displayed spotty control, as he threw only 62 of his 107 pitches for strikes. Assuming Freeland is able to make his between-starts bullpen session without incident, he'll line up to make his next turn through the rotation next weekend versus Atlanta at Coors Field.

Clevinger (triceps) is expected to start the final game during San Diego's series against Milwaukee that begins June 2, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

When Clevinger was placed on the injured list May 22, there was some concern that the right-hander could be out longer than the minimum 15 days since the triceps issue affected the same arm on which he underwent Tommy John surgery last season. However, it appears that the move to the IL was mostly precautionary, as Clevinger is slated to be activated when he is eligible. Upon his return, the Padres could either keep MacKenzie Gore in a starting role and deploy a six-man rotation or move Gore back to the bullpen.

Matz (shoulder) received a cortisone shot in his left shoulder Friday and played catch Sunday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

How Matz responds to this latest round of treatment and the resumption of activity will likely determine how much longer he's sidelined. He's not eligible to return from the 15-day injured list until June 7. It's unclear if he'll need to make a rehab start prior to rejoining the Cardinals' rotation.

The Cubs placed Miley on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a left shoulder strain, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Miley won't be eligible to return from the IL until June 10 as a result of the shoulder strain, an injury the southpaw initially believed was a minor concern when he picked it up coming out of his most recent start May 22. The veteran made just three starts for the Cubs before succumbing to an injury that will send him to the shelf for the second time this season, after he previously opened the campaign on the IL while recovering from elbow inflammation. Chicago recalled Mark Leiter from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move, and he could be called upon to make a spot start when Miley's turn in the rotation comes up again in Monday's doubleheader with the Brewers.

Strider is listed as Atlanta's scheduled starting pitcher for Monday's game in Arizona, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The rookie right-hander has been a standout in the Atlanta bullpen this season with a 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 37:11 K:BB across 24.1 innings, but he'll finally get a look in the rotation as the team attempts to put an end to its revolving door at the No. 5 starter spot. With Tucker Davidson being banished to Triple-A Gwinnett after issuing four walks in each of his past two starts, Strider will get the chance to bring stability at the back end of the Atlanta rotation. Since he hasn't covered more than four innings or 71 pitches in any of his extended relief outings this season, Strider might not be stretched out enough to handle a traditional starting role Monday, but he should be capable of offering fantasy managers strong ratios even if he faces a restricted workload. The 23-year-old looks like a strong speculative pickup in shallower leagues where he's still available.

The Brewers are planning to select Small's contract from Triple-A Nashville ahead of Monday's doubleheader with the Cubs, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Milwaukee hasn't officially confirmed his call-up or announced their plans for Small, but he's expected to slot into the rotation to start in one half of the series-opening twin bill at Wrigley Field. One of Milwaukee's top pitching prospects, Small dazzled over his eight starts at Nashville this season, logging a 1.88 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 49:21 K:BB across 38.1 innings. Whether he makes any starts beyond Monday will likely hinge on how he performs against the Cubs; if Small excels in his MLB debut, the Brewers could opt to move to a six-man rotation that features the lefty as a replacement for Freddy Peralta (lat), who is without a clear timeline to return from the 15-day injured list.

Ashcraft is scheduled to start Thursday's game versus the Nationals in Cincinnati, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Even with Mike Minor (shoulder) set to return from the 10-day injured list during the upcoming week, Ashcraft looks as though he'll temporarily stick in the rotation over Vladimir Gutierrez, who isn't scheduled to start any of the Reds' next five games. Ashcraft will be rewarded with a second straight turn through the rotation and his third start of the season with Cincinnati after he blanked the Giants over 6.1 innings Friday en route to claiming his first big-league win.

Manager David Bell said Sunday that Lodolo (back) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in a few days, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Though Lodolo still looks to be multiple weeks away from coming off the 10-day injured list, his advancement to mound work represents a step forward in his recovery from a lower-back strain. Before landing on the shelf April 28, Lodolo posted a 5.52 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB in 14.2 innings over his first three MLB starts.

Alcantara (5-1) picked up the win in Saturday's 4-1 victory over Atlanta, allowing one run on four hits over eight innings. He struck out 14 without walking a batter.

It was another dominant performance from the right-hander, who tied his career high with the 14 whiffs. Alcantara fired 73 of 108 pitches for strikes as he reeled off his fourth straight quality start and seventh of the season. The hot streak has left him with a dazzling 2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 63:22 K:BB through an MLB-leading 67.2 innings.