MLB Player News

Syndergaard isn't expected to throw more than one inning in his return to action Tuesday against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Syndergaard will at least get to pitch a small amount this year after missing almost two full seasons due to Tommy John surgery, but he isn't built up enough for a proper start. He'll essentially be little more than an opener Tuesday, and if he starts again Sunday against Atlanta, he's likely to have his workload limited in a similar way.

Lopez (shoulder) threw three simulated innings in a bullpen session Tuesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Lopez has missed the entirety of the second half with shoulder strain. He threw two innings in a rehab game Thursday and reached three this time around, so it's possible he's activated to start over the weekend and asked to throw approximately four innings. The Marlins will wait to see how his shoulder responds before making a decision, as they have no incentive to risk aggravating Lopez's injury given that they're no longer in the playoff race.

The Pirates may recall Contreras to start Wednesday's game against the Cubs, according to Hector Gomez.

The team has not made an announcement regarding Contreras, so we'll have to wait for the move to become official. If the right-hander is recalled, then he has a decent matchup at home against the Cubs. One of the team's top pitching prospects, Contreras has compiled a 2.64 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 58 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. He also features an impressive 82:13 K:BB. Contreras missed time this summer with a forearm muscle strain and will likely be on a short leash, if he does make his MLB debut Wednesday.

Syndergaard (elbow) was activated off the injured list and will start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Tommy John surgery wiped out the entirety of Syndergaard's 2020 campaign, but he won't quite wind up missing all of 2021 despite a late-May elbow setback and another setback in late August due to COVID-19. He only threw a single inning in both of his rehab appearances after he got over the virus, so don't expect him to pitch deep into Tuesday's game. He'd be on normal rest to start Sunday's season finale against Atlanta as well, so he could be in line for a two-start week to close the season, but it's unlikely that he'll throw many innings in that game, either.

Gry (2-2) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks over 5.1 innings Monday, striking out four and earning a win over the Rockies.

Gray kept Colorado off the board through five innings and didn't face much of a threat until the sixth. He allowed the first three batters of the inning to reach base and eventually coughed up a three-run double to Ryan McMahon, ending his outing. The 6-foot-1 rookie has completed at least five innings in four straight starts but owns a 6.23 ERA during that span. Gray is expected to make his final start of the year this weekend at home against Boston.

Marquez (12-11) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings Monday, striking out four and taking a loss against the Nationals.

Marquez allowed just a single through three scoreless innings to open the game before the Nationals put up a three-run fourth inning. He allowed another run in the fifth and failed to complete six innings for the third straight start. During that span, he's been hammered for 15 runs in 13 innings (10.38 ERA). Marquez will carry a 4.40 ERA into his projected start this weekend in Arizona.

Overton (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits and took a loss against the Reds on Monday. He struck out two in one inning of work.

Overton needed 39 pitches to get through just one inning of work. He coughed up four runs, including a two-run homer by Joey Votto. The 28-year-old has now given up eight runs across 3.2 innings over his last two outings, raising his season ERA to 4.70. Overton is projected to work as the opener again this weekend at home against the Reds.

Atlanta plans to promote Strider on Monday from Double-A Mississippi to Triple-A Gwinnett, Eric Cole of TalkingChop.com reports.

The 2020 fourth-round pick will move on to his fourth different level of the season after kicking off his inaugural professional campaign at Low-A Augusta. He eventually saw most of his action in 2021 at Mississippi, where he produced a 4.71 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 95:29 K:BB in 63 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander will now get the chance to pick up a few more innings out of the Gwinnett bullpen down the stretch, potentially setting him up for a full-time assignment in the Triple-A club's bullpen heading into 2022.

Gutierrez won't start when his turn in the rotation comes up this week, and manager David Bell wouldn't commit Monday when asked if Gutierrez would pitch again this season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Gutierrez hasn't been completely shut down, and the Reds don't have a scheduled starter for Sunday's season finale against the Pirates, so it's possible he gets the nod that day. He's clearly fading recently, however, as he's thrown a combined 9.2 innings over his last three starts while allowing 13 runs on 17 hits, striking out just six while walking eight. He's tossed 131 total innings this season after throwing zero last year, so the Reds may decide not to ask him for anything more.

Castillo will return from the bereavement list to start Friday against Pittsburgh, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

The Reds will likely have little to play for at that point, as a single loss by them or a single win by the Cardinals over the final week will eliminate them from playoff contention. Castillo himself has something to play for, however, as he can drag his ERA under 4.00 if he throws at least five innings while giving up no more than one run or at least seven innings while giving up no more than two. That's not much of an achievement for a pitcher of Castillo's talent level, but it would be quite an impressive feat for a pitcher who ended May with a 7.22 ERA.