MLB Player News

Strasburg (neck) threw long toss Tuesday and will throw another bullpen session Thursday or Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Strasburg didn't feel right last week and briefly backed off mound work. He's feeling much better now, reportedly, and the fact that he was able to throw long toss one day after Monday's bullpen session certainly seems like an encouraging sign.

Mikolas (forearm) threw 60 pitches of live batting practice Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The righty also threw 30 warmup pitches, so he threw roughly 90 in total. Mikolas said he focused more on recapturing the feel for his pitches rather than throwing with full intensity. Assuming he recovers well in the next couple days, Mikolas should be ready to start a lengthy rehab assignment.

Gomber (forearm) will be activated from the 10-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Mariners, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The lefty said he felt ready to be activated after tossing 62 pitches during a rehab outing with Triple-A Albuquerque last Friday. He will indeed make his first start Wednesday since suffering the forearm injury June 19, and somewhat surprisingly, he won't be on a strict pitch count. Gomber had been enjoying a spectacular stretch prior to landing on the IL, posting a 1.62 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 42:3 K:BB in his past eight starts.

Alcantara was placed on the bereavement list Tuesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Alcantara had been scheduled to start Wednesday in Washington. The Marlins have yet to announce who will start in his place. Players may spend between three and seven days on the bereavement list, so it's possible Alcantara's next start is delayed by only two days, though he could also wind up missing a turn or two in the rotation.

The Reds optioned Gutierrez to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

It's unclear whether the righty is being demoted for Monday's poor outing or just temporarily making way for an extra reliever as the Reds recover from the 11-inning series opener. Gutierrez had recorded quality starts in his previous two outings, so he'll almost certainly return to the big-league club at some point this season, if not in a few days when his spot in the rotation comes up again. Ashton Goudeau was recalled from Louisville in a corresponding move.

DeGrom (forearm) is improving but has yet to resume throwing, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

DeGrom has battled nagging injuries throughout the year but previously hadn't gone more than 15 days between starts. He'll surpass that mark Friday, and it remains unclear exactly when the Mets expect him to pitch again. He's currently back in New York continuing to receive treatment.

Morton is no longer slated to start Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against San Diego.

Bryse Wilson will take the ball for Wednesday's nightcap instead. Per David O'Brien of The Athletic, Morton will now start Thursday against the Phillies.

Nola was activated from the COVID-19 injured list as expected ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday against the Yankees.

Nola was supposed to start the final game of the first half but was scratched due to contact tracing. He'll wind up getting an unplanned two-week break but shouldn't be facing significant restrictions, given that he didn't test positive for the virus himself. He'll look to find some consistency at the start of the second half after an up-and-down five-start run prior to the break that saw him strike out eight or more batters four times but also allow six or more runs twice.

Eflin was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with right patella tendonitis, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Eflin had surgery in 2016 to repair both patella tendons, so there figures to be a strong chance that the injury is related to those past issues. The Phillies aren't particularly concerned with the injury despite Eflin's history of knee troubles, but it's evidently enough of an issue for him to miss at least a turn or two in the rotation. The Phillies will go with a bullpen day in his place Wednesday against Atlanta. Eflin's move to the injured list can be backdated to Saturday, which leaves him eligible to be activated July 28.

Mikolas (forearm) is set to throw live batting practice Wednesday, after which he's expected to embark on a rehab assignment, the Associated Press reports.

The right-hander is finally on the precipice of getting back into game action after an extended layoff; he's thrown just four innings in 2020 and 2021 combined, all of which came this year. Mikolas is likely in for a fairly extensive rehab assignment at what might be multiple affiliates before he's activated.