MLB Player News

DeGrom (lat) felt "really good" after a bullpen session Friday, per manager Luis Rojas, though he's yet to be officially confirmed as the starter for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday against the Cardinals due to right lat inflammation, though he's avoided a trip to the injured list. It looks as if he's taken the steps necessary to start Sunday, but the Mets have yet to announce their plans.

Kelly (undisclosed) was activated off the injured list Friday.

The Diamondbacks didn't give a reason for Kelly's placement on the injured list Tuesday, but the fact that he's back just three days later indicates that it was the COVID-19 injured list and also indicates that he wasn't dealing with the virus himself. He's expected to start a game this weekend against the Mets, though which one he'll start remains to be seen. Wyatt Mathisen was optioned in a corresponding move.

Smyly (1-2) gave up an unearned run on four hits and four walks while fanning four across six innings Thursday against the Nationals. He earned the win.

Smyly can't be blamed for the run scored by the Nationals while he was on the mound, as a fielding error from Ronald Acuna allowed Josh Bell to score on a double from Kyle Schwarber. The 31-year-old lefty was dominant the rest of the way, though, and he recorded his second quality start of the season. The walks are a bit concerning and he has posted a 11:10 K:BB over his last three outings. As things stand now, Smyly is expected to take the ball next week at home against the Blue Jays.

Woodruff (2-1) allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out 11 across 6.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Phillies.

Woodruff took the loss through no fault of his own, as the lone blemish of his start came on a solo home run by Alec Bohm. Otherwise, Woodruff took care of the Phillies by racking up 23 swinging strikes on 103 total pitches to back up his first double-digit-strikeout effort of the campaign. He's posted a stellar 1.73 ERA and 51:11 K:BB across 41.2 frames to this point, and he currently lines up to take the mound for his next outing Wednesday against St. Louis.

Wheeler (3-2) allowed three hits and no walks while striking out eight in a complete-game shutout to earn the win Thursday against the Brewers.

It was the second complete-game shutout of his career and his first since 2014. He allowed only one hit through eight frames before working around two hits in the final inning. Wheeler has been a bit uneven to start the season, but he's worked more than six frames in five of his seven starts. Despite allowing three or more earned runs on four occasions, he still owns a 2.83 ERA with a 49:12 K:BB across 47.2 innings this season. Wheeler currently lines up to draw his next start Wednesday at Washington.

Lopez allowed just an unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings of work in Thursday's victory over the Diamondbacks. He didn't factor into the decision.

The righty looked good, throwing 63 of his 94 pitches for strikes. Lopez now holds a 2.04 ERA on the year, showing that his 3.61 ERA in 2020 was no fluke. Although Lopez has seen his K/9 dip slightly, his 3.11 FIP suggests he should remain one of the more valuable starters in fantasy. The main knock on him is that the Marlins haven't helped him to any wins yet in seven starts this season, as he's 0-2 despite his sterling ratios.

Walker (2-1) allowed just an unearned run on one hit while striking out eight across seven innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Thursday.

Walker was near perfect Thursday, allowing just one single to Nolan Arenado in the second inning who eventually scored on a sacrifice fly. He retired the last 18 batters he faced. Walker's eight strikeouts matched his season high, and it was the first start that he didn't issue a walk. The 28-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.38 and WHIP to 1.03 through six appearances. He's done a great job preventing the long ball, allowing just one home run in 34 innings.

Greene won his first start in a real game in 1,014 days on Wednesday, allowing one run over five innings at Double-A Chattanooga. He struck out eight while giving up three hits and no walks. Thirty-seven of his 43 fastballs were clocked at 100 mph or higher, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

It wasn't just that the velocity was there, though that was pretty impressive in its own right. But his placement of the fastball was better, and he got three strikeouts looking on his slider. The latter aspect of his start is critical -- for his fastball to be effective, he needs to make his slider a credible threat to opposing hitters.

Strasburg (shoulder) threw 35 pitches across two innings in a simulated game Thursday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Manager Dave Martinez said that Strasburg looked "really good" during his throwing session Thursday but declined to give a timetable for his return to major-league game action, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports. Strasburg will likely need at least three more throwing sessions before he's cleared to return, although it's not yet clear whether those appearances could come via simulated games or minor-league rehab games. However, the right-hander took an encouraging step in his recovery with his successful sim game Thursday.

DeGrom (lat) played catch as expected Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

DeGrom was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday against the Cardinals but doesn't appear to be set for a long absence. Assuming his right lat responds well, he's expected to throw a bullpen Friday and take his next turn in the rotation Sunday against the Diamondbacks.