MLB Player News

Manager Joe Girardi said Nola is definitely a possibility to start Opening Day, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Nola was a late arrival at the Phillies' camp because he had been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, but he has cleared the MLB's testing protocol. The right-hander pitched well during Monday's intrasquad game, while teammate Zack Wheeler remains uncertain if he'll rejoin the team from paternity. Nola went 12-7 in his fifth campaign in Philadelphia last season, posting a 3.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 229:80 K:BB across 34 starts.

Eflin (back) threw a bullpen session Monday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The session apparently went quite well, with pitching coach Bryan Price calling it "beautiful." Aesthetics aside, the Phillies will be very happy to have Eflin back on the mound after battling back spasms, especially as they're already expecting to be without one starter early in the season, as Zack Wheeler will be away on paternity leave with his wife due to give birth to the couple's first child around Opening Day. Whether or not Eflin is able to build up to a starter's workload for his first turn in the rotation remains to be seen.

Kershaw tossed five innings in an intrasquad game Sunday, allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out eight. He unofficially threw 91 pitches, per Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA.

It wasn't the most efficient performance for the veteran southpaw, but Kershaw nonetheless held his own in the intrasquad matchup. Most importantly, the 91-pitch effort suggests that Kershaw is ready to take on a near-normal workload when he faces San Francisco on Opening Day.

Paddack completed six innings in an intrasquad game Sunday, unofficially throwing 71 pitches, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

There are no official stats for intrasquad games, but Acee notes that Paddack looked sharp in blazing through six innings despite a pair of errors committed behind him. While the Padres have yet to name their Opening Day starter, it is widely assumed that Paddack will receive the honor given his superb 2019 campaign and effectiveness in both spring training and summer camp.

Lopez will be away from the Marlins for a few days to attend to a personal matter, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Assuming his absence does last only a few days, Lopez would have time to return to camp and continue his preparations for Opening Day. The right-hander is expected to be part of the Marlins' rotation when the season begins.

Mikolas threw 53 pitches over 2.2 innings in an intrasquad game Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander was besieged by multiple errors behind him in the third and final frame, but no ball hit off Mikolas left the infield Sunday. Mikolas was actually perfect through two innings and recorded strikeouts of Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter, making it a successful afternoon overall. The 31-year-old was able to use both his inside fastball and offspeed pitches effectively as he tried to emulate a regular-season mindset. "It's an intrasquad and we're teammates, but for that short amount of time, I'm not trying to be your friend," Mikolas said. "I'm trying to get ready for the season, and I think as these games get even closer and these intrasquad games get stretched out even longer, I think you're going to see even more of an edge and maybe some trash-talking and maybe guys getting more gritty."

Wright is a little behind the rest of the Braves pitchers in summer camp, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

He threw his first live batting practice Sunday and will pitch in an intrasquad game over the next three days. Wright was apparently slow to arrive to camp due to coronavirus testing and travel. Bowman notes that Wright is still poised to either be the No. 5 starter or a piggyback option, perhaps in front of or behind Sean Newcomb or Josh Tomlin. Wright is arguably the most talented starting pitcher of that trio, so if he stays on track, he could serve as a true starter for the bulk of the shortened season.

Corbin's goal is to build up to six innings or 100 pitches by Opening Day, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "I feel pretty positive that I'll be able to get there," he said.

He threw 43 pitches Saturday and will throw again Monday. In a season in which many pitchers will likely be on pitch counts in their first starts, Corbin would theoretically be as stretched out as just about anyone for his first turn in the rotation. He is expected to start July 26 at home against the Yankees.

Lauer confirmed Sunday that the Brewers placed him on the COVID-19 injured list, though the left-hander said he is healthy and expects to be ready to go for the start of the 2020 season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

While it's not clear if Lauer himself ever tested positive for COVID-19, he indicated that he was in close contact with someone who did. As a result, the Brewers placed him in the COVID-19 protocol, but since he's on track to throw a bullpen session at the team facility Sunday or Monday, the assumption is that Lauer has already submitted two negative test results. If Lauer's bullpen session goes according to plan, he'll likely resume facing hitters a few days later, which should put him on track for Opening Day. Lauer is in contention for the final spot in the Brewers' rotation, with Corbin Burnes or Freddy Peralta seemingly representing his main competitors for that spot.

Lauer is healthy and "just got slowed down a little bit" according to manager Craig Counsell, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Lauer mysteriously landed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week, but the Brewers skipper says Lauer is healthy and has a chance to be ready for the start of the season. The southpaw is expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday or Monday. The fact that he is behind the rest of the Brewers' pitchers from a readiness standpoint may mean that either Corbin Burnes or Freddy Peralta opens the year as the team's No. 5 starter. Regardless of his role at the start of the season, Lauer is expected to offer bulk innings during the shortened campaign.