MLB Player News

Hill (knee) threw on flat ground Saturday and suggested that a change in his foot placement could allow him to continue pitching this season, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Hill exited Thursday's start after two-thirds of an inning with a strained left MCL but was out playing catch and throwing from a windup in New York on Saturday. He wore the brace that helped him get through his first three starts while recovering from the same injury early in the season and made an adjustment to his delivery to put less stress on his ailing knee. Despite Hill's admirable determination to do whatever it takes to return to the mound -- either as a reliever or a starter -- before the end of the season, manager Dave Roberts was less enthused, indicating that he would adhere to the results of Hill's MRI set for Monday, along with the advice of the medical and training staff, to determine his status moving forward.

Walker (elbow, shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic reports.

Walker is working hard to put himself in position to throw in a real game. Tuesday's session will be the third bullpen in the last week. The Diamondbacks have just 14 games remaining, and manager Torey Lovullo is uncertain if he'll be ready before the end of the season.

Ray (finger) threw a successful 37-pitch bullpen session Saturday and has been cleared to make his next scheduled start Monday against the Marlins, Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic reports.

Ray has been dealing with a blister on his left middle finger, which has impacted his last two starts, but manager Torey Lovullo feels it's no longer a problem. "I feel like it's going to be a non-issue," Lovullo said of Ray's blister. "Obviously I was saying that last time and you saw what happened, so I'm going to be cautious with what I'm telling you guys. But I feel like after [Saturday's] bullpen and the information I got that it's going to be a non-issue." The left-hander threw his full arsenal of pitches during the side session and isn't expected to face any significant limitations when he toes the rubber Monday.

Urena gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his second save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Giants.

The right-hander hasn't been sharp since being moved to the bullpen in September and taking over as the Marlins' closer, but he was able to get the job done here. Urena has a 9.00 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and 4:2 K:BB through five innings and six appearances in relief while converting two of his three save chances.

Nola struck out nine batters in seven innings Saturday against the Red Sox, allowing a single run on four hits and three walks. He did not factor into the decision.

Nola was locked into a duel with Eduardo Rodriguez, trading scoreless frames through the first six innings. He finally allowed a run on a Christian Vazquez double in the top of the seventh, though the Phillies offense would come through with a run to avoid giving him an undeserved loss. The outing lowered Nola's ERA to 3.62 and brought him to within eight strikeouts of his career-high total of 224.

Lyles (11-8) earned the win Saturday against St. Louis after allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings, striking out four while giving up six hits.

The Cardinals scored one on a Tommy Edman homer in the second inning and another on a throwing error in the same frame, but Lyles never let them seriously threaten for the rest of his outing. He's now given up two or fewer earned runs in eight of his last nine starts, improving his ERA to 4.25.

Flaherty (10-8) took the loss Saturday against the Brewers despite striking out 10 batters in six innings. He allowed three runs on five hits and two walks.

Flaherty reached a double-digit strikeout total for the second start in a row and the fourth time this season, but it didn't end up being quite the dominant performance that his fantasy owners had gotten used to lately. The three earned runs he allowed represent his highest total since July 2. Mike Moustakas did the bulk of the damage with a two-run homer in the fourth inning, while Eric Thames added an RBI grounder in the sixth for the go-ahead run. Flaherty will look to bounce back at Wrigley Field on Thursday.

Lauer (8-9) took the loss versus the Rockies on Saturday, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks over 2.1 innings. He struck out two.

Lauer was victimized for three runs in the second, and another three were tacked onto his line before Luis Perdomo relieved him in the third. The Padres put together a five-run rally in the eighth but couldn't even the score, saddling Lauer with the loss. The southpaw has a 4.60 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 139 innings this season and lines up to face the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Lugo (6-3) struck out the side during a scoreless eighth inning Saturday against the Dodgers, picking up the win when the Mets took the lead in the bottom of the frame.

Fantasy owners may be most interested in Lugo at the moment due to his potential for saves down the stretch, though it's hard to complain about a win and three strikeouts. Justin Wilson wound up recording the save.

DeSclafani (9-9) shined Saturday, allowing just one run on one hit and striking out five over seven innings, but he took the loss versus the Diamondbacks.

Only Nick Ahmed got on base versus DeSclafani, but he did so with a triple. Jarrod Dyson's sacrifice fly was enough to tag DeSclafani with a tough loss. The right-hander now owns a 3.93 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with a career-high 155 strikeouts over 155.2 innings this year. DeSclafani will likely start Friday's series opener against the Mets.