MLB Player News

Williams (side) threw a simulated game Saturday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Williams threw 64 pitches and four innings Saturday and said that everything went well. A rehab start is likely the next step for the 27-year-old, and a return to the majors could happen shortly afterward if everything goes well.

Keller whiffed a career-best 13 batters in five innings Friday for Triple-A Indianapolis. He gave up just one hit and three walks.

He could start for the Pirates on Wednesday unless the team chooses to go with an opener against Atlanta. While it's possible the organization could keep Keller at Triple-A a bit longer due to Super 2 Arbitration concerns, it's apparent that his upside dwarfs that of any replacement pitcher currently on Pittsburgh's roster. The righty allowed six runs in the first inning of his MLB debut against Cincinnati on May 27, but rebounded with three shutout frames thereafter.

Kershaw (5-1) took the loss Friday versus the Giants, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out four batters.

Kershaw and Giants starter Drew Pomeranz engaged in a pitchers' duel for the first five innings. Kershaw then gave up a pair of runs in the sixth inning, which was enough to tag him with the loss. The left-hander owns a 3.14 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 10 starts this year. He'll look to rebound from his first defeat of the season against the Cubs on Thursday.

DeGrom (3-6) took the loss Friday as the Mets fell 5-1 to the Rockies, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings while striking out 10.

The hip issue which cut short deGrom's last start didn't seem to be bothering him, as he struck out double-digit batters for the third time this season. The right-hander now has eight quality starts in 13 trips to the mound, and he'll take a 3.45 ERA and 94:20 K:BB through 75.2 innings into his next outing Thursday, at home against the Cardinals.

Woodruff (8-1) allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out 10 over six innings Friday in a win over the Pirates.

Woodruff surrendered two runs in the third inning and another in the sixth, but he registered a quality start and managed to bounce back from an ugly outing June 1, when he was roughed up by the Pirates for six runs over four innings. The 26-year-old has hit a few bumps in the road this season, but he sits with a 3.87 ERA and 90 punchouts across 74.1 innings.

Senzatela (5-4) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings in a 5-1 victory over the Mets. He failed to strike out a batter.

It wasn't a dominant performance, but the Mets couldn't generate much hard contact off Senzatela aside from Michael Conforto's sixth-inning solo shot. It's his third straight quality start and fifth of the season, and the right-hander will take a 4.95 ERA and 33:25 K:BB through 60 innings into his next outing Wednesday, at home against the Cubs.

Kelly (6-6) allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks across seven innings to earn a victory against the Blue Jays on Friday.

After uncharacteristically striking out 10 batters in his last outing, Kelly returned to pitching to contact Friday, and that was just fine. For the second straight start, he yielded a lone run through at least seven frames. Interestingly, Kelly has earned a decision in 10 straight appearances. He is 6-6 with a 4.12 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 74.1 innings this season. Kelly will look to keep this hot streak going at the Phillies on Wednesday.

Mahle (2-6) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks across five innings while taking a loss against the Phillies on Friday.

The 24-year-old was cruising through four innings, but then in the fifth he yielded three straight hits, including a two-run homer to Jay Bruce. The other hit came around to score on a throwing error by Tucker Barnhart. Mahle has been inconsistent, but he's been better than his record, especially lately. He is 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in his last six outings. Overall, Mahle owns a 4.21 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 66.1 innings this season. He will face the Rangers at home in his next start Friday.

Eflin (6-5) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits with six strikeouts and four walks across 6.1 innings while earning a victory against the Reds on Friday.

The 25-year-old was wild in his return after missing his last start due to mid-back tightness and yielded a homer in the first inning. Following that frame, he only allowed one more unearned run. His seven strikeouts were his most in three weeks, and this was also his first win since May 11. Eflin now has a 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 72 innings. His next start will come Wednesday at home against the Diamondbacks.

Keuchel has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett and will make his first start Saturday, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

As expected, Keuchel will begin his season at Triple-A. He's in line to make two starts with the Stripers before being joining the big-league rotation, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, putting him on track to make his first appearance as a Brave sometime during Atlanta's upcoming series with the Mets, which runs from June 17 to June 19.