MLB Player News

Velasquez (forearm) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Velasquez has been sidelined since May 11 with a strained right forearm. The right-hander threw with no issues Monday, and assuming everything goes off without a hitch during Wednesday's mound session, he'll be cleared to throw another bullpen Friday before being reevaluated.

Lugo was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder tendinitis Monday.

Lugo had been pitching quite well, logging nine consecutive scoreless innings before allowing a solo homer Sunday against the Marlins. It's unclear how much time he's expected to miss. Hector Santiago's contract was selected in a corresponding move.

Hendricks improved to 4-4 in Sunday's 6-5 victory over the Nationals, limiting the opposition to four runs on six hits and two walks over 5.2 innings while striking out four.

After allowing only one earned run in 25 innings spanning his last three starts, Hendricks had nowhere to go but down in Sunday's turn. While the right-hander was unable to keep his momentum going and missed out on a quality start, he made only one major mistake on the night, serving up a three-run home run to Anthony Rendon in the sixth inning. He still exited the contest with the lead and evened his record after the Chicago bullpen steered clear of a late implosion. The right-hander is slated to return home for his next start as he faces the Reds during the upcoming weekend.

Ray allowed two earned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out six across four innings Sunday against the Giants. He did not factor into the decision.

Ray escaped the sloppy outing relatively unscathed, not surrendering an extra-base hit in his short start. However, he racked up 87 pitches while recording just 16 outs thanks to struggles with his control. The low point of his effort came in the third inning when he allowed the first four batters he faced to reach base, including a bases-loaded walk that forced in a run. Ray still piles up strikeouts: He has 67 in just 52.2 innings this season, but he's managed to pitch six frames in just two of his 10 starts. He'll look to work deeper into his next start, likely to be a rematch at the Giants on Friday.

Musgrove (3-4) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk across 6.1 innings to earn the win against the Padres on Sunday.

The right-hander threw six scoreless frames, which extended his scoreless streak to 13 innings. But then in the seventh, Musgrove allowed three hits, including a home run, and committed an error. While that ruined most of his great work, he did still earn the victory. Musgrove is 3-4 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 54 innings this season. He will pitch again versus the Dodgers on Saturday.

The Pirates have considered recalling Keller but would like him to first develop his new slider/cutter pitch, general manager Neal Huntington told 93.7 The Fan on Sunday.

Three of Keller's last four starts have gone well, but the organization is looking for better consistency from the righty. The organization may not believe Keller has the tools to succeed at the major-league level with just two reliable pitches (his fastball and curve). The 22-year-old was dreadful in three Grapefruit League outings this spring, surrendering 10 earned runs on 10 hits and three walks without striking out a batter in four innings. Keller has compiled a 3.83 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 50:19 K:BB in 40 Triple-A innings in 2019.

Flaherty allowed two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks across six innings during a no-decision against the Rangers on Sunday.

It was the first time Flaherty yielded fewer than three runs in a start this month, but the Cardinals needed to come back in the ninth to help him avoid the loss. That was disappointing, but Flaherty did tend to his control issues in this one. He walked just two after he had given out 12 free passes combined in his previous three starts. Flaherty is 4-3 with a 4.19 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 53.2 innings this season. He will pitch next against the Braves on Sunday.

The Pirates will reassess Williams (oblique) in 10 days to determine whether he'll be ready to begin baseball activities, general manager Neal Huntington told 93.7 The Fan.

Huntington said that the amount of time it takes for Williams to resume activity will help dictate the time needed for a return. The general manager added that he's "cautiously optimistic" the injury isn't of a long-term nature, though he said it's not a short-term injury, either. Williams pitched 3.2 innings of one-run ball before suffering the oblique injury in Thursday's game.

Eickhoff allowed four earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five across five innings Sunday against the Rockies. He did not factor into the decision.

Eickhoff allowed three home runs, accounting for all four of his earned runs in the contest. His skills were solid otherwise, as he managed to generate 15 swinging strikes and started 13 of the 22 batters he faced with a strike. However, his struggles with the long ball overshadow any positive work, as he's now allowed five home runs across his last two starts -- a span of nine innings. He'll look to be more effective in keeping the ball in the yard in his next start but will face a tough test at Milwaukee on Friday.

Quantrill (0-2) took the loss against the Pirates on Sunday, giving up five earned runs on eight hits over five innings, striking out two and walking two as the Padres fell 6-4.

Quantrill was called up from Triple-A El Paso to make this spot start and had a rough outing, with most of the damage coming on a three-run long ball he gave up to Colin Moran in the first inning. He had posted respectable stat lines in his other two big-league starts prior to this contest, and with Chris Paddack and Matt Strahm each having their workloads managed, Quantrill may continue to receive spot starts throughout the season.