MLB Player News

Strasburg (neck) felt good after throwing a 64-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

Reports stated Friday that Strasburg is about two weeks away from returning from a pinched nerve in his neck. The successful bullpen session should see him remain on that timeline. He'll need a simulated game and a rehab start before he's ready to return.

Darvish (shoulder) will throw a live batting practice session Sunday, Bruce Miles of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Darvish was recently moved to the 60-day disabled list, having been out of action for over two months. He has thrown several bullpen sessions and simulated games in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen when he'll head out on a rehab assignment.

Urias (shoulder) completed his second rehab outing Friday, topping out at 95 mph while tossing 1.2 innings for High-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Urias continues to build up his arm strength following shoulder surgery last year. The Dodgers have already announced that the 21-year-old will pitch out of the bullpen when he is deemed ready to return to the majors, but Kenley Jansen's expected four-to-six-week absence could accelerate the youngster's rehab process, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports. The club is unlikely to jeopardize its prized arm's health to fill an immediate need, but if Urias does get the call sooner than expected, he could immediately slot into a high-leverage role for a Dodgers bullpen that is dealing with multiple injuries to key contributors.

Gausman (6-9) picked up the win in Friday's 10-1 victory over the Brewers, allowing one run on six hits over eight innings while striking out eight.

The Braves jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, but Gausman didn't need the extra run support he was given. The right-hander pounded the strike zone, throwing 71 of 94 pitches for strikes, and he'll take a 4.27 ERA into his next start Wednesday at home against the Marlins.

Peralta (5-3) took the loss Friday, surrendering seven runs on seven hits and five walks over three innings while striking out three as the Brewers fell 10-1 to the Braves.

It was the shortest outing of the rookie's brief career so far, but Peralta has now been tagged for seven runs twice in his last four starts, sending his ERA soaring nearly two full runs to 4.47. The main issue for the 22-year-old has been his control -- he's walked multiple batters in seven straight starts, putting together a 39:23 K:BB in 33.2 innings over that stretch. With Zach Davies (shoulder) closing in on a return from the disabled list, Peralta seems the likeliest candidate to lose his spot in the rotation.

Urena (3-12) struck out three and allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over 5.1 innings to take the loss Friday against the Mets.

The right-hander has been tagged for at least four runs in four of his last five starts, sending his ERA climbing to 4.74, the highest it's been since the end of April. Urena will try to turn things around Wednesday in Atlanta.

Wheeler (7-6) picked up the win Friday, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out eight in a 6-2 victory over the Marlins.

Although his scoreless streak was snapped at 23 innings, the right-hander has now won five straight starts, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 34:6 K:BB in 34.2 innings over that stretch. Wheeler will look to keep things rolling Wednesday in Baltimore.

DeSclafani (6-3) struck out nine in seven scoreless innings in a win over the Diamondbacks on Friday, allowing three hits and zero walks.

DeSclafani had a season high in strikeouts and threw his first scoreless outing of the year. Over 12 starts this season, the right-hander has a 4.46 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while sporting a 59:18 K:BB in 66.2 innings. DeSclafani has allowed 15 home runs this year but has not surrendered a long ball in his last two starts. With the Reds currently operating on a six-man rotation, DeSclafani would be in line to next take on the Giants in a home start.

Eflin (8-4) got the loss against the Padres on Friday, giving up two earned runs on five hits over six innings, striking out eight and walking one in Philadelphia's 2-0 defeat.

Eflin took a hard-luck loss in this one, as he posted a great final stat line but was unfortunate to be outdueled by Padres rookie Jacob Nix. The 24-year-old is putting up solid numbers for the Phillies this season, as he's now sporting a 3.57 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and a 86:19 K:BB through 90.2 innings. He's scheduled to take the mound next against the Mets on Thursday.

Nix (1-0) got the win against the Phillies on Friday, throwing six scoreless innings and yielding four hits in San Diego's 2-0 victory. He struck out four and walked two.

It was an effective big-league debut for Nix, who was called up from Triple-A El Paso prior to this start. He put up dominant numbers at the minor-league level to earn the call-up, so if Nix ends up showing he can consistently translate that to the big leagues like he did in this start, he could wind up winning a spot in San Diego's rotation going forward.