MLB Player News

Martinez (shoulder) is slated to play catch Monday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Martinez is slated to throw for the first time since landing on the disabled list with a shoulder injury last week -- his third trip to the shelf this season. He was initially expected to miss 3-to-4 starts as a result of the injury, though his exact timetable will depend on how he responds to his throwing program.

Alcantara (infection) was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans on Monday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Alcantara missed over a month with a right axillary infection. He had been rehabbing with High-A Jupiter but won't end up back in the big leagues now that he's healthy. He could certainly return to Miami at some point down the stretch once he puts together a few good starts at the Triple-A level.

Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers intend to deploy Urias (shoulder) as a reliever once the 21-year-old returns from the 60-day disabled list later in the second half, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

One of the more heralded pitching prospects in recent years, Urias' long-term outlook became muddled after he required a major operation on his shoulder last June. Because of the extensive depth the Dodgers already have in the rotation along with the uncertainty of how effective Urias might be once he returns, the organization will prep him for a relief role, with the lefty likely to work in lower-leverage spots initially. Urias will presumably get stretched out for starting duty again next spring, but the temporary move to the bullpen should allow for a quicker rehab. He began his minor-league assignment with the Dodgers' rookie-level Arizona League affiliate Saturday, striking out four of the six batters he faced over 1.2 scoreless innings.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Ryu's (groin) next rehab start would come at Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday or Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Ryu will be slated to cover five innings or 75 pitches in the outing, which will be the second of his rehab assignment. After a three-month layoff due to the groin strain, Ryu returned to game action Aug. 2 for High-A Rancho Cucamonga, needing only 47 pitches to navigate four scoreless frames. If he approaches the projected workload in his next turn for Tulsa and performs reasonably well, Ryu may only require one additional rehab start beyond that before returning from the 60-day disabled list. Given the Dodgers' ample rotation depth, it's uncertain if Ryu will slot back into a starting role once activated, even though he posted a stellar 2.12 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 36:10 K:BB in 29.2 innings prior to hitting the shelf.

Irvin has posted a 2.77 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 110:28 K:BB across 130 innings at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.

Based on his dazzling performance at Triple-A this season, the 6-foot-4 southpaw seems to be ready for a taste of the majors, but that's uncertain to come in 2018 while he doesn't possess a spot on the 40-man roster. Unless injuries thin the Phillies' rotation ranks, it's expected that Irvin will continue to make regular turns in the International League, where his ERA ranks as the fourth-best mark on the circuit among qualified starters.

Eickhoff (lat) resumed a rehab assignment at High-A Clearwater on Saturday, tossing two perfect frames in the affiliate's 1-0 win over Bradenton. He struck out two in the 21-pitch outing.

Eickhoff was cleared to make the rehab appearance after a two-plus-month layoff. The right-hander's recovery from a lat strain has been delayed by a pair of instances in which he experienced tingling in his fingers while throwing, a symptom often indicative of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Fortunately for Eickhoff, doctors have ruled out that condition, so the 28-year-old will now be able to turn his focus to building up his arm in preparation for a return to the big club. Since Eickhoff has been sidelined all season and isn't a safe bet to give the Phillies quality innings once he's activated, the playoff-contending club may be unwilling to clear a spot in the rotation for him right away.

The Phillies optioned Thompson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

Thompson lost his spot on the active roster after the Phillies acquired Aaron Loup from the Blue Jays and activated Adam Morgan from the paternity list. After working almost exclusively as a starter for the Phillies in 2017, Thompson has transitioned to a bullpen role this season but hasn't noticed a dramatic improvement in his results. Over nine appearances at the big-league level this season, Thompson has yielded nine earned runs on 14 hits and 11 walks over 16.1 innings.

Quantrill was promoted to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Quantrill posted a 5.15 ERA with 101 strikeouts over 117 innings with Double-A San Antonio, so his promotion wasn't performance related. The Padres lost a couple of starters via the waiver wire Sunday, so the youngster was forced up a level to fill vacated rotation spots. He will get acclimated with the Pacific Coast League over the final month of the minor-league season, and could open the 2019 season back at that level.

Ray didn't factor into the decision against the Giants on Sunday, giving up two earned runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings while striking out eight and walking four in Arizona's eventual 3-2 defeat.

Ray issued four free passes for a second straight start, but he worked around the control issues and posted a solid final line thanks to his eight strikeouts and ability to limit San Francisco to just two earned runs. His ratios remain bloated, as he's sporting a 4.92 ERA and 1.44 WHIP through 71.1 innings, but Ray has solidified himself as a reliable source of strikeouts, with 95 punchouts on the season. He's slated to take the mound next against the Reds on Saturday.

Buehler (5-4) picked up the win against the Astros on Sunday, giving up two earned runs on four hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

Buehler got lit up for five earned over 4.2 innings against the Phillies on July 25, but he's righted the ship in his two starts since, as he's now yielded just three earned runs and struck out 15 batters over his last 12.1 innings. He was rewarded in this contest with his fifth win of the season thanks to a strong effort against a typically high-powered Astros lineup at less than full strength: George Springer left the game with a thumb injury, and Jose Altuve (knee) has been on the disabled list. The young right-hander's 3.63 ERA isn't quite at the elite mark he was posting earlier this season -- thanks to a couple of recent blowups -- but he's having a strong season overall, as demonstrated by his 1.06 WHIP and 79:16 K:BB over 74.1 innings. He does have another difficult matchup coming up in his next start, as he's slated to take the mound against the Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday.