MLB Player News

Velasquez's scheduled Saturday start was rained out.

The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, with Velasquez starting the nightcap, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Phillies have no off days next week, which will likely result in Velasquez's next start being pushed back from Thursday to Friday, but it will still come against the Reds, so the overall fantasy impact of the cancellation will be minimal.

Interim manager Mike Shildt said the Cardinals are "super optimistic" that Martinez (oblique) will miss just one turn through the rotation after being placed on the 10-day disabled list, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Langosch also added that Martinez felt the oblique pull during Thursday's game while lunging for a line drive in the fifth inning. If all goes according to plan and Martinez is able to recover quickly from this oblique strain, he will be available to return from the disabled list as soon as July 30 against the Rockies.

Mikolas was reinstated from the paternity list prior to his start against the Cubs on Sunday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Mikolas will rejoin the club after being away from the team for the past few days due to the birth of his child. Through 19 starts this year, Mikolas is sporting a 2.79 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with a 6.3 K/9.

Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey said Thursday that Darvish (shoulder) hasn't made any notable strides in his progress and remains weeks away from returning from the 10-day disabled list, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Darvish had been expected to resume mound work once the Cubs reconvened after the All-Star break, but Hickey's comments suggest that may no longer be in the offing. Once Darvish advances to the point of throwing bullpen sessions, he'll then need to face live hitters before pitching in simulated games or heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Due to the multiple hurdles he still has to clear in the rehab process, Darvish may not be a realistic option for the Chicago rotation until at least mid-August.

Martinez was put on the 10-day disabled list due to a right oblique strain, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

It appears as though Martinez suffered this injury during Thursday's outing against the Cubs, during which he allowed six runs (five earned) across five innings. The Cardinals have yet to describe a timetable for Martinez, but he will be eligible to return from the DL on July 30.

Farrell was shuttled to the big leagues to serve as the Cubs' 26th man for Saturday's doubleheader against St. Louis, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Farrell has appeared in 19 games for the Cubs in 2018, logging a 3.86 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 37 strikeouts across 28 innings. Look for him to serve as a middle-relief option while with the club.

Lyles (forearm) began a minor-league rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A El Paso, covering 2.2 innings and giving up four runs on six hits and no walks in the affiliate's 16-1 loss to Albuquerque.

It was a rough showing from Lyles, who was pitching in a non-controlled setting for the first time since June 16. The 27-year-old tossed 46 pitches in the outing and will likely need at least two more minor-league starts to build up to the 80-to-90-pitch range before returning from the 10-day disabled list. Prior to being shut down after developing inflammation in his right forearm, Lyles went 2-4 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 66.2 innings with San Diego.

Gray will make his next start for the Rockies on Wednesday against the Astros at Coors Field, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Gray had been a candidate to take the hill for the series finale in Arizona on Sunday, but the Rockies ultimately decided to bring Antonio Senzatela off the 10-day disabled list to start that contest after Senzatela completed a 35-pitch bullpen session Friday without issue. It's a tough break for Gray, who will now miss out on a start in a more suppressed offensive environment in Arizona and exchange it for a matchup at altitude against one of the top offenses in the majors. Fantasy owners who scooped Gray up after he tossed 7.1 innings of one-run ball at home against the Mariners in his return to the big leagues July 14 may thus want to keep the right-hander on the bench for the time being.

Senzatela (finger) will be activated from the 10-day disabled list and start Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The Rockies were deciding between Senzatela and Jon Gray to start the final game of their first post-All-Star break series and ultimately opted for the former after he came out of a 35-pitch bullpen session Friday without incident. After dazzling in his first start of the season with the Rockies on July 3 against the Giants with seven shutout innings, Senzatela fell back to earth in his next turn five days later in Seattle, giving up six runs and six innings. Senzatela developed a blister after that outing and missed a turn through the rotation, but it appears the break provided sufficient time for him to recover from the issue.

Buehler threw a five-inning simulated game with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, but it is still unclear when he will rejoin the major-league rotation, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Buehler was sent to the minors over the All-Star break after making a successful return from a rib injury July 13. The 23-year-old's health and performance in the majors (3.45 ERA and 4.5 K/BB ratio) are unquestioned, and the demotion to the minors was due to a crowded rotation and the Dodgers wanting to keep the talented rookie's usage in check. It is unclear when exactly Buehler will return, but there is little doubt that he will eventually get that opportunity at some point in the second half.