MLB Player News

Hendricks (hand) will likely be ready to embark on a rehab assignment following his next side session, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The right-hander got through his first bullpen session Tuesday, and he's expected to fire another session later in the week after playing catch a couple of times in the meantime. The exact timetable of his rehab assignment is still unclear, although it seems like a return to the rotation shortly after the All-Star break remains within the realm of possibility.

Velasquez (elbow) said the Phillies haven't told him if he will return as a starter or a reliever when he is ready to come off the disabled list, Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "As we speak right now, I don't know where I stand," Velasquez said. "There's been some talk. But, as of right now, I'll probably continue my starting career."

GM Matt Klentak has previously indicated the Phillies prefer to develop Velasquez as a starter, but the team could consider putting him in the pen for the rest of this season to manage his innings. The young righty is scheduled to make a rehab start Thursday for Double-A Reading, and then he'll make one more before coming off the disabled list. The Phillies don't have an obvious candidate for a demotion in their rotation, but a trade of Jeremy Hellickson could open up a spot for Velasquez if he remains in a starting role.

Eickhoff (back) allowed one run on two hits over five innings in a rehab start at Double-A Reading on Tuesday. He struck out five and walked one.

Eickhoff threw 42 of his 57 pitches for strikes in the outing. The Phillies have yet to announce the next step for Eickhoff. He could come off the disabled list Sunday to start against the Padres in the Phillies' final game before the All-Star break.

Urena (7-3) defeated the Cardinals behind five innings of two-run ball Tuesday, striking out seven while allowing three hits and two walks.

The seven strikeouts tied Urena's season high, and he's given up two or fewer earned runs in eight of his 12 starts this season. That said, he ran up his pitch count to 96 in Tuesday's five frames -- including giving up both of the Cardinals' runs on a Greg Garcia two-run homer in his final inning -- and longevity hasn't been his calling card, as he's yet to record an out in the seventh inning in any of his starts. Urena's lined up to pitch Sunday in the Marlins' final game before the All-Star break.

Lynn (6-6) gave up four runs -- two earned -- on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings in Tuesday's loss to the Marlins. He struck out five.

This game was defined by the Marlins' five-run rally in the sixth inning, with Matt Carpenter's throwing error making a huge difference in that frame. Despite that unfavorable ending to an otherwise solid start, Lynn has offered decent production for fantasy owners this season, maintaining a 3.87 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. However, now might be a good time to sell relatively high on him, as Lynn's been the beneficiary of spectacular BABIP luck (.225) while walking too many batters and giving up a lot of home runs. His 19.6 percent HR/FB may normalize at the same time, offsetting any BABIP regression he experiences, but Lynn has always been a high-WHIP pitcher, which limits his fantasy upside and makes him a potentially volatile commodity.

Kershaw (13-2) tossed seven innings of shutout baseball in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks. He allowed two hits and two walks while striking out 11.

Kershaw carried a no-hitter through the first six innings but was undone by a Chris Owings infield single in the top of the seventh inning. He exited the game after throwing 117 pitches, which marks his second highest pitch count of the season. The former MVP ran into some trouble against the Mets on June 19 (6 ER over 6.1 innings) but has been masterful ever since, having not allowed an earned run in 20 consecutive innings and counting. He'll look to extend that streak during his upcoming scheduled start Sunday against the Royals.

Corbin (6-8) allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks over 4.2 innings during Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. He struck out eight.

Corbin entered Tuesday's contest with a 4.76 ERA but was coming off three consecutive quality starts. It was clear the 27-year-old didn't have his best stuff, as he was chased from the game in the fifth inning after allowing nine hitters to reach base in the opening 4.2 frames. Corbin held a shiny 2.29 ERA following his first five starts of the season, but he has struggled to regain that form over the past two months. He'll look to get back on track during his upcoming scheduled start against the Reds on Sunday.

Freeland (8-7) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out only one batter over 5.1 innings in Tuesday's 8-1 loss to the Reds.

Freeland's recent struggles continued, as the 24-year-old has now allowed 14 runs over his past three starts while only recording six total strikeouts in the process. His limited strikeout ability combined with the fact that he plays half of his games at hitter-friendly Coors Field make Freeland a pitcher who currently carries very little fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues. He'll carry a 4.09 ERA into his upcoming scheduled start against the White Sox on Sunday.

Taillon (5-2) threw five scoreless innings in Tuesday's win over the Phillies, allowing four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.

Taillon was outstanding in this one, totaling a new career high in punchouts as he shut down the hapless Phillies lineup. His outing was cut a bit short by a high pitch count, thanks in part to 23 foul balls from the opposition, but the bullpen preserved the win rather easily. Taillon has now delivered back-to-back scoreless outings, lowering his ERA to a sharp 2.73 that places him among the National League leaders in that particular category. He appears to be throwing the ball as well as he has at any point this season and will look to keep it going Sunday against the Cubs.

Oaks was scratched from his start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday after incurring an apparent injury during pregame warmups, Jacob Unruh of The Oklahoman reports.

The specifics of Oaks' injury are not clear, but that information should become available shortly. Madison Younginer will make the start in his absence.