MLB Player News

Nicolino will likely go on the 10-day DL with a blood blister on his left index finger, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

The injury was initially labeled a finger contusion, but it's in fact a blood blister and Nicolino is expected to miss at least one start as a result. Miami's pitching depth has been depleted by injuries and it's uncertain who will fill in for Nicolino, but the team could scratch Adam Conley from his scheduled start for Triple-A New Orleans on Thursday and give him an opportunity this weekend.

Scahill has not given up a run in 7.0 innings this season at home but has allowed six runs (four earned) in 6.1 innings on the road.

Curiously, Scahill seems to have better control of his pitches on the road, where he's only walked two hitters compared to the four free passes he's handed out in Milwaukee. The six runs on the road are a little misleading as well, with only four of those being earned. The sample sizes for both home and away splits are not large enough to draw conclusions quite yet on the right-hander, but the patterns are interesting enough to keep an eye on going forward.

Velasquez (elbow) was placed on the 10-day DL on Wednesday.

It was announced following Tuesday's game that Velasquez was DL-bound, and the move is now official. The right-hander saw a big dip in velocity from the first inning to the second inning Tuesday (from around 95 mph to the low-90s), which led to his removal after just 19 pitches. He was diagnosed with an elbow flexor strain, and while Velasquez says he's not worried, he did have Tommy John surgery in the past and a lengthy absence could be in store even if he avoids another surgery.

Taillon (groin) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

After a dominant showing against Double-A hitters last weekend (three scoreless innings, six strikeouts), Taillon is set to advance to the top minor-league affiliate for his next rehab outing. It's uncertain if the assignment to Indy will be a one-start deal or if Taillon will need to build his pitch count up a bit more after Friday, but regardless, a return to the big-league rotation appears to be on the horizon. Taillon underwent a surgical procedure earlier in May to treat testicular cancer.

Smoker tossed three scoreless innings of relief Tuesday, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out four to get the win in an extra-inning victory over the Brewers.

The left-hander with the big fastball had a 2.45 ERA on April 18 but has been a disaster since, getting scored upon in seven of his last 10 appearances heading into Tuesday. With Steven Matz (elbow) and Seth Lugo (elbow) both close to rejoining the Mets staff, which will bump Robert Gsellman to the bullpen, Smoker needed a strong performance if he's going to keep his spot in the big leagues.

Anderson (3-5) surrendered six runs on 11 hits and a pair of walks over five innings against the visiting Mariners on Tuesday. He struck out three.

Last year, Anderson surprisingly was better at Coors Field (3.00 ERA) than on the road (4.71 ERA), but he hasn't been able to carry that success into his sophomore campaign. Anderson's five home starts have seen him produce a 6.26 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, which is far more typical of what we expect from Colorado pitchers. He hasn't been much better on the road, either. That said, this start aside, Anderson's been missing more bats than he did last year, and his velocity's up. It may still be worth using him selectively on the road in deeper formats.

Pill went 5.1 innings in Tuesday's spot start against Milwaukee, giving up just a single run on six hits and three walks while striking out four.

He was long gone by the time the Mets walked off in the bottom of the 12th, so Pill went unrewarded for his solid work after the bullpen blew a three-run lead for him. Pill's 1.96 ERA and 1.17 WHIP at Triple-A Las Vegas earned him this opportunity in the majors, but his ugly 26:15 K:BB is indicative of a healthy dose of good luck. He'll likely be sent back down soon, although the Mets could try to use him as a reinforcement for their beleaguered bullpen.

Davies gave up two runs on six hits and two walks over five innings Tuesday against the Mets. He struck out just a single batter and didn't factor into the decision.

He'd delivered his first two six-inning outings of the season in his last two starts, but Davies wasn't able to last that long this time. The 24-year-old was able to limit the damage against him, but he continues to play with fire in every outing because he misses precious few bats and is rather homer-prone; he didn't give up a homer in this one for just the third time in 11 starts. Davies is a low-end streaming option at best right now.

Velasquez (elbow) said after Tuesday's game that his flexor strain is mild and he is not worried, although he will require a DL stint, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

He said he experienced a similar injury before in the minor leagues that did not require surgery, although he did undergo Tommy John surgery when he was 18. The fact that his velocity dipped from 95 mph on his fastball in the first inning to 90.9 mph on his fastball in the second inning is a pretty big red flag. For now it seems Velasquez's owners in deeper leagues will need to hold him and wait for a more concrete timetable from the Phillies. The move to the DL is not yet official, but Nick Pivetta is one option to be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Velasquez's rotation spot.

Maeda allowed three runs on four hits and three walks across four innings in a no-decision Tuesday against the Cardinals. He struck out two.

Maeda labored through a first inning in which he was touched up for three runs, and although he settled down thereafter, he was removed with an elevated pitch count after four. He has allowed no more than three runs in any of his last five starts, but that stretch has lost some of its luster after six earned runs over nine innings in back-to-back outings against St. Louis. He has struggled to a 5.21 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through 48.1 innings and will face the Brewers on Sunday in his next start.