MLB Player News

Syndergaard (biceps) will start Sunday's game against the Nationals.

There was plenty of concern that Syndergaard would require a trip to the disabled list after he came out of his April 20 outing with a tired arm that was later reclassified as biceps tendinitis. However, after he refused an MRI and played catch Friday without incident, the Mets cleared him to return to the mound. Those in season-long leagues can probably feel comfortable with keeping Syndergaard active heading into the coming week, but given the nature of the injury, it may be worthwhile to steer clear of him in DFS contests.

Garrett will join the Marlins' Low-A affiliate at Greensboro this week and make his professional debut, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Although the left-hander signed last season after being the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft, the Marlins elected not to let him pitch due to his age and will hold his workload to about 100 innings this season. Garrett is just 19 but already has a plus curveball, solid changeup and a good feel for pitching, and if he adds some velocity to his fastball as he matures, he projects to be a true fantasy ace.

Nola felt some soreness in his back after throwing a bullpen session Friday, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Nola will be reevaluated this week to determine when he will throw his next bullpen session. Nick Pivetta will likely stay in the Phillies' rotation until Nola is ready to come off the disabled list.

Eflin twirled seven strong innings Saturday against the Dodgers, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out four. However, he did not factor into the decision.

The 23-year-old starter has been incredibly effective this season, and Saturday night was no different, as 68 of his 103 offerings went for strikes. Although he didn't miss too many bats, he kept the Dodgers at bay by inducing 12 groundouts (as opposed to just two flyouts). Unfortunately, a ninth-inning implosion by the bullpen kept Eflin from picking up his first win of the season, but he'll look to pick that up in his upcoming start Thursday against the Cubs.

Alcantara, who is 2-1 with a 5.91 ERA over four starts at Double-A Springfield, has the confidence of the organization despite some early struggles, Max Gelman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. "We're all patient with him, and we want to get him the innings he needs, and that's where you see the adjustments come," Cardinals farm director Gary LaRocque said. "He's done it before, and he's come through the system that way."

The 21-year-old hasn't quite found his stride in his first exposure to Double-A bats, but he has gotten into the sixth inning in three of his four trips to the mound. Alcantara did have one particularly poor outing, giving up seven earned runs over 3.2 innings against Frisco on April 13, but has been serviceable in his other three appearances. Alcantara notably mowed through High-A hitters last season, racking up a career-high 11.89 K/9 over 90.1 innings.

Greinke struck out nine and allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings in a no-decision Saturday against the Rockies.

Arizona's ace wasn't as sharp as he's known to be, as each run he gave up came via a solo home run. He managed to fan batters and escape jams despite needing 107 pitches to get through six frames. Greinke unfortunately didn't get to pick up the win thanks to a ninth-inning implosion by closer Fernando Rodney. The 33-year-old's ERA still sits at a solid 3.19 mark, and he'll look to improve upon that in his next start Thursday in Washington.

Anderson didn't factor into the decision Saturday against the Diamondbacks despite serving up six runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings. He also struck out three.

The former first-round draft pick hasn't been able to live up to his high expectations thus far, as Saturday's effort raised his ERA to a lofty 7.71 mark. More concerning was that Anderson gave up three home runs, marking the sixth straight start with a home run allowed. Fortunately, he avoided taking the loss thanks to a Rockies rally in the ninth inning, but that hardly masks the poor outing the 27-year-old put together. Anderson will look to right the ship in a rematch with the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Manager Dave Roberts said Hill (finger) will make a rehab start Thursday for High-A Rancho Cucamonga, David Vassegh of 570 AM LA Sports reports.

Hill threw a simulated game Saturday, so it appears he's improving fast enough to warrant a shot at regular action. Roberts added that Thursday's start will last four innings or 60 pitches and the long-term goal is to bring him back as a starter, so expect the southpaw to see a couple appearances of this nature before he returns to the rotation. Alex Wood will likely return to the minors or be sent to the bullpen when that happens, though the Dodgers will employ a six-man rotation at least through next weekend's series in San Diego.

Hill (finger) is scheduled to throw a three-inning simulated game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, David Vassegh of 570 LA Sports reports.

It's the next step in the path to recovery for Hill, who has missed the better part of April while recovering from a blister injury. The southpaw could return to action as a long reliever, though that decision likely won't be made by manager Dave Roberts until he's good to go. Hill has dealt with blister injuries throughout his career, limiting his overall effectiveness as a starter.

Strasburg (2-1) allowed three runs on six hits while striking out two across seven innings to take the loss Saturday against the Mets.

Strasburg hurled four innings of shutout ball before giving up all three of his runs in the fifth inning, leading to his first loss of 2017. He's been remarkably consistent, as he's pitched exactly seven innings while allowing two or three runs in each of his five starts, and with a strong 3.09 ERA, he'll continue to be an excellent fantasy option as long as he remains in good health. He'll make his next start Friday against the Phillies.