MLB Player News

Lugo (calf) has been confirmed as the starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.

Lugo left his last outing early after suffering a cramp in his right calf, but the setback will not prevent him from taking the mound Tuesday night. Lugo has thrown the ball well for the Mets this season, posting a 2.51 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 24:10 K:BB in 28.2 innings over 11 games, including two starts.

Strasburg (elbow) threw a successful bullpen session Monday and is on track to return from the disabled list as soon as he becomes eligible, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Pitching coach Mike Maddux was encouraged by Strasburg's performance in Monday's bullpen session and now it appears that the Nationals' ace will be back on the mound by next week. Strasburg had some uncharacteristic struggles in his three most recent starts before hitting the disabled list, allowing an astronomical 19 earned runs on 24 hits over just 11.2 innings. However, the hope is that his DL stint allowed his elbow issue to calm down to where he can return to form in time for the playoff push.

Matz (shoulder) has been scratched from his scheduled start Thursday, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports.

Jacob deGrom will be moved up a day to start in place of Matz, who is still dealing with some irritation in his shoulder. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets are hoping that Matz could return at some point next week. However, that may be overly optimistic given that manager Terry Collins was non-committal about Matz coming back to the rotation this season. A further update on Matz's status figures to be made available in a few days once he has a chance to rest and get treatment on his shoulder.

Keller has been promoted to High-A after overwhelming the competition at Low-A West Virginia. The 20-year-old righty notched a 2.46 ERA and 131:18 K:BB in 124.1 innings.

Keller sparkled at Low-A, hitting his spots while also showing an exceptional ability to miss bats. Opposing batters hit a mere .211 against him. His breakout 2016 campaign has vaulted him into the elite pitching prospect conversation.

Gray (9-6) beat the Dodgers with six shutout innings Monday, allowing just four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts.

Gray pitched remarkably well, holding the Dodgers without a run at Coors Field for the second time this month. He has rebounded nicely from a horrid three-start stretch with 18 strikeouts in back-to-back strong outings. The 24-year-old will look to channel that momentum into another strong home outing Sunday against Arizona.

Maeda (13-8) allowed two runs on four hits, striking out six while walking just one over five innings in Monday's tough-luck loss at Coors Field.

Maeda handled baseball's most hitter-friendly venue quite well, but an implosion by the Dodgers bullpen sank any chance he had of escaping without a loss. Pitching on a full week's rest seemed to do him some good, but the Japanese right-hander still threw just 88 pitches. He'll have a favorable matchup with the Padres on Saturday if the Dodgers opt to use him on regular rest.

Davies allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out nine over 6.1 innings in a no-decision Monday against St. Louis.

Davies has rebounded from a disaster start August 18 against the Cubs with a pair of quality starts. Nine strikeouts ties his season high, set twice before this season, June 1 against the Cardinals and June 24 against the Nationals. Davies allowed two more home runs and has now served up 18 in 24 starts this season, but he has a sharp 117:34 K:BB in 139.1 innings and has been one of the few Brewers starters to show promise for the future in 2016.

Martinez allowed one run on four hits and two walks and struck out 13 over six innings in a no-decision Monday against the Brewers.

Martinez has always been nasty, but never has it shown like it did Monday night. He induced a ridiculous 24 swinging strikes in 98 pitches and recorded all 18 outs via either the strikeout or groundout. This marks the second time Martinez has gone into double-digit strikeouts this season -- the other also came against Milwaukee on July 9, when he struck out 11 in just five innings. Don't expect him to rack up this many strikeouts against better lineups, but Martinez has allowed just three runs in his past three starts (21 innings) and is getting hot for the Cardinals at just the right time.

Thompson (1-4) was a tough-luck loser on Monday, allowing two runs in seven innings against the Nationals. He surrendered seven hits, walked one, and struck out three.

The 22-year-old had been having a miserable go of things since joining the Phillies, holding a 9.78 ERA before Monday's start. The pitching prospect owned a 2.50 ERA for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and should be given every opportunity to find Major League success in September with nothing left for the Phillies to be playing for. Thompson's next start should come Sunday against the Braves.

Lynn will end his rehab assignment and likely conclude his season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The difficult decision was made when it was determined Lynn would not be able to effectively contribute in the majors this season. After undergoing Tommy John Surgery in November, the 29-year-old made three minor league rehab starts and had shown steady progression in his recovery. However, Lynn emphasized that his focus was to prepare for a healthy 2017 season instead of rushing back to the mound.