MLB Player News

Maeda (leg contusion) played catch in the outfield Thursday and hopes to make his next scheduled start, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Maeda suffered a minor leg contusion during his start on Tuesday but has been optimistic since then that he won't miss any time. He did some light work Thursday, playing catch in the outfield, and says that he feels good enough to not require a bullpen session. It's been nearly all good news since his scruff up Tuesday and pending any surprising setbacks, the 28-year-old will be out there Sunday on his normal schedule.

Ryu is projected to throw four innings (~60 pitches) Friday for High-A Rancho Cucamonga, Eric Stephen of True Blue LA reports.

Ryu is slowly but surely nearing his return to majors following 2015 shoulder surgery that's kept him out all of the 2016 season. Although his recovery has not been the smoothest, he made a successful rehab outing Sunday -- tossing 46 pitches over three innings -- and is now set to go again Friday, this time with a four-inning, 60-pitch ceiling.

Asher has been suspended 80 games for a testosterone-related PED violation, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports.

Asher, who is currently on the DL while rehabbing a calf issue, will now miss most, if not all, of the remainder of the 2016 season, barring a successful appeal, which seems unlikely. The right-hander had put together a strong start at Triple-A, amassing a 1.53 ERA and 3-0 record across four starts.

Montas has gone four innings in back-to-back starts and is now a rotation option, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Montas has a 2.25 ERA and 22:3 K:BB in 16 innings since returning from a rib injury. He could fill a role in the rotation or the bullpen for the Dodgers sooner rather than later.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Velasquez (biceps) is not expected to return to the rotation when his stint on the disabled list expires next week, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Velasquez is eligible to come off the disabled list on June 24, but the Phillies will not rush him back. He could throw a bullpen session in the coming days. Zach Eflin will make at least one more start in place of Velasquez.

Wainwright shut the Astros out over seven innings Wednesday, scattering three walks and four hits while striking ot six, but didn't earn a decision.

The bullpen ended up blowing this one, but that's taking nothing away from Wainwright, who's on an excellent three-start streak to open June after struggling through the season's first two months. Over a span of 20 innings, he's allowed just four runs on 11 hits with a 21:4 K:BB -- in other words, he's finally been pitching like the Wainwright we thought we were paying for on draft day.

DeSclafani gave up four runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks in only 2.2 innings Wednesday against Atlanta, but avoided a decision in an eventual 13-inning loss.

Joey Votto actually did DeSclafani a favor by committing an error that made three of the runs unearned, as the 26-year-old deserved a far worse fate than merely one earned run. With 14 hits to go with a 4:6 K:BB through his first 8.2 innings of the season, DeSclafani isn't creating a lot of optimism; in most formats, you should be able to do better on the wire.

Syndergaard (7-2) struck out 11 over 8.1 innings Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits without a walk.

The Pirates got some good swings at Syndergaard when he faced them a week ago, but he was back to his normal godlike self in this one. He entered the ninth inning looking for a shutout, but gave up a pair of doubles before being yanked, with an error bringing home the runner he left on base. Syndergaard's now reached double-digit strikeouts four times this season and still has't allowed more than two earned runs in a start since the first day of May. He'll draw a rematch with his Opening Day (and World Series) opponent, Kansas City, on Tuesday.

Corbin (3-6) pitched well, allowing three runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings, but it wasn't enough versus Clayton Kershaw, as the Diamondbacks lost to the Dodgers 3-2. Corbin also struck out seven and walked three.

Although he did allow 10 base runners, Corbin's only major mistake was a home run to Scott Van Slyke, but with two runners on, the three runs were all Kershaw needed. Corbin has been pitching better this month, but he is still just 1-1 with a 4.12 ERA in June. His next start will be Tuesday versus Toronto.

Kershaw (10-1) allowed two runs on five hits, struck out 11 and walked just one in a 3-2 victory over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

That's 24 strikeouts over the last 15.1 innings. He struck out 14 versus San Diego on May 1, but the 24 punchouts in two combined starts is the most for Kershaw this season. In 11 of his last 13 starts, he has recorded at least 10 strikeouts, and his 11.08 K/9 rate is fifth best in the league. Kershaw will look to keep this momentum going in his next start Monday versus the Nationals.