MLB Player News

Strasburg will get the start Friday despite leaving his last start with a calf strain, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dusty Baker wasn't concerned about Strasburg after the start, and it appears he still isn't. Strasburg will also be starting with an extra day's rest thanks to a Nationals off day Monday. The calf problem means Strasburg carries some extra risk Friday, but probably not a significant amount.

Velasquez (biceps) called his injury a "little strain" and doesn't think he'll miss longer than the 15 days required by his DL stint, Meghan Montemurro of The News Journal reports.

All statements from players claiming they feel okay should be taken with a grain of salt, but it's at least encouraging news for a young right-hander who has already undergone Tommy John surgery. It's still unknown who takes Velasquez's rotation spot, but Montemurro says Zach Eflin wouldn't be a surprise.

The Phillies placed Velasquez on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a right biceps strain.

The Phillies have not released any further details regarding Velasquez's status, but he will miss at least the next two weeks with the injury that forced him to exit his last start after recording just one out. Luis Garcia was recalled to take Velasquez's place on the roster, but it remains to be seen who will take his place in the rotation.

Lynn is planning a visit to St. Louis in June, during which he's expected to throw a bullpen session and have his elbow re-examined, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

While initially expected to miss the entirety of the 2016 campaign, Lynn says that if his rehab program continues without any setbacks, it's possible he'll be able to throw towards the later part of the season. Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny has also expressed that the team is pleased with Lynn's progress.

Eflin pitched 5.1 scoreless innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday. He struck out four and walked three.

Eflin was scratched from his start Wednesday, but that was because the Phillies wanted to give him an extra day of rest. It was not due to the fact the Vince Velasquez left his start Wednesday with biceps soreness. David Buchanan came on in relief of Eflin on Thursday, keeping both pitchers on a schedule that would allow either of them to come up to the majors if Velasquez has to miss his next start.

Wainwright struck out a season-high nine while allowing two runs on a season-low two hits and a walk over six innings Thursday in Cincinnati.

The Reds rallied to score twice on him in the first inning, but Wainwright was nearly perfect thereafter, and it took him only 78 pitches to cruise through six frames before being lifted for a pinch hitter. It's been a tough road for Wainwright this year, but his last two outings -- just four runs on seven hits and two walks with 15 strikeouts over 13 innings -- offer fantasy owners reason for optimism moving forward.

Finnegan struck out seven while allowing just two runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings against the the Cardinals on Thursday.

The pitching line doesn't show Finnegan's wild pitch and balk, but even with those, this was an outstanding effort against an imposing St. Louis offense. Unfortunately, Adam Wainwright looked like his old self on the other side, keeping Finnegan from winning. Nonetheless, he's now turned in three quality starts in his last four outings, pitching at least into the seventh inning each time. That's a big improvement for Finnegan, who'd failed to complete six frames in five of his first nine starts this season. He has a good opportunity to keep the good times rolling Tuesday against Atlanta.

Taillon was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

The second overall pick in the 2010 draft made his major league debut Wednesday against the Mets, tossing six innings and allowing three runs on six hits. While the 24-year-old figures to return to the Pirates at some point later in the year, he'll head back to the rotation at Indianapolis for the time being. In a corresponding move, the Pirates recalled Kyle Lobstein from Triple-A.

Urias will have his next scheduled start bumped up to Sunday against San Francisco, the Orange County Register reports.

If the Dodgers kept in line with their original rotation, the next turn for Urias would have landed Monday in Arizona, but they'll instead bump the young lefty up to a game showcased on the national stage. A team day off Thursday allowed the Dodgers to make this move, while also providing Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir with an extra day of rest. Effectively, Michael Bolsinger is now expected to start Monday's series opener. Urias owns a 6.94 ERA in three big league starts, but he's been tasked with facing some of the best offenses in baseball, specifically the Cubs and Rockies. Urias showed improvement in his last outing, so he could build off that Sunday. He has not yet shown the ability to pitch efficiently, so it's a gamble to bank on him qualifying for a win.

Velasquez (biceps) will be reevaluated Thursday and will likely have an MRI, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Velasquez left his start Wednesday with a strained right biceps. A biceps injury can be a precursor to an elbow injury. Velasquez, who feels his injury is something minor, has already had Tommy John surgery once in his career. Zack Eflin, Brett Oberholtzer and maybe David Buchanan are options to take Velasquez's spot in the rotation if he goes on the disabled list as expected.