MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that his team's rotation coming out of the All-Star break remains in flux now that starter Clayton Kershaw has been named to the NL squad, per SB Nation. 

"With Kersh going now, we'll see what happens then, and go from there," Mattingly said of the rotation plans. 

Kershaw's day to start may be affected by how much he pitches during Tuesday's game - Los Angeles opens with a road series at Washington after the break. 

Braves starter Alex Wood, who was limited to just two pitches by a rain delay during his start Thursday, didn't make it out of the sixth inning during Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Rockies. 

Wood gave up 10 hits and seven runs while throwing exactly 100 pitches. Wood struck out six and walked two to fall to 6-6 on the season. 

Wood has now allowed 20 hits in his last two official starts.

The Padres will turn to pitcher James Shields to open the second half of the season Friday against the Rockies, reports MLB.com. Shields will be followed by Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, Ian Kennedy and Odrisamer Despaigne.

"It's a new beginning," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "An opportunity to get everybody recuperated and come back… It's a little disruption of their work, their rhythm, but more for Cashner, Kennedy and Despy than Shields."

After the All-Star break, the Reds will turn to Mike Leake to lead their rotation, with the pitcher slated to start Friday against the Indians, per MLB.com. 

Leake is coming off a strong outing against the Marlins on Friday, when he went eight scoreless innings to pick up his sixth win of the season. He will be followed by Anthony DeSclafani, who was scratched from his start Saturday due to gluteal tightness. 

Reds starter Johnny Cueto lost his first game since June 26, Sunday, against Miami. Cueto snapped a two-decision winning streak and heads into the All Star Break at 6-6.

Cueto lasted just five innings, his shortest outing of the season, matching a season high by giving up five runs. 

Cueto allowed seven hits, walked one, and matched a season low with two strikeouts. 

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw was added to the National League All Star team on Sunday. 

Kershaw, the reigning National League MVP, was not chosen for the team last Sunday. He was one of five players in the Final Vote but didn't win the fan polling. 

Kershaw will replace Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, who pitches Sunday and won't be eligible to pitch in Tuesday's All Star Game. 

Pirates relief pitcher Rob Scahill will continue to throw as a part of his recovery from forearm tightness that landed him on the 15-day disabled list, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette.

Scahill has thrown twice this week prior to games, and will continue that trend through the weekend.

“The next step for him will be do that again and maybe add some pitches to it,” manager Clint Hurdle said.

Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin got beat by the longball in Saturday's start against the Mets. Corbin allowed four runs on four hits over five innings, with all four runs coming by way of the home run. Corbin was left with the loss, as the Mets won by a score of 4-2.

Corbin (1-1) got off to a blazing start on Saturday, as the D-Backs handed him an early 2-0 lead. After allowing a two-out single in the first inning, Corbin retired the next 10 batters he faced. But that was until Lucas Duda crushed a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Corbin then allowed a two-run shot to the opposing pitcher Matt Harvey to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. In the next inning, Corbin, seemingly tired, left another pitch up in the zone for Ruben Tejada to drive over the left-field wall. 

This was Corbin's second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, and he'll enter the All-Star break with a 5.40 ERA.

"Everything felt good," Corbin said, per MLB.com. "I felt like I got a little bit better from the last time. The slider today felt really good. The changeup, as well."

Cole Hamels was on the mound Friday night the the Phillies. But what Pete Mackanin watched with shock was not Cole Hamels.

The Hamels that allowed nine runs on 12 hits in a season-low 3 1/3 innings is foreign to him. And Mackanin believes the performance was directly related to the trade rumors swirling around the left-hander.

"I can't remember a time where I've seen him pitch like that," he told CSNPhilly.com. "There's a lot going on and it affected him. But I know he's much better than that. Who knows, he might be pressing knowing that the trading deadline is coming around."

It's also not easy pitching for the worst team in baseball. Garbage team has come early for the Phillies.

"It's not a year that you can ever prepare for," Hamels said. "No amount of experience can put you into that sort of situation. My job is to be able to go throw the baseball and do it as as best I possible can, the the way I know I'm capable of doing."

A game in which he certainly didn't throw the baseball up to that capability sent his ERA soaring from 3.02 to 3.63.

Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, could begin his rehab assignment as early as Sunday for Class A Jupiter, per the Miami Herald.