Imaging on Skubal's left side came back negative Saturday after he was removed in the fourth inning of Friday's 8-2 loss to the Marlins, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Manager A.J. Hinch said the team will continue to keep an eye on Skubal's side over the next several days, but the expectation is that he will be able to make his next start, which is expected to fall Thursday versus the Guardians. Before exiting Friday's outing with side tightness, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner endured one of his worst starts of the campaign, giving up four earned runs on four hits -- including two home runs -- while matching a season low with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Lowder (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Lowder has sat out the entire season while working his way back from injuries to his forearm and, more recently, his oblique. The Reds haven't ruled out a late-season return for the 23-year-old righty, though he would need a relatively quick rehab assignment to have time to make an appearance for the Reds before the end of the season.

Senga struck out eight batters and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks over six innings in a start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

The 32-year-old right-hander signed off on being optioned to the minors last week to try and get right after stumbling to a 6.56 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 35:22 over his last eight starts and 35.2 innings for the Mets. Senga's first turn in the Syracuse rotation provided a great deal of hope that he might still be able to boost New York's fading playoff hopes, as he fired 52 of 74 pitches for strikes in an efficient performance. Per Jared Greenspan of MLB.com, the Mets' original plan was to have Senga make two starts at Triple-A to get used to some mechanical tweaks before a return to the majors was considered, but with Jonah Tong having been pummeled by the Rangers on Friday and the Mets' lead over the Giants for the final wild-card spot in the National League having slipped to half a game, the organization may not be able to afford that kind of patience. Absent the Mets moving a player to the injured list to create a spot on the 28-man active roster for him, however, Senga isn't eligible to return to the Mets until Sept. 20.

Waldrep (4-1) took the loss Friday as Atlanta got routed 11-3 by the Astros, coughing up eight runs on eight hits and two walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

The 23-year-old right-hander finally got saddled with his first loss of the season in his eighth appearances (seventh start), and Waldrep gave up more runs Friday than he had in the prior seven trips to the mound combined as his ERA soared from 1.33 to 2.78 as a result of the disastrous performance. After throwing 103.1 innings across all levels in 2024 and 137 frames between Triple-A and majors this season, Waldrep may be running out of gas -- he hasn't been able to complete six innings in any of his last four starts. He's scheduled to make his next outing on the road next week against the Nationals.

Gordon struck out three and gave up three earned runs on three hits and one walk over four relief innings Friday to record his first career save in an 11-3 rout of Atlanta.

The southpaw spoiled a combined shutout bid by four Houston hurlers as the team went with a bullpen game Friday, with Gordon serving up home runs to Ronald Acuna in the sixth inning and Eli White in the eighth to account for all of Atlanta's offensive damage on the night. After tossing 60 pitches Friday, Gordon is one of the more stretched-out options in the Houston bullpen, making him a candidate to fill the vacant fifth spot in the club's rotation. However, with Gordon having submitted a 7.92 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 25 innings with the big club since the All-Star break, the Astros may prefer to go in another direction the next time a fifth starter is needed Wednesday versus the Rangers.

Tong (1-2) took the loss Friday, surrendering six runs on four hits and three walks over two-thirds of an inning as the Mets fell 8-3 to the Rangers. He struck out one.

The 22-year-old rookie couldn't escape the first inning, walking two of the first three batters he faced, and Tong may have been feeling jitters in a high-profile matchup against former Mets ace Jacob deGrom. Tong was the victim of bad luck as much as his control problems, however, as he gave up three opposite-field singles on bloops and flares -- none hit harder than 89.1 mph -- before a well-placed double by Michael Helman into the left-field corner with an exit velocity of just 81.5 mph chased the right-hander from the game. Tong sports an unsightly 8.49 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 13:7 K:BB through his first three starts and 11.2 big-league innings, and with Kodai Senga looking sharp in his first Triple-A start Friday, the Mets may make a change in their rotation as they try to desperately cling to a wild-card spot. If he gets another turn, Tong is currently set to make his next start at home next weekend against the Nationals.

DeGrom (12-7) picked up the win Friday, giving up three runs on four hits over seven innings in an 8-3 victory over the Mets. He struck out two without walking a batter.

The veteran righty didn't display the same kind of dominance he possessed the last time he stepped on the mound at Citi Field at the end of the 2022 season while a member of the Mets -- deGrom managed to generate only five swinging strikes on 88 pitches (59 total strikes) -- but he didn't need to as the Rangers backed his revenge game with six runs in the top of the first inning. DeGrom was still plenty effective, retiring the final 15 batters he faced in his 14th quality start of the year, and he hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last six outings, posting a 2.91 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 36:6 K:BB in 34 innings over that stretch. He lines up to make his next start on the road next week in Houston as Texas tries to stay in the AL wild-card picture.

Perez (1-5) took the loss Friday as the White Sox were downed 4-0 by the Guardians, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out three.

The veteran southpaw had no margin for error as Tanner Bibee was busy firing a two-hit shutout opposite him, but Perez still delivered his third quality start in his last four outings on 96 pitches (61 strikes). Since coming off the IL in mid-August, Perez has produced a 3.34 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB in 32.1 innings over six appearances (five starts), but he has an 0-4 record to show for it due to a lack of run support -- incredibly, Chicago's been shut out in four of those six games. He's scheduled to make his next trip to the mound at home next week against the Orioles.

Triple-A Toledo reinstated Flores (shoulder) from its 60-day injured list Thursday.

Flores hasn't appeared out of the bullpen in either of Toledo's two games since his activation, but he appears to be healthy again after a shoulder injury had kept him on the shelf all season. The right-hander appeared to be trending toward a return in late August after he made four rehab appearances in the Florida State League last month, but he may have incurred a minor setback that prompted Toledo to delay his activation a few more weeks.

Bibee (10-11) picked up the win Friday, allowing two hits over nine scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the White Sox. He struck out 10 without walking a batter.

Both hits were one-out singles in the third inning, and the right-hander quickly escaped the jam by coaxing a double-play grounder out of Mike Tauchman. Bibee racked up 35 called or swinging strikes among his 103 pitches (74 total strikes) as he produced his first career shutout, and the first by any Cleveland pitcher since Zach Plesac in 2019. The 10 Ks also tied Bibee's season high, and he's lasted at least six innings in four straight trips to the mound, posting a 3.54 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 20:6 K:BB in 28 innings over that stretch. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Minnesota.