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Michael Lorenzen RP | TOR
Royals' Michael Lorenzen: Impresses in fifth win
Lorenzen (5-8) earned the win in Sunday's game at Arizona, allowing two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The Kansas City right-hander produced an astounding 17 whiffs in this 82-pitch outing to tally his first win since June 8. With this performance, Lorenzen notched his seventh quality start of the season and matched his season best with seven Ks, a mark he reached four times prior to Sunday. The 33-year-old lowered his season ERA from 4.95 to 4.61 across 99.2 frames to go with a 1.30 WHIP and 85:29 K:BB. Lorenzen currently lines up to make his next start against the Mets at home next weekend.
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Aaron Nola SP | PHI
Phillies' Aaron Nola: Completes bullpen session Sunday
Nola (ankle, rib) threw a bullpen session prior to Sunday's series finale against the Reds, per MLB.com.
Nola came away with no issues and is expected to continue his throwing progression through the All-Star break in mid-July. The veteran right-hander is rehabbing from a sprained right ankle and subsequent stress fracture in his right rib, and he'll have been on the injured list for over two months by the time play resumes following the Midsummer Classic. Fantasy managers shouldn't anticipate having Nola available until sometime in early-to-mid August at this point, as the hurler will likely need to make a handful of minor-league rehab starts before rejoining Philadelphia's rotation.
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Yu Darvish SP | SD
Padres' Yu Darvish: Set for season debut Monday
Padres manager Mike Shildt said that Darvish (elbow) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Monday's contest against the Diamondbacks in San Diego, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Darvish will make his season debut after missing the entirety of the 2025 campaign to date while recovering from right elbow inflammation. Though he hasn't pitched in a competitive setting since making a rehab start at Triple-A El Paso on May 14, Darvish has been able to get stretched out recently through a series of simulated games. He tossed 64 pitches in his most recent sim game Tuesday, so he should be capable of providing the Padres with around 75-to-90 pitches in his season debut. Over his 16 starts with San Diego in 2024, Darvish posted an impressive 3.31 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 78 strikeouts over 81.2 innings.
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Paul Blackburn RP | NYY
Mets' Paul Blackburn: Starts playing catch Sunday
Blackburn (shoulder) played catch out to 75 feet Sunday, MLB.com reports.
After being placed on the injured list Thursday due to a right shoulder impingement, Blackburn was cleared to initiate a throwing program just three days later. Blackburn should have a chance at returning from the IL when first eligible shortly after the All-Star break, but he could be in store for a bullpen role upon his activation. The Mets currently have just three healthy rotation members, but Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Sean Manaea (elbow) both appear poised to return from the IL next weekend in Kansas City.
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Kodai Senga RP | NYM
Mets' Kodai Senga: Poised to return next weekend
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Senga (hamstring) is likely to return from the 15-day injured list next weekend and is expected to start either Friday or Saturday in Kansas City, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. "When he went down [with a right hamstring strain], in my head it was more like after the All-Star break," Mendoza said. "For him to be in play for us now before we go into the All-Star break, it's huge for us."
Before confirming which day Senga will return from the IL, the Mets will wait and see how he bounces back from the rehab start he made Saturday for Double-A Binghamton. The right-hander was charged with four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings, but the fact that he covered 68 pitches and experienced no complications with his hamstring is of greater importance than his results. Assuming he's given the green light to pitch this weekend, Senga shouldn't be operating with any significant restrictions in what would be his first start with the big club since June 12, though the Mets probably won't overextend him with the All-Star break looming.
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Stephen Kolek SP | KC
Padres' Stephen Kolek: Sent down Sunday
Kolek was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Kolek will head to El Paso after posting a disappointing 6.23 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 20 punchouts over 26 innings in his last five starts. The cold stretch came on the heels of back-to-back scoreless outings for the right-hander, and he will now look to reset at Triple-A. The move made room for Kyle Hart to join the major-league roster, and Hart is expected to operate as the team's bulk reliever behind opener David Morgan against the Rangers on Sunday.
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Kyle Hart RP | SD
Padres' Kyle Hart: Called up Sunday
The Padres recalled Hart from Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Hart will rejoin the Padres for the first time since late May, after he was demoted upon turning in a 6.66 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over six starts with the big club. The lefty hasn't fared much better since returning to El Paso (6.57 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 20:9 K:BB in 24.2 innings), but he'll get the call back to the majors with the Padres short on rotation arms. Though he won't start Sunday's game against the Rangers, Hart is a likely candidate to pitch in bulk relief behind David Morgan, who isn't expected to cover more than an inning or two as the Padres' opening pitcher. In a corresponding move, San Diego optioned righty Stephen Kolek to El Paso.
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Garrett Crochet RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Crochet: Grabs ninth win
Crochet (9-4) earned the win Sunday over the Nationals, allowing two runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out seven.
Crochet has won back-to-back starts despite allowing seven runs on 17 hits over 11 innings in that span. Still, the left-hander sports a 2.39 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and an MLB-leading 151 strikeouts through 19 starts (120.1 innings) this season. Crochet figures to make one more start before the All-Star break -- he's tentatively lined up to face the Rays at home next week.
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Shinnosuke Ogasawara SP | WAS
Nationals' Shinnosuke Ogasawara: Struggles in debut
Ogasawara (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Red Sox, allowing four runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings. He struck out two.
It was a rude welcome for Ogasawara in his major-league debut -- the Red Sox jumped on the left-hander for four runs in the first inning, capped by a Trevor Story two-run homer. Ogasawara, who was sidelined for much of the first half of the season with an oblique injury, pitched to a 4.80 ERA in three rehab outings with Triple-A Rochester. Despite his struggles Sunday, Ogasawara figures to remain in the Nats rotation, at least through the All-Star break, with Trevor Williams (elbow) landing on the IL.
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Chase Burns SP | CIN
Reds' Chase Burns: Better vs. Phillies
Burns did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Phillies, allowing a run on two hits and four walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out seven.
While Burns couldn't make it out of the fifth inning after throwing 91 pitches, it was certainly an encouraging outing for the rookie right-hander after he allowed seven runs (five earned) while recording just one out in his last start against the Red Sox. The 22-year-old Burns sports an 8.10 ERA with a 1.90 WHIP through his first 10 major-league innings, though he's averaged an impressive 13.5 K/9. Burns is currently lined up for a more favorable home matchup with the Rockies his next time out.