MLB Player News

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that Gore remains sore Monday after tweaking his ankle during Sunday's start in Cincinnati but is feeling a lot better, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Gore slipped and fell on a wet mound during the fifth inning versus the Reds and hurt his ankle in the process. He finished that frame and likely would have been removed even if he was totally healthy, given that he needed 100 pitches to cover five frames. While Gore is a little banged up, it does not appear at this point he's in any danger of missing his next scheduled start Sunday against the Cardinals. It helps that he will have six days of rest between outings.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Stroman (knee) will throw a bullpen session Monday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

It's finally a notable step forward in Stroman's recovery from left knee inflammation, as this will be his first time throwing off the bump since he went on the 15-day injured list in mid-April. He's surely require a rehab assignment and it's unclear when Stroman might be ready to pitch in games.

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said that Strider (hamstring) advanced to long-toss throwing Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The activity marks a small step forward for Strider, who had been limited to playing catch from shorter distances since straining his right hamstring Monday. Snitker noted, however, that Strider hasn't yet been cleared for mound work, so the right-hander is most likely at least a couple weeks away from coming off the 15-day injured list. AJ Smith-Shawver should continue to maintain a spot in Atlanta's rotation until Strider is ready for activation.

Rogers (knee) made his third minor-league rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Norfolk, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts over three innings, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Rogers continues to struggle in the minors, producing a 10.57 ERA, 2.09 WHIP and .364 opponent batting average over 7.2 innings during his assignment. A right knee subluxation prevented the left-hander from participating in spring training, but he was able to build up to 61 pitches Sunday and could become an option for the Orioles sometime in mid-to-late May. However, Rogers will likely need to sharpen up his mechanics before the major-league club considers him a realistic possibility, as he also limped to a 7.11 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and 12:10 K:BB across 19 regular-season innings after landing in Baltimore at last year's trade deadline.

The Cubs placed Imanaga (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list Monday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Imanaga will hit the shelf after straining his left hamstring in his start during Sunday's loss to the Brewers. Though he underwent an MRI on Monday that confirmed the injury, the severity of the hamstring strain isn't known, making it uncertain whether Imanaga will have a chance at being ready to return from the IL when first eligible May 20. The Cubs haven't named an immediate replacement in the rotation for Imanaga, but Chris Flexen could be moved from the bullpen into a starting role, or prospect Cade Horton could be called up from Triple-A Iowa to fill the void.

Cole (elbow) said that he plans to begin a throwing program in August, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Cole spoke to the media Monday for the first time since March, when he underwent UCL reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. The procedure included an internal brace, which he had removed two and a half weeks ago, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com. The 34-year-old will resume throwing six months post-surgery, but it's not clear if he'll be able to advance to mound work by the time the 2025 season concludes. Cole acknowledged that he doesn't yet have a target date in mind for when he might be ready to pitch next season, and a timeline for his 2026 debut may not come into focus until next spring.

The Cardinals optioned McGreevy to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

McGreevy was fantastic in long relief in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader sweep of the Mets, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. However, the Cardinals want to keep him on a starter's schedule, so he will return to the Memphis rotation later this week.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Sasaki will be on five days' rest for his next start, which will come Friday in Arizona, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Each of Sasaki's first seven starts of the season have come with at least six days' rest beforehand, but he'll pitch on five days' rest for the first time while the Dodgers are in the midst of a stretch of 10 games in 10 days. The Dodgers are likely to keep a six-man rotation in place during busier portions of the schedule, so Sasaki probably won't be asked to pitch more than once per week at any point this season. Sasaki has reached five innings in each of his last four starts and submitted a 3.74 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, but a 15:9 K:BB in 21.2 innings during that stretch has somewhat muted his fantasy impact.

Horton struck out five and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk over six innings in his latest start for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Horton owns excellent ratios (1.24 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 33:13 K:BB) over 29 innings at Triple-A this season, but his control has been especially on point in his last three starts. He's logged a 15:3 K:BB in 16.2 innings over that span, and the improved efficiency he's displayed of late could put him in line to make his MLB debut in the near future. The Cubs could have a need for another starter as soon as this weekend in New York, as Shota Imanaga is at risk of missing his next turn through the rotation against the Mets after departing his most recent start Sunday due to a hamstring strain. Imanaga will undergo an MRI on Monday as the Cubs look to determine whether his hamstring strain is significant enough to require a stint on the injured list.

Kelly (hamstring) is listed as the Diamondbacks' probable starter or Wednesday's game against the Mets in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks are already having Corbin Burnes (shoulder) skip his start during the three-game series versus the Mets, but the team won't have to make any further additions to the rotation with Kelly having bounced back well since exiting his most recent outing Friday in Philadelphia due to right hamstring cramping. He's now experienced leg cramps in two of his last three starts, but Kelly has pitched effectively in each of those occasions. He'll enter Wednesday's contest with a 4.06 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 37.2 innings on the season.