MLB Player News

Eflin (lat) played catch Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Eflin began a throwing progression after being shut down with a mild right lat strain one week ago. The veteran right-hander is optimistic his absence won't last long, but a clearer picture of Eflin's timetable won't be available until he's further along in his throwing program.

Kershaw (toe/knee) struck out two and allowed two hits and issued no walks over three scoreless innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Kershaw threw 22 of 30 pitches for strikes and sported a four-seamer that averaged just 87.5 miles per hour and topped out at 88.8 mph, which is down significantly from the 89.9 mph he averaged with the heater last season. However, the lack of velocity is not especially surprising given that Kershaw was pitching in a competitive setting for the first time this season. Kershaw isn't eligible to return from the 60-day injured list until May 17, so the Dodgers are prepared to give him the full 30 days he's allotted on his rehab assignment.

Soroka (biceps) will throw a simulated game Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

It will be his first time facing hitters since he went down with a right biceps strain in his season debut March 31. If Soroka's simulated game goes well, he'll likely be cleared to make 1-to-2 rehab starts. That would set the right-hander up to return in late April or early May if he continues to progress.

Seymour has a 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB in 15 innings across three starts for Triple-A Durham.

The only Triple-A pitcher with a higher swinging-strike rate than Seymour (19.4 percent) is Spencer Strider (22.6 percent), who was completing a rehab assignment. Seymour is a lefty with a deceptive three-quarters delivery and a knack for keeping hitters off balance by changing speeds and landing all of his pitches for strikes. His fastball has averaged 89.6 mph (touched 91.6 mph) and he has thrown his changeup as much or more than his fastball while mixing in his cutter and seldom-used curveball and sweeper. Seymour is already on the 40-man roster and could join the big-league rotation whenever there is a need.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that Scherzer (thumb) is scheduled to meet with a doctor Wednesday after throwing on consecutive days, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Scherzer experienced renewed soreness in his thumb after throwing late last week, but after a brief shutdown, the right-hander was able to start playing catch again. He'll get a checkup Wednesday from a different hand specialist than the one he had been meeting with previously with the hope that he's cleared to ramp up the intensity and volume of his throwing. Easton Lucas should continue to hold down a spot in the rotation until Scherzer is able to return from the injured list, perhaps in late April or early May if he incurs no further setbacks in the recovery process.

Lopez (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The session went off without a hitch and now the Twins will wait to see how Lopez's right hamstring responds Thursday before they determine the next steps. Lopez is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list April 24, and it's possible he's ready to go on that date if he continues to progress.

The Tigers recalled Montero from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.

Montero will get a spot start Wednesday in Milwaukee as the Tigers look to provide their regular rotation members with extra rest. The right-hander was off to a nice start with Toledo, permitting three runs with an 11:1 K:BB over 9.2 frames covering his first two outings.

Crawford (knee) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Crawford opened the season on the injured list with right patellar tendinopathy. Red Sox manager Alex Cora remains unsure of what the next step is in Crawford's progression, but the manager noted Crawford is not "close to being back with us."

Herz (elbow) plans to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, TalkNats.com reports.

After being diagnosed with a partial UCL sprain in his left elbow shortly before Opening Day, Herz was shut down for three weeks with the hope that some extended rest and rehab would allow him to pitch through the injury. Ultimately, after receiving two additional medical opinions on his elbow, Herz has decided that surgery is his best option. Herz will likely go under the knife in the coming days, and assuming no other additional damage is detected during surgery beyond the compromised UCL, he should be able to pitch again at some point around the All-Star break next season.

Atlanta activated Strider (elbow) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday in Toronto.

Strider is set to make his long-awaited return from internal brace surgery, which he underwent last April. The right-hander reached 90 pitches in his final rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett, so he should be prepared for a fairly normal workload Wednesday. Strider's fastball velocity was down about two miles per hour during his rehab assignment, but the results are hard to ignore, as he allowed only two runs with a 27:5 K:BB over 13.2 innings.