MLB Player News

Lorenzen (3-6) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Athletics. He allowed three hits and struck out four.

Lorenzen powered through a subpar Oakland lineup and got plenty of support in the 9-0 win. The righty's next appearance is set for Tuesday's All-Star Game, which will be his first time in the Midsummer Classic. Lorenzen finishes the first half with a 4.03 ERA and 66 strikeouts across 87 innings (15 starts). Those numbers don't jump off the page, but they've been much needed on a Detroit pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries.

Stroman said he will not pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, electing instead to rest up for the second half, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Stroman made the announcement after his final start before the break Thursday, in which he allowed four runs over five innings and settled for a no-decision against the Brewers. "I'm definitely looking forward to having a little bit of a break," he said. "Kind of just reset my energy, clear my mind and have a good second half." Stroman has been reliable at the head of Chicago's rotation so far with a 2.96 ERA across 112.2 innings. However, the righty only logged 138.2 innings last year as he dealt with a shoulder issue, so the extended absence makes sense as he aims to blow past that mark in 2023.

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

In what had the potential to be a breakout season, Contreras has struggled mightily. He lost his rotation spot in mid-June and has since been hit hard out of the bullpen. All told, he has a 6.59 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. Even so, if he can rediscover his stuff in Indianapolis, there's a strong chance that Contreras returns to the majors before the end of the campaign.

Syndergaard (finger) had his simulated game pushed back to Friday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Syndergaard was originally scheduled to throw Thursday, but he hasn't suffered a setback according to reports., Instead, he could be needed out of the bullpen given the rash of injuries and other absences currently thinning the Dodgers' relief corps. Syndergaard's long-term role remains in flux, but he could return to the mound earlier than expected if he doesn't need to stretch out in the short term.

Fried (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Fried came out of a live batting practice session Tuesday with clean health and is taking the next step toward a return. He's been sidelined since early May by a forearm strain and will likely require multiple starts in the minors to ramp up his workload, lining him up for a potential return in late July.

Flexen was released by the Mets on Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Flexen was designated for assignment by the Mets shortly after they acquired him from the Mariners on Monday as part of a three-player swap. The primary target for New York in that trade was reliever Trevor Gott. Flexen, who had struggled to a 7.71 ERA in 42 major-league innings this year with Seattle, will now head to the open market.

The Guardians transferred McKenzie (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

The move ensures McKenzie will be out until at least mid-August, but chances are he'll be sidelined past then. McKenzie will remain shut down from throwing for another three weeks before potentially beginning a throwing program with the goal of returning late in the season. The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for Chris Vallimont, who was acquired Thursday from Baltimore in exchange for cash considerations.

Perez's next turn in the rotation will be skipped, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Perez was originally lined up to start Saturday's game against the Nationals, but his next start will now have to wait until after the All-Star break. Cody Bradford will likely start Friday against Washington, pushing back Andrew Heaney into Saturday as Perez's replacement. Perez finishes the first half of the season with a 4.81 ERA and 1.48 WHIP through 91.2 innings.

Matz will start for the Cardinals on Sunday against the White Sox, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

That would have been Matthew Liberatore's turn, but he was optioned back to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday. Matz has pitched a little better since being moved to the bullpen in late May and could get an extended rotation opportunity with Adam Wainwright (shoulder) also out of the picture, but there's not much fantasy appeal here in general.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Cora (face) has started workouts and will begin throwing Tuesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Houck's throwing program will begin two weeks after he underwent facial surgery June 27. The timeline for his return will become clearer as Houck progresses in his recovery, but the Red Sox are confident he will be back before the end of the season.