MLB Player News

Painter (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Painter entered spring training with a shot to crack the Phillies' Opening Day rotation as a teenager, but a sprained UCL derailed those plans. He avoided surgery and has been steadily building up over the last two months. He began playing catch in early April and had worked his way to bullpen sessions by late May, though those came from the front of the mound. He's ready for the real thing now, but Painter still has steps to go in his recovery before the Phillies consider activating him from the injured list.

Lugo (calf) threw to live hitters at the Padres' spring training complex in Arizona on Friday, per MLB.com.

Lugo is working his way back from the right calf strain he suffered during a start May 16. The right-hander has also been throwing bullpens and may not need to go on a rehab assignment before returning to the big club. Lugo would likely slide back into a starting role upon activation since Ryan Weathers has been abysmal as his replacement.

Irvin was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday ahead of his start against the Royals.

The veteran southpaw will make a home start against the Royals after logging a 2.32 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB in 31 innings over his last five starts at Triple-A. The lack of strikeouts cap Irvin's upside, and he has a 10.38 ERA in 13 MLB innings this season. If he sticks around in the rotation, Irvin would likely face the Cubs on the road next week.

Suarez did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings in a 5-4 victory over the Dodgers. He struck out eight.

Suarez struck out a season-high eight and notched his third straight quality start. During that stretch, he's allowed just four runs over 19.2 innings and has a 15:5 K:BB. The left-hander began the campaign on the injured list with an elbow issue and was shaky across his first three outings, but he appears to have found a groove and will look to stay sharp during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled as part of an upcoming four-game set in Arizona.

Grove allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out two over four innings during Friday's 5-4 loss to Philadelphia.

Grove operated as a bulk reliever behind Victor Gonzalez, who faced just three batters as the opener. The former has made two appearances since being activated off the injured list at the beginning of June, and while he's allowed eight runs on 11 hits through nine innings, he's posted a strong 9:1 K:BB during that stretch. He could remain a steady part of the Dodgers' rotation while Julio Urias (hamstring) and Noah Syndergaard (finger) are on the injured list, though with Urias nearing a return.

Glasnow (1-0) earned the win Friday, allowing one run on one hit and three walks over six innings against Texas. He struck out six.

The only hit Glasnow allowed was a solo home run, as he cruised through a season-high six innings en route to his first win. The right-hander is still ramping up after missing the first two months of the season, but he's been relatively sharp across his first three outings, posting a 2.87 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Glasnow has walked six batters over his past two starts, and while he's been able to limit the damage, his command is certainly something to watch moving forward. Regardless, Glasnow is one of the best pitchers in MLB when healthy, so as long as he's taking the mound on a regular basis, he should be utilized in basically every fantasy format.

Heaney (4-4) took the loss Friday, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks over five innings in a 8-3 loss against the Rays. He struck out five.

Heaney completed at least five innings for the ninth time this season but suffered his fourth loss, as the Rangers couldn't keep pace with Tampa Bay's offense. The left-hander's 4.14 ERA is marred by a pair of horrendous outings, so if you take those out of the equation, Heaney has a 2.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 58:21 K:BB across his other 10 starts (55.2 innings). It's been mixed results to start his first season with Texas, but the veteran Heaney will look to get back on track during his next outing, which is tentatively scheduled during a four-game set versus the Angels.

Smith-Shawver didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 win over the Nationals, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out two.

A year ago at this time, Smith-Shawver was a teenager at Single-A just trying to harness his plus stuff and find the plate often enough to be effective. Friday, he made his first career big-league start and consistently dotted the inside corners of the strike zone with mid-90s heat while generating weak contact that his defense had some trouble corralling. The 20-year-old didn't show the dominance he'd displayed earlier this season as he made a rapid ascent through Atlanta's system, but that should come as he gets more comfortable in the majors. With Max Fried (forearm) and Kyle Wright (shoulder) out until at least the All-Star break, Smith-Shawver appears to be in line for a long look in the rotation, with his next outing potentially coming next week in Detroit.

Lorenzen (2-3) took the loss Friday, allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out three.

Lorenzen tied his season high with six runs allowed and suffered his third loss, but he was still able to complete at least six innings for the sixth time over his past seven starts. During that stretch, he's posted a 2.74 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 29:8 K:BB over 46.0 innings. Lorenzen has been a hit-or-miss player thus far, allowing 22 runs across four of his starts (21.1 innings) while giving up just three earned runs over his other six appearances (38.2 innings). The veteran will look to get back on track his next time out, which is tentatively scheduled for the finale of a three-game set versus Atlanta.

Kelly (8-3) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over 6.1 innings in a 11-6 victory over the Tigers. He struck out five.

Kelly has recorded a quality start in seven of his last eight appearances. During that stretch, he's secured seven wins while posting a 2.66 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 57:13 K:BB across 50.2 innings. The right-hander will look to stay sharp in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled to come during a four-game set versus Philadelphia.