MLB Player News

Flaherty (0-1) allowed one run on six hits and a walk over five innings Monday, striking out six and taking a loss against Washington.

Flaherty made his first MLB appearance since June 26 and looked solid. He fired 59 of 91 pitches for strikes, including 14 whiffs. Unfortunately for him, the Cardinals were shut out, resulting in a loss on his record. Flaherty has been limited to just 13 innings this season due to injuries but it looks like he'll be healthy enough to make an impact down the stretch for both the Cardinals and fantasy managers. He'll carry a 4.15 ERA into his projected start in Pittsburgh this weekend.

Pepiot was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

The Dodgers have an off day in the middle of this week and the middle of next week, so they can give most of their starters extra rest in the short term even while sticking with a five-man rotation. Pepiot could be recalled the next time the Dodgers want to operate with a six-man rotation or if someone in the rotation gets hurt.

Lyles (illness) isn't starting the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Manager Brandon Hyde said after Monday's matinee that Lyles would start the second game of the twin bill. However, Keegan Akin is warming up with starting catcher Robinson Chirinos ahead of the nightcap, and Akin has ultimately been confirmed as the starting pitcher. Lyles was feeling sick earlier in the day, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be available out of the bullpen for Monday's nightcap or when he'll be able to make his next start.

Greinke (forearm) will start Wednesday's game against the Guardians, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Greinke landed on the injured list in late August due to a right forearm injury, but he'll return to action following a relatively brief IL stint. The right-hander won't require a rehab assignment prior to rejoining the Royals, so it's not yet clear whether he'll be on a pitch count during Wednesday's outing. Over six starts following the All-Star break, he's posted a 2.90 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 31 innings.

Lyles (illness) will start the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Heading into the day, Lyles had been expected to take the hill for the early game, but the Orioles opted to push him back to the second contest of the day after he felt under the weather upon reporting to the ballpark. Lyles evidently showed enough improvement as the afternoon progressed to start the second game, though he could face a quick hook if he shows any signs of fatigue while he's out on the mound.

Milone (neck) returned to action for Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and allowed four earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two over 1.2 innings.

Seattle released Milone on Aug. 4 while he on the injured list with a cervical muscle strain, but he re-signed with the organization on a minor-league deal two weeks later. He still needed some additional time to move past the injury before he was cleared to pitch for the Mariners' top affiliate last week. Milone was deployed as a starter Thursday and looks like he'll continue to get stretched out as a member of Tacoma's rotation.

The Diamondbacks selected Nelson's contract from Triple-A Reno ahead of his scheduled start Monday in San Diego.

Nelson will be making his MLB debut Monday, with his performance against the Friars likely to dictate whether he sticks around with the Diamondbacks as a member of the six-man rotation. The 24-year-old owns an unremarkable 5.43 ERA over 136 innings on the season, but he's shown significant improvement since making some mechanical tweaks in late May that enabled him to sharpen his command. Over his final three months at Triple-A, Nelson turned in a 4.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 85:31 K:BB across 95.2 innings.

The Cardinals reinstated Flaherty (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Monday against the Nationals, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

He'll be making his fourth start of the season with the big club and his first since June 26 after being shut down for just over two months following a setback with his right shoulder. After building up to 6.2 innings over the course of five rehab starts between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, Flaherty looks like he'll be ready to handle a normal starter's workload as he steps back into St. Louis' rotation. Though Flaherty has been a major disappointment for those who invested in him on draft day, he still has a chance to salvage something this season and should be a strong fantasy option in nearly every league. He lines up for two starts this week against two sub-.500 teams, as he's expected to make his next turn this weekend in Pittsburgh.

The Rangers released Keuchel on Sunday.

His release became official shortly after the Rangers designated him for assignment earlier Sunday. Keuchel has now been cut three times this season after posting a collective 9.20 ERA and 2.06 WHIP in 60.2 innings across 14 starts with the White Sox, Diamondbacks and Rangers. At this stage of the season, the 34-year-old lefty is unlikely to catch on elsewhere, and he'll have to settle for a minor-league deal this offseason if he intends to keep his career going in 2023.

Ragans (calf) appears on track to return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game in Houston, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The Rangers haven't provided an update on Ragans' condition since he was forced to the IL on Aug. 26 with a left calf strain, but interim manager Tony Beasley previously downplayed the injury and fully expected the rookie to return in the minimum amount of time. Texas' decision to designate fill-in starter Dallas Keuchel for assignment Sunday seemingly supports the notion that Ragans will be ready to rejoin the rotation by the middle of the week. The Rangers could opt for a bullpen day Wednesday in the event Ragans isn't quite ready to go for the series finale in Houston.