MLB Player News

Kopech (knee) will throw a bullpen session Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Kopech sustained a knee injury Sunday against the Rangers but felt better Monday after getting fluid drained from his knee. He'll test his knee during Thursday's throwing session and tentatively lines up to start Sunday against Houston if he feels good after his bullpen.

Velasquez (groin) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Wednesday's start against the Tigers.

Velasquez hasn't pitched since May 24 due to his left groin strain, but he'll return to the mound to start Wednesday's series finale in Detroit. Over his five outings prior to his absence, the right-hander posted a 4.56 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 23.2 innings. Since Velasquez didn't head out on a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated, he may not be capable of giving the White Sox extensive length Wednesday.

The Phillies plan to call up Falter from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start one game of Friday's doubleheader in Washington, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Ranger Suarez is scheduled to start the other game of the twin bill, but the Phillies have yet to decide in what order he and Falter will take the hill. Before being sent down to Triple-A on May 29, Falter made four of his six appearances out of the bullpen, but he's worked exclusively as a starter in the minors. Over his five outings with Lehigh Valley this season, Falter has produced a microscopic 1.54 ERA and 0.69 WHIP while striking out 33.7 percent of the batters he's faced. Falter will likely be making just one start with the Phillies before he's optioned back to Triple-A.

Senzatela gave up three earned runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four in a 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Guardians on Tuesday. He did not factor into the decision.

Senzatela pieced together a quality start despite only racking up four strikeouts. His strikeout percentage is in the lowest one percentile of all eligible pitchers and he has an abysmal 4.6 K/9 this season, which is markedly down from his career 6.0 K/9 number. The problems here cannot be chalked up to Senzatela's notoriously hitter-friendly home park. In 2022, he has a 6.75 ERA on the road. The Rockies continue to trot him out there every five days, so he lines up for his next start versus the Padres on Sunday.

Bieber gave up three earned runs on nine hits and a walk over 6.2 innings in a 4-3 extra-inning win over the Rockies on Tuesday. He struck out seven and did not factor into the decision.

Cleveland's ace gave his team a quality start in the thin air of Coors Field. Bieber was cruising into the seventh inning until he gave up a single to Brian Serven followed by a two-run blast to Charlie Blackmon to tie the game. Bieber boasts an impressive 75:17 K:BB ratio through 71.2 innings pitched so far this season, but he has only mustered three wins on the year. He will look to pick up his fourth win in a tough matchup against the Dodgers this weekend.

Hendricks gave up one earned run on four hits and no walks while striking out six over five innings in a 12-5 loss to the Padres on Tuesday. He did not factor into the decision.

Hendricks found some success against the Padres on extra rest Tuesday, holding them to only one earned run and issuing no free passes. However, Hendricks threw a mere 78 pitches and has pitched six-plus innings on only two occasions this season. His 4.95 ERA is the highest of his nine-year career, and after a rough 2021 campaign, the once-reliable 32-year-old appears to be on a downward trajectory while battling shoulder fatigue. Look for him to start Sunday versus Atlanta.

Kikuchi (2-3) took the loss Tuesday as the Blue Jays were downed 6-5 by the Orioles, giving up four runs on five hits and four walks over four-plus innings. He struck out four.

The southpaw came out to begin the fifth inning, but after serving up a solo shot to Austin Hays that put the Jays behind for good, Kikuchi got the hook after 68 pitches (41 strikes). He's issued four free passes in back-to-back starts and has failed to last longer than five innings in five straight, posting a brutal 7.23 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB through 18.2 innings over that stretch. Kikuchi had a 3.38 ERA and 1.28 WHIP prior to that downturn, however, so it's unlikely Toronto will pull the plug on his rotation spot any time soon.

Dunning pitched six scoreless innings while giving up two hits and four walks in a 4-3 loss to the Astros on Tuesday. He struck out four and did not factor into the decision.

Dunning pitched well Tuesday night against a quality Astros lineup. He managed to keep the opposing team off the scoreboard for the first time this season to bring his ERA down to 4.04. Dunning left the game after six innings and 99 pitches in line for his second win of the season, but the lead was coughed up by the Rangers' bullpen. Fantasy managers can expect that wins will continue to be hard for Dunning to come by given the Rangers' subpar offense. The 27-year-old right-hander is expected to make his next start Sunday in a favorable matchup at Detroit.

Urquidy gave up three earned runs on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the Rangers on Tuesday. He did not factor into the decision.

Urquidy pitched his first road quality start of the year in Arlington on Tuesday. However, his 6.34 xERA on the season doesn't offer much hope that his ratios will drop down to anywhere near where they were last year, when he posted a 3.62 ERA in 107 innings. Urquidy is in line for two challenging starts next week against the formidable Mets and Yankees offenses.

Lyles (4-5) picked up the win Tuesday, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in a 6-5 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out seven.

It wasn't a particularly impressive performance from the veteran right-hander, who tossed 59 of 96 pitches for strikes before exiting, but the Baltimore offense gave him just enough run support. Lyles hasn't completed six innings in any of his last four starts, stumbling to a 7.78 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 14:8 K:BB through 19.2 innings over that stretch; however, his spot in the Orioles' rotation is secure given the club's lack of alternatives.