MLB Player News

Keller is considered an option out of the bullpen for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, the game which would have been his next turn in the rotation, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Keller generated buzz over the winter due to reports of increased velocity. Those reports were accurate, as his fastball has averaged 96.2 mph this season after coming in at 93.9 mph last year, but the increased heat has had no effect on his results. He's struggled to a 6.61 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through seven starts while striking out a career-low 17.6 percent of opposing batters. The Pirates haven't listed a starter for Wednesday's game, but it could be Roansy Contreras, who would be on turn for the outing after pitching Friday for Triple-A Indianapolis.

Stroman cleared COVID-19 protocols Tuesday but has yet to be activated off the injured list, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Stroman has been on the injured list for over a week and hasn't pitched since May 1. He threw a bullpen session Tuesday, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. At this point, it's unclear whether he will require a rehab outing before he returns to the roster, but the righty's next steps should be revealed soon.

Reds manager David Bell said Tuesday that Lodolo (back) won't throw for at least the next week, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lodolo had previously been expected to return from the injured list back on May 7, but those plans wound up being scrapped after he continued to feel sore. He played catch late last week, but that evidently didn't go well, either, so he'll rest for a week before the Reds determine a new timeline for his recovery. He'll need to build back up after that shutdown period.

Gore is scheduled to work behind starter Mike Clevinger in relief during Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

At least to begin the week, Gore will be pitching out of the bullpen with the Padres set to return Blake Snell (groin) from the 10-day injured list to start Wednesday. San Diego could move back to a six-man rotation as it begins a stretch of 40 games in 42 days beginning Monday, but it's unclear if Gore or Nick Martinez -- who is also in the bullpen to begin the week -- will be reappointed to a starting role. From a performance standpoint, Gore proved to be deserving of a permanent starting role, as he submitted a 2.42 ERA and 28:9 K:BB across 26 innings through his first five outings. However, because he's just 23 years old and hasn't tossed more than 100 innings in a season since 2019, the Padres could be inclined to keep Gore in the bullpen as a means of managing his workload.

Faedo is listed as the Tigers' starting pitcher for Saturday's game at Cleveland, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Faedo's inclusion in the rotation for a fourth straight turn comes as little surprise after he once again turned in another serviceable outing while taking a no-decision in Monday's win over the Rays. He struck out four over 5.2 innings while allowing one earned run and five baserunners, lowering his ERA and WHIP to 2.87 and 1.28, respectively. The Tigers are expected to get Matt Manning (shoulder) back from the injured list early next week, but Faedo should have the chance to stick around as the team's fifth starter until one of Casey Mize (elbow), Tyler Alexander (elbow) or Michael Pineda (finger) is cleared to return from the shelf.

The Rockies placed Senzatela (back) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday.

Manager Bud Black said after Senzatela suffered a lower-back strain in his start during Monday's 7-6 loss to San Francisco that a move to the IL was a likely outcome for the right-hander, so the transaction doesn't come as a surprise. In the short term, the Rockies have called up Justin Lawrence from Triple-A Albuquerque to provide an extra arm out of the bullpen, but Colorado will likely turn to Ty Blach or Ryan Feltner to take Senzatela's spot in the rotation when a fifth starter is next required.

The Astros placed Odorizzi on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with lower left leg discomfort.

The diagnosis matches how the Astros labeled the injury shortly after Odorizzi was carted off the field in the sixth inning of his start Monday against the Red Sox. The team relays that Odorizzi underwent an MRI on his leg earlier Tuesday, but a clearer update on the exact nature and severity of his injury may not be known for another day or two. Houston recalled reliever Seth Martinez from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Odorizzi's spot on the 26-man active roster, but the team may not tab a replacement for him in the rotation. Odorizzi had already been part of a six-man rotation, so the Astros may choose to condense their starting staff to the traditional five pitchers in the wake of his absence.

The Phillies activated Eflin (illness) from the COVID-19-related injured list Tuesday. Eflin is expected to start in the Phillies' series opener versus the Padres in Philadelphia, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Eflin was away from the team for just over a week after testing positive for the virus May 8. Though he didn't head out on a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated, Eflin must have demonstrated enough progress in his recovery from the virus during his throwing sessions for the Phillies to sign off on him rejoining the rotation. Even so, Eflin could face a stricter cap on his pitch count than usual Tuesday, given that he hasn't made a start since May 1.

The Yankees promoted Waldichuk from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old lefty will climb to the top level of the minors after he dazzled over his six outings at Somerset, churning out a 1.26 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 46:10 K:BB across 28.2 innings. His early breakout this season has made him an advanced arm worth monitoring in the Yankees' system, but Waldichuk's lack of a spot on the 40-man roster likely puts him behind at least Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt for a move into the big-league rotation if New York requires an extra starter at any point in 2022.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw (pelvis) won't complete a bullpen session Wednesday as originally planned while the southpaw continues to experience discomfort following a recent epidural, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The Dodgers were hoping the epidural would clear out the inflammation and soreness Kershaw was experiencing in his right SI joint, but the injection has apparently taken longer than anticipated to yield the desired effect. As a result, Kershaw looks like he'll be delayed at least a couple days as he aims to advance to the next phase of his throwing program, but he doesn't yet appear to be dealing with any sort of major setback.