MLB Player News

Megill (1-3) allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out five across 3.2 innings to take the loss Tuesday against the Giants.

Megill allowed four home runs, which accounted for six of the seven earned runs that he was charged with. All four of the long balls were hit by lefties, and homers from hitters of opposite handedness have emerged as a problem for Megill. Of the 11 homers he's surrendered this season, nine have come from hitters who are left-handed. While Megill had a string of several impressive starts to begin his big-league career, he's now allowed four or more earned runs in three of his last five starts, inflating his ERA to 4.07 across 59.2 innings.

Small (finger) reported to the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Small landed on the shelf in mid-July with a strained tendon in his left middle finger, and he'll start a rehab stint in hopes of rejoining Triple-A Nashville for the end of the minor-league campaign. The left-hander has a 1.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 73:30 K:BB across 56 innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season.

Luzardo (4-7) allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk with three strikeouts through 4.2 innings, taking the loss in Tuesday's 5-1 defeat to the Nationals.

While Luzardo did display improved control Tuesday night, this was another rough outing for the left-hander. He walked only one batter and 69 percent of his pitches found the zone (well above his season mark of 60 percent), but a pair of two-run homers from Tres Barrera and Ryan Zimmerman ushered the Peruvian out of the game early. Since joining Miami before the trade deadline, Luzardo has started five games and allowed 24 runs in 22.1 innings. A demotion to the bullpen or worse could be looming for the 23-year-old.

Manager Joe Girardi said Eflin (kneecap) will be activated from the injured list to start Thursday against the Diamondbacks, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Eflin covered 2.1 frames in a rehab start with Double-A Reading on Saturday, and it will be his lone rehab appearance before returning to the big-league rotation. The 27-year-old has been sidelined over a month with patellar tendinitis, and he figures to have some workload limitations in his first start back given the brevity of the rehab stint.

Flexen (11-5) earned the win Tuesday after holding the A's to one run on six hits and a walk while striking out five across 6.2 innings.

Although it took him a bit to get into a nice rhythm, Flexen was on point Tuesday, continuing a successful August. After allowing a run to score in the first inning, the right-hander blanked the A's the rest of the way, tossing 105 pitches in all, including 66 for strikes. Among American League pitchers, Flexen has tallied the most starts with six-plus innings allowing one earned run or fewer. His recent success ties him for seventh among American League starting pitchers with his 3.54 ERA this season. Flexen tentatively lines up for a Monday matchup against Houston.

Flaherty was removed from Tuesday's start against the Tigers with right shoulder tightness, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Flaherty had decreased velocity during the third inning and was pulled from the contest after surrendering back-to-back homers to open the frame. It's only the right-hander's third start since missing two-plus months with an oblique strain, and his availability for the final month of the season is now in question after exiting with a new injury. He allowed four runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout across two innings and is in line for the loss Tuesday.

Manager Bob Melvin revealed that Irvin exited Tuesday's loss to Seattle after just three innings and 66 pitches partially because of a hip issue, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while failing to record a strikeout.

Irvin logged a clean first inning before Seattle tagged him for a run in the second and two more in the third. Melvin didn't go into much detail regarding the severity of the hip injury, and it seems possible the southpaw may have continued to pitch through the discomfort had he been more effective during the early innings. The club is hopeful that he'll be able to make his scheduled start against Detroit next week, but Daulton Jefferies would be his likely replacement should Irvin need to go on the injured list.

Steele won't start as scheduled Tuesday against the Rockies since the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The contest will be made up via a doubleheader Wednesday, and Steele will take the mound in the nightcap. Zach Davies will start Game 1 for the Cubs.

Marquez won't start Tuesday against the Cubs since the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The game will be made up via a doubleheader Wednesday, and Marquez figures to start one of those contests. The right-hander has a 5.19 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 37:10 K:BB across 34.2 innings (six starts) since the All-Star break.

DeGrom (elbow) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander is expected to start a throwing program if the scans bring good news. He transferred to the 60-day injured list last week and will be eligible to be activated Sept. 13, but he won't be ready to return at that point. If deGrom's elbow doesn't show enough progress during the MRI on Wednesday, there's a strong chance he's shut down for the rest of the 2021 campaign.