MLB Player News

Kershaw (forearm) is expected to begin playing catch Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

This will mark the first step of Kershaw's throwing program as he works through left elbow inflammation, with hopes of making a late-season return. More updates on the lefty's status and throwing progression should become available in the next week or so.

Arihara (shoulder) threw a simulated game Saturday, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports.

Arihara has been out since early May due to a shoulder injury which wound up requiring surgery. It looks as though he'll have a shot to return sometime in September, though his 6.59 ERA in his first seven major-league starts and uncertain return date make him an unappealing fantasy option in most formats.

Darvish (back) may not make his next scheduled start as he deals with back tightness, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Manager Jayce Tingler said Darvish didn't recover from Thursday's short start as quickly as they hoped. The righty hasn't been placed on the injured list, but that remains a possibility if he doesn't improve in the coming days. More information about Darvish's back and when he might pitch next should become clear in the coming days.

Severino (elbow/groin) will visit a doctor Monday and undergo an MRI on his tight right shoulder, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Severino has experienced multiple setbacks as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in February 2020. His rehab was first paused in June due to a groin strain and hit another snag Friday, as he was scratched from his start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre due to tightness in his shoulder. The Yankees are framing the latest pause as precautionary, but it's hard not to worry about a shoulder issue for a pitcher. Clarity on his return timeline should emerge following Monday's visit.

Kershaw (forearm) may not have time to build up to a starter's workload before the end of the regular season, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. "I think that will be kind of contingent on where the ramp-up goes," manager Dave Roberts said. "I don't want to say, 'No.' That's the goal. But if it comes to be a two-, three-inning monster out of the 'pen, then that's what it will be."

Kershaw is not traveling with the Dodgers on their current road trip and won't re-start his throwing program until at least next week. He hasn't pitched in a game since July 3 and figures to need substantial time to ramp back up once he's able to start throwing from a mound again. The southpaw is currently on the 60-day IL and isn't eligible to return until Sept. 5, though it appears the team isn't banking on him rejoining the club on that date. Kershaw's greatest value to the organization -- and to fantasy managers -- would be as a starter, so the hope is that the future Hall of Famer will be able to start throwing again soon.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said Thursday that Cobb's injured right wrist has not responded well to treatment and that the right-hander isn't ready to return, per MLB.com.

When scans of Cobb's wrist taken shortly after he was placed on the injured list at the end of July revealed no structural damage, the belief was that the veteran hurler would not need an extended absence. That no longer appears to be the case, as Cobb has already been out over two weeks and still hasn't resumed throwing, according to the Associated Press. Cobb could still return to the big club before the end of the month, but only if the injured wrist begins to progress soon.

The Phillies reinstated Falter (illness) from the COVID-19 injured list Saturday.

As expected, the lefty reliever rejoins the Phillies after being on the virus-related IL since July 20. Falter has a 4.50 ERA in 18 relief innings with the big-league club this season and may get some middle-innings work Saturday with Matt Moore starting.

Sale was officially activated as expected Saturday ahead of his scheduled season debut against the Orioles, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Sale will be pitching at the big-league level for the first time in just over two years, as his last outing took place Aug. 13, 2019 in Cleveland. He was shut down with elbow issues after that start, and while Tommy John surgery was initially deemed unnecessary, he eventually underwent the procedure in March of 2020. Expectations for a pitcher in his first few starts following such a long absence should be somewhat muted, though Sale has certainly looked like his old self across 20 rehab innings, striking out 35 while walking five and allowing just three runs. He reached 80 pitches in his most recent outing, so he should be able to handle something close to a full workload Saturday.

Luzardo (4-5) picked up the win in Friday's 14-10 win over the Cubs, coughing up five runs on six hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out six.

The southpaw tossed only 60 of 106 pitches for strikes and was hit hard when he was in the zone, getting taken deep twice while also giving up a double and a triple among his six hits allowed, but an 11-run second inning by the Marlins made Luzardo's struggles somewhat moot. The 23-year-old has a 9.20 ERA through his first three starts for Miami and has walked 11 batters in 14.2 innings, and the control and command issues he displayed earlier in the year with Oakland don't appear to be solvable simply via a change of scenery.

Megill didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Dodgers, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out six.

The rookie right-hander didn't pitch poorly, throwing 61 of 92 pitches for strikes, but Megill exited the game down 3-0 before the Mets got him off the hook for the loss. He has a 5.40 ERA over his last four starts and 20 innings, a far cry from the 2.10 ERA he held when that stretch began, but with Jacob deGrom (elbow) looking increasingly unlikely to pitch again this season and Noah Syndergaard (elbow) ticketed for the bullpen when he finally comes off the IL, Megill's rotation spot appears secure.