MLB Player News

Manager Joe Girardi said that Eflin (knee) threw a light bullpen session Monday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Eflin last threw a bullpen July 25, but he did not come out of the session feeling well. His return to mound work is a positive step in the right direction, but the right-hander still remains without a concrete return timeline. With that in mind, Eflin could have an outside chance of rejoining the Phillies' rotation by the end of August, though a September activation appears more likely at this point.

Mikolas (forearm) will make at least one more rehab start, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Mikolas has already made four rehab appearances, but his last one went so poorly that it's no surprise he'll require one more. In 5.2 innings for Double-A Springfield on Sunday, he allowed seven runs on 11 hits, three of which cleared the fence. While that was a poor performance, he doesn't appear to have suffered any setbacks, so he should get back into game action soon.

Kim (elbow) doesn't have anything structurally wrong with his left elbow, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Elbow issues are always a worry for any pitcher, but Kim's current issue doesn't appear particularly serious. He hit the injured list after recovering poorly from his latest start and doesn't have a clear return timeline, but it doesn't look as though he's in for an extended absence.

Rasmussen will open Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

With Ryan Yarbrough (undisclosed) landing on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday, Josh Fleming's outing is expected to be moved up to Wednesday. That leaves Rasmussen to take the ball for Thursday's series finale. The right-hander hasn't pitched more than three innings this season, though he's worked multiple frames in each of his last seven outings. With that in mind, the Rays will likely try to get him through the third inning Thursday, but the 26-year-old is almost certain to fall short of qualifying for the win.

Steele (2-1) took the loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Brewers, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk over five innings as the Cubs fell 4-2. He struck out one.

The 26-year-old southpaw held Milwaukee in check for three innings in his first start in the majors, but a pair of homers in the fourth by Willy Adames and Avisail Garcia wound up begin the difference in the afternoon affair. Steele has only been tagged for six runs in his first 18.1 big-league innings across 12 appearances, leading to a 2.95 ERA, but they've all come on long balls. If he stays with the Cubs he'll likely return to the bullpen after this outing, but having thrown 70 pitches (43 strikes), he should be unavailable for a few days.

Peralta (9-3) picked up the win in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cubs, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in a 4-2 victory. He struck out eight.

The right-hander fired 61 of 89 pitches for strikes before exiting two outs shy of his third straight quality start. Peralta continues to impress, giving up more than two earned runs just once in his last 15 outings, and he'll take a 2.26 ERA and 162:51 K:BB through 119.1 innings into his next start.

Wells (wrist) threw live batting practice Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Wells was hoping to be activated as early as last week, but soreness in his injured right wrist postponed his return. If he comes out of Tuesday's live session feeling good, it's possible he could be reinstated by the end of the week, though the club has not confirmed the right-hander's next steps.

Urquidy (shoulder) will go to West Palm Beach on Wednesday to begin his rehab assignment, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Dusty Baker expressed hope that Urquidy would be back with the Astros on Sept. 1. The righty has been on the IL with a right shoulder injury since June 30. To date he has posted a 3.38 ERA and 66:13 K:BB in 77.1 innings. Once healthy, Urquidy figures to rejoin Houston's starting rotation.

Boyd (triceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Boyd has been out for nearly two months with triceps tendinitis. Given the length of his absence, he'll presumably require multiple rehab appearances before he returns from the injured list. If he makes three rehab starts, he could return sometime in late August, though the Tigers have yet to specify exactly when they expect him back.

Canning (back) will miss the remainder of the 2021 season with a stress fracture in his lower back.

Canning landed on the minor-league injured list July 15. It's unclear whether he'll be ready for the start of spring training in 2022. Before being sent down in early July, the righty went 5-4 while posting a 5.60 ERA and 62:28 K:BB in 62.2 innings of work. Canning will almost certainly be placed on the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man roster spot in his absence.