MLB Player News

Strasburg experienced discomfort in his neck again following Wednesday's bullpen session and will back off his throwing program, Maria Torres of The Athletic reports.

Strasburg suffered a minor setback in mid-July and backed off mound work briefly, though he was still able to play catch and got back on the mound not long later. A second setback in such a short span of time will likely lead the Nationals to be more cautious this time around, though the team is still determining what to do next. It's possible this pause winds up being another brief one, but nothing in Strasburg's extensive injury history suggests that optimism is warranted.

Gutierrez was recalled by the Reds on Friday.

Gutierrez was optioned Tuesday but is allowed to return just three days later with Nick Castellanos (wrist) landing on the injured list. Gutierrez has been a starter in all 10 of his big-league appearances to date as well as in each of his 76 career minor-league outings, but it's unclear if he'll rejoin the Reds' rotation or serve as a bullpen option. Jeff Hoffman returned from a shoulder injury Wednesday and could potentially remain the team's fifth starter.

Flexen (9-4) was tagged with the loss Thursday against the Athletics after allowing two runs on six hits and two walks while fanning one across 5.1 innings.

Flexen ended just two outs away from recording another quality start and while he delivered a decent outing in this one, he was outdueled by Sean Manaea. The right-handed Flexen has given up two or fewer runs in each of his last four outings and owns an excellent 1.42 ERA across 25.1 innings this month. His next start is scheduled for next week at home against the Astros.

Hill was traded from the Rays to the Mets in exchange for Tommy Hunter (back) and Matthew Dyer on Friday, pending medical review, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

It's unusual for a contender like the Rays to trade a member of their starting rotation, though they've been mixing and matching starters all season, with 12 different pitchers making at least one start thus far. Hill fills a need for the injury-plagued Mets and could see a small boost to his value from the move to the National League. The 41-year-old has fallen off a bit from his late-thirties peak, as his 3.87 ERA comes with a modest set of peripherals including a 23.4 percent strikeout rate and a 4.55 FIP, but he's still a useful starter for a team that desperately needs innings.

Buehler didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Giants despite tossing 7.1 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and a walk while fanning nine.

Buehler did everything he could to come away with his 11th win of the season, but the bullpen surrendered four runs in the top of the ninth and that forced the right-hander to settle with a no-decision. The 26-year-old is in the midst of a career-best season, though, posting a career-best 2.31 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP while also tossing three straight quality starts. His next outing is slated to happen next week on the road against the same opponent, this time in San Francisco.

Maeda (4-4) was tagged with the loss Thursday against the Angels after allowing three runs on seven hits while fanning six across seven innings.

Maeda fired his second quality start of the month and hasn't given up more than three runs in any of his last four outings, but he was still tagged with the loss after being outdueled by Andrew Heaney, who also posted a quality start of his own. Maeda has given up three or fewer runs in six of his last seven appearances, in fact, and he owns a decent 3.89 ERA across 37 innings during that span. He's slated to make his next start next week at home against the Tigers.

DeSclafani allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Thursday.

Thursday's outing was DeSclafani's fourth straight quality start, but it was also the first time he took a no-decision since May 28. He's had his struggles versus the Dodgers this season, but he was able to limit the damage this time to an RBI single by Justin Turner and a two-run home run by Will Smith. The 31-year-old righty has a 2.87 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 110:30 K:BB across 119.1 innings this year. He's expected to make his next start in a rematch at home versus the Dodgers next week.

Heaney (6-7) earned the win Thursday against the Twins after tossing seven innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and two walks while fanning seven.

Heaney hadn't pitched more than 5.1 innings in any of his three previous starts, but he bounced back admirably here with his longest outing and sixth quality start of the year. The veteran southpaw owns a 5.40 ERA since the beginning of June, but this performance was clearly a step in the right direction. He's expected to make his next start next week at home against the Rockies.

Anderson (shoulder) played catch before Thursday's game, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports. "He said his shoulder felt really good," manager Brian Snitker said afterward. "So that was a really good thing."

The club will wait to see how the right-hander is feeling Friday before moving on to the next step in his recovery, but given that he's been sidelined since July 11, Anderson may need a brief rehab stint before rejoining the Atlanta rotation.

Ynoa (hand) tossed 30 pitches in live batting practice before Thursday's game and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, Paul Casella of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta has yet to announce which affiliate the right-hander will be assigned to or what his workload might be Thursday, but Ynoa seems firmly on pace to rejoin the big-league staff in August. Given his 3.02 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 50:11 K:BB through 44.2 innings prior to his injury, the 23-year-old will probably rejoin the rotation immediately, but a long relief role could allow Atlanta to activate him from the IL a little earlier rather than getting him fully stretched out first.