MLB Player News

Nola (ankle) played long toss ahead of Wednesday's game against the Rockies, MLB.com reports.

The Phillies also hope Nola will be able to throw off a mound during their upcoming series against the Athletics, which begins Friday. The veteran right-hander is nursing a sprained right ankle that sent him to the injured list on May 15, and it's still unknown if he'll need a short minor-league rehab assignment before re-entering Philadelphia's rotation. Even if Nola is trending toward a brief absence, the Phillies may still want him to get in some reps in the minors given his 6.16 ERA through his first nine starts of 2025.

Walker (2-3) earned the win over Colorado on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two batters over five innings.

Walker made his first start since May 1, taking Aaron Nola's spot in the rotation after the latter landed on the IL due to a sprained right ankle. Walker wasn't spectacular in Colorado -- he got just five whiffs and allowed a single run in each of the first, second and fourth innings -- but the right-hander lasted just long enough to qualify for the victory. Walker's strongest trait Wednesday was his willingness to go after batters; he threw a first-pitch strike to 19 of the 23 hitters he faced and registered 49 total strikes among his 68 pitches. It's unclear how many more turns in the rotation Walker will get (if any), as the Phillies have an off day coming up Monday, and Nola is eligible to return from from the injured list May 30.

Crochet didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Mets, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Crochet notched his fewest strikeouts in a start since Apr. 8, but he yielded fewer than three runs for a fifth straight outing. The 26-year-old southpaw has a mediocre 4-3 record, but he boasts a 1.98 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP and a 78/22 K:BB across 68.1 innings spanning 11 starts. Crochet is in line to face the Brewers in Milwaukee early next week.

Megill didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Boston, allowing one run on four hits and one walk across 4.2 innings. He struck out 10.

It was a much-needed bounce-back start for Megill, who lasted just 2.2 innings his last time out and allowed four runs in each of his three previous starts. Megill tied his season high in strikeouts Wednesday despite failing to complete five innings, and he was pulled after just 85 pitches. Megill has thrown more than five frames in just three of his 10 starts. Across 48 innings this year, Megill owns a 3.56 ERA and a 66:23 K:BB.

Paddack (2-4) took the loss Wednesday against Cleveland, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks across 5.1 innings. He struck out two.

Paddack tied his season high in hits allowed -- yielding more than five hits for the first time since April 6 -- but he extended his streak of starts allowing three or fewer earned runs to nine. The 29-year-old has a 3.98 ERA and a 35:19 K:BB in 52 innings of work this season. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Rays early next week.

Williams (4-2) picked up the win Wednesday against the Twins, allowing one run on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings.

Williams notched his second quality start of the campaign Wednesday, and he punched out at least six batters for a fourth consecutive outing. The 25-year-old has struggled providing length -- he's thrown 48.0 innings in 10 starts -- but he's otherwise been a solid rotation piece for the Guardians. Williams owns a 3.94 ERA, a 1.52 WHIP and a 57:26 K:BB on the year. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Monday against the Dodgers.

Webb (5-4) took the loss Wednesday against Kansas City, allowing six runs (three earned) on 10 hits and no walks with five strikeouts across four innings.

Webb failed to complete five innings for the first time this season, snapping a streak of three consecutive starts of at least seven frames. The 28-year-old also surrendered a season-high 10 hits. Although there aren't many positive takeaways from the outing, Webb didn't walk a batter for the first time since Apr. 18. On the year, Webb owns a 2.67 ERA and a 74:16 K:BB over 67.1 innings. He's lined up to face the Tigers in Detroit early next week.

DeGrom didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Yankees after allowing two runs on three hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out nine.

DeGrom got 20 whiffs while continuing to put a shaky beginning to the season in the rear-view mirror, as he's now fanned at least seven in five of his last seven starts. The star right-hander has tossed at least five innings while giving up two runs or fewer in each of those seven outings, dominating to the tune of a 1.66 ERA and 49:6 K:BB. DeGrom will try to keep the good times rolling next week versus a hot Blue Jays offense that has a .782 OPS over their last 19 games.

The Pirates announced Wednesday that Barco has been diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in his left shoulder, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday, but the 24-year-old isn't expected to be headed for an extended absence. He's since resumed throwing out to 120 feet after suffering the injury, which bodes well for his chances of returning to action at Indianapolis before the end of the month or perhaps in early June. Barco made two starts for the Triple-A club since being promoted earlier this month after opening the season with a 34:7 K:BB over 25.2 scoreless frames in six starts with Double-A Altoona.

Gausman (4-4) recorded the win Wednesday against the Padres after allowing three hits and no walks in seven scoreless innings. He struck out nine.

Gausman was dominant, tallying 19 whiffs and coming just one punchout shy of tying his season high. It was also the veteran right-hander's longest outing since his third start of the season, and he hasn't issued a walk over his last three starts (13 innings). Gausman has still been inconsistent overall, as evidenced by his 4.03 ERA over 58 frames in 2025, but his 0.98 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB are perhaps more in line with the quality of his pitching. His ability to limit free passes also figures to work to his advantage in his next scheduled matchup against the Rangers, who entered Wednesday ranked 27th in MLB in on-base percentage (.288).