MLB Player News

Wheeler (8-1) earned the win against the Mets on Friday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts over seven innings.

Wheeler allowed a run in the fourth inning but was otherwise fantastic, generating 14 swinging strikes on 98 pitches and limiting the Mets to one extra-base hit. The 36-year-old has now yielded two earned runs or fewer in each of his five June outings while logging four quality starts during that stretch. For the year, he owns a 2.03 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 74:19 K:BB across 75.1 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Pirates next week.

Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that there's a chance Taillon (hamstring) will return from the injured list before the All-Star break, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs initially believed that Taillon would be out through the break when he landed on the injured list with a strained left hamstring, but he's been ahead of schedule in his rehab. Counsell noted that the right-hander would make just one brief start if he were to pitch again in the first half, but his return would still be well-received by a Cubs team that currently has five starting pitchers on the injured list.

Atlanta recalled Waldrep from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Waldrep has yet to make his season debut for Atlanta after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow back in February. The 24-year-old was reinstated from the IL on June 12 and has been with Gwinnett ever since. Atlanta placed Robert Suarez (elbow) on the 15-day IL, opening a roster spot for Waldrep with the big-league club.

Williams (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Fredericksburg on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Williams is finally ready to pitch in games again following last July's internal brace procedure on his right elbow. The veteran right-hander will likely need most, if not all, of the allotted 30 days a pitcher receives on a rehab assignment, but he should be ready to rejoin the Nationals' active roster sometime in July.

The Marlins activated Meyer from the bereavement list Friday.

Meyer had been away from the club all week while tending to a personal matter. He will not miss a turn in the rotation, as Meyer is slated to take the ball Friday on the road in St. Louis. The right-hander will carry an 8-0 record and 2.80 ERA into Friday's outing against the Cardinals.

The Brewers activated Koenig (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Koenig has been sidelined for most of this season, having suffered a sprained UCL in his pitching elbow back in early April. The lefty didn't allow an earned run in his first three appearances before getting hurt.

The Mets recalled Thornton from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

Thornton is slated to either start or pitch in bulk relief Friday against the Phillies. The left-hander made a spot start in May in his major-league debut, permitting four runs on four hits and two walks in 4.1 innings in a loss to the Nationals. The southpaw holds a 4.25 ERA and 56:23 K:BB over 55 innings this season between Double-A Birmingham and Syracuse. Thornton could get an opportunity to make multiple starts for the Mets if he pitches well.

Gastelum has put together a 19-inning scoreless streak at Triple-A Memphis and boasts a 25:2 K:BB over that stretch.

Gastelum had one rocky outing back in mid-May during which he allowed six runs in two-thirds of an inning, but despite that appearance he still boasts a 2.45 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB over 40.1 innings overall for Memphis. The 24-year-old right-hander sits in the low-90s with his fastball, but he's known for a devastating changeup that he's used to log a 31.2 percent strikeout rate in the minors. Gastelum is not on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, but is pushing hard for a chance to prove himself in the majors sooner rather than later.

Peralta allowed three unearned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 5.2 innings in a no-decision against the Cubs on Thursday.

Peralta was pounded by Philadelphia for 10 runs over 2.2 innings in his previous start, so he was badly in need of a rebound coming into Thursday. The right-hander cruised through five scoreless innings, yielding just a pair of singles over that span. However, he ran into trouble in the sixth, giving up three runs before he was pulled having recorded only two outs. The rough frame didn't hurt Peralta's ERA, though -- all three runs were unearned because of an inning-opening error. Peralta has had a mostly disappointing first season in New York with a 4.53 ERA and 5-6 record through 16 starts, and he's lined up to next take the mound against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Boyd allowed four hits and issued four walks while striking out four batters over 4.2 scoreless innings during a no-decision against the Mets on Thursday.

Boyd made his return after missing over seven weeks due to a knee injury and subsequent shoulder issue. The lefty kept New York off the scoreboard, though he struggled with his control, throwing just 46 of 76 pitches for strikes and issuing four free passes. Boyd did, however, get a hearty 14 whiffs and recorded big outs when needed, twice stranding a runner on third base. He was understandably on a limited pitch count following the lengthy absence and may need a couple more outings before he's ready for a full workload. The veteran hurler's next start is tentatively slated to be against the Padres in Chicago.