AROUND THE HORN
Phillies: Bryce Harper didn’t start for the Phillies in Tuesday’s home game against the Padres and the reigning NL MVP could miss at least one more game as he recovers from a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow. Harper had the injection Sunday because of a small tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow that forced the slugging right fielder to play only as the Phillies’ designated hitter. The 29-year-old Harper has lingering soreness and hoped he could return for Wednesday or Thursday’s game against the Padres.
Astros: RHP Jake Odorizzi was placed on the 15-day IL a day after he was taken off the field at Fenway Park on a stretcher. Odorizzi fell while running to cover first base in the fifth inning of Monday’s 6-3 loss. The team described the injury only as “lower left leg discomfort” and said it would provide another update after an MRI.
Guardians: Manager Terry Francona missed his fourth consecutive game after testing positive for COVID-19 last week. Francona and most of his coaching staff were forced to return from the team’s road trip to Chicago and Minneapolis after an outbreak in the Guardians’ clubhouse. The series finale against the White Sox was postponed shortly after Francona’s positive test. 1B Josh Naylor also remained out following his positive test Friday. Pitching coach Carl Willis, who’s filling in as manager while Francona recovers, said he has spoken with the 63-year-old several times. “He’s feeling much better,” Willis said before the Guardians opened a two-game series against the Reds. “I think he’s ready. Again, it’s just a matter of when his numbers or the negative tests come in that he’s cleared to rejoin us. But he’s feeling much better.” Francona missed most of the last two seasons with serious health issues. The Guardians did get back hitting coach Chris Valaika, one of five members of Francona’s staff to test positive. Bench coach DeMarl Hale, first base coach Sandy Alomar and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh were still out. Willis said “they’re all feeling much much better” and just waiting to clear league protocols.
Mets: Jacob deGrom’s latest MRI — his third in six weeks— showed “continued healing,” the Mets said in a statement. The two-time NL Cy Young winner, who hasn’t pitched this season and is recovering from a stress reaction in his right scapula, started throwing off flat ground about a week ago and now has received permission to take another step back and throw harder. The Mets still aren’t sharing their timeline for the 33-year-old deGrom.
Brewers: RHP J.C. Mejía was suspended for 80 games following a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol, the second Brewers player disciplined this season under MLB’s drug program. Mejía, 25, had a 23.14 ERA during a pair of relief appearances for the Brewers on May 11 and 14. He had a 0.84 ERA in nine games with Triple-A Nashville. Stanozolol is a synthetic steroid derived from testosterone. The penalty comes after Brewers C Pedro Severino was suspended for 80 games on April 5 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Clomiphene, a women’s fertility drug used by some athletes to counter side effects of steroids use.
Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe will likely to be sidelined for at least a month because of a stress reaction in his lower back. Lowe, who led the Rays with 39 HRs last season, will be shut down for three weeks and then re-evaluated. The Rays placed Lowe on the 10-day IL on Monday. He’s hitting just .222 this season but leads the Rays in HRs (five) and has 12 RBIs.