Phil Hughes strikes out seven in first rehab start - MLB

Phil Hughes, who has been on the disabled list for two months with shoulder inflammation, allowed one run in 4 1/3innings and fanned seven Sunday for short-season Single-A Staten Island in his first rehab start.

According to ESPNNewYork.com, Hughes was consistently at 92-93 mph with his fastball and touched 95 mph in the outing, which is great news for the Yankees. Hughes was in the 88-91 mph range while getting lit up in three starts before landing on the disbaled list.

Hughes gave up three hits and walked one today. His last pitch was taken out of the park for a homer from catcher Nelfi Zapata, but everything prior to that was encouraging.

Hughes threw 61 pitches in all. He’s expected to make at least three more rehab starts before rejoining the Yankees next month. Although the Bombers have lost both Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain to injuries, they have every intention of bringing Hughes back as a starting pitcher.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”