UNDATED (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty will make his first start of the season in the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol made the surprise announcement before the first game of a day-night doubleheader against the Pirates on Tuesday.
Flaherty had a platelet-rich-plasma injection in his shoulder in early March to combat inflammation. He went 9-2 last season with a 3.22 ERA before the shoulder injury cut his season short.
Elsewhere in MLB:
—Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler had bone spurs removed from his right elbow in a procedure unrelated to the flexor strain that has sidelined him. Buehler says he had the arthroscopic surgery done Monday. The right-hander is expected to be out 10 to 12 weeks.
—Houston Astros right-hander Hector Neris is serving a reduced suspension after his ejection last week from a game in which he plunked one Seattle batter and nearly hit another in the head. Neris was initially suspended four games by Major League Baseball for his actions June 6 game against the Mariners. He will be reinstated before Saturday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox.
—Former NFL wide receiver is giving baseball another shot. Tate has signed to play for the Port Angeles Lefties of the West Coast League, a summer league for college players. Tate played in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. The 33-year-old played two seasons of college baseball at Notre Dame as an outfielder.
