Jose Fernandez threw to live batters Thursday for the first time in almost a year as he works his way back to the Miami Marlins after Tommy John surgery.

"It felt great," Fernandez said after throwing 15 pitches. "Finally facing hitters, I'm excited. It felt really fantastic. It felt where I belong."

The 22-year-old, who had the surgery last May, is expected back to the rotation in mid-July, but he and the Marlins aren't rushing anything.

"It's a big step in the process, facing hitters, and hopefully that's what I'll be doing soon," he said.

Mitch Moreland underwent a minor surgical procedure on Wednesday to remove some bone chips from his left elbow.

The Texas Rangers will be without one of their best hitters for at least two weeks.

This is the second time in the last two weeks that the elbow issue has flared up for Moreland. He missed most of a week after it first "locked up" in Seattle.

After medication and treatment, the chips settled in a less sensitive part of the joint and he was able to play for several days. He dove hard for a ground ball to make a strong defensive play Monday and it's possible that jarred the chips loose again.

"I didn't know if it was going to come back or not," Moreland said. "When I got up [Tuesday] morning it wouldn't straighten out. It was kind of obvious after that. We did what we could do to get it loose. I didn't want to miss two-three days at a time while we kept trying to get it loose."

The 29-year-old is hitting .304/.393/.457 in 56 plate appearances this season.

Max Scherzer has recovered from a sprained right thumb and will make his next start on Friday against the New York Mets.

Scherzer, who signed a seven-year, $210 million contract as a free agent in January, missed his scheduled start Tuesday for the Washington Nationals after injuring his thumb while batting last week.

"He threw again [Wednesday], just some flat-ground catch, and he feels good," Matt Williams said. "He's ready to go."

Carlos Gomez is expected back from the 15-day disabled list over the weekend.

Gomez has been sidelined by a strained right hamstring. He's eligible to return to the Milwaukee Brewers after Thursday.

"I'm going to tell you this: I think Saturday for sure," Gomez said. "Because I'm tired of watching.

"I feel fine to play to my level. I think it's tough because we've got a day off and then play. After you come through an injury, it's tough to play right away (after a day off). I don't think it's good for you.

"After a day off you feel no good and tight."

Archie Bradley was struck in the face by a line drive Tuesday night, leading to sinus cavity damage.

The Arizona Diamondbacks rookie hit the ground immediately after a second-inning shot off the bat of Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez hit him above the jaw on the right side of his face.

The 22-year-old stayed face down for several minutes as trainers attended to him and teammates squatted near the mound. He was able to get to his feet, walk off the mound and let the crowd know he was OK with a thumbs-up gesture.

He was released from a Phoenix hospital and back with his teammates before the end of the game.

"I tried to throw a curveball in there for a strike and I saw the pitch going towards the plate, then I woke up and I was laying down," Bradley said. "I got myself together and opened my eyes. I could see, wiggled my feet and the next thing I know the trainers are there."

Gonzalez was distraught after the game, saying his night was ruined and that he intended to visit Bradley.

"That is one thing you see once in a while on the diamond that you really wish you never see when you are playing," Gonzalez said. "For me as a hitter, it's a nightmare. It's something you don't try to do. Seeing one of those guys going down, especially a guy like him, who is really young and starting his career."

The New York Yankees have placed Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list with right wrist tendinitis and a mildly strained forearm.

Tanaka will be completely shut down for 7 to 10 days and Brian Cashman said he expects the right-hander to miss at last a month of action.

The Yankees are being cautious with Tanaka in part because he missed 10 weeks last season due to a small tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

"We want to make sure this does not lead to more horrific problems," Cashman said.

Tanaka was superb in his past two starts, but he complained of pain in the side of his wrist Tuesday when he arrived at Yankee Stadium.

Adam Wainwright has a torn Achilles tendon and will miss the remainder of the 2015 season after undergoing surgery.

The St. Louis Cardinals expected as much, but didn't know for sure until Monday night.

Wainwright suffered his injury in the fifth inning of Saturday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers as he was running out a pop-up.

Max Scherzer, who will likely miss his next start for the Nationals with a sprained thumb, says the NL would be better served if pitchers weren't asked to bat.

Following his injury batting, Scherzer told CBS Sports that it's time for the designated hitter to be used in both leagues.

The Dodgers put Yasiel Puig on the 15-day disabled list due to a tight left hamstring before Sunday's game at Petco Park, marking the first time the outfielder has been on the DL in a career spanning three seasons.

Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright is expected to miss the rest of the 2015 season due to an Achilles injury he suffered Saturday night while stumbling out of the batter's box, a source told ESPN's Jim Bowden, confirming an earlier report by Fox Sports.