MLB Player News

As expected, Marlins starting pitcher Brad Hand took the mound for Sunday's series finale against the Giants, which is his first start after the All-Star break. Hand left his previous start before the break due to a bruised right shin.

Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly put together a quality start in a win over the Dodgers on Saturday, improving to 2-1 on the year. Making his first start since the All-Star break, the right-hander permitted one run on four hits and one walk while striking out four over seven innings of a 4-2 victory.

Kelly has allowed one earned run or fewer in all but one of his first five starts. He owns a 2.84 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 25 1/3 innings of work. His next start will come Friday against the Cubs in Chicago.

Brewers reliever Will Smith isn't sure how he injured his back, but woke up on Saturday feeling better. Smith is expected to be "back to normal by Sunday," according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"I played catch and I felt fine; I let a few go," said Smith. "It's way better today."

Smith owns a 3.09 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over 43 2/3 innings of relief this season.

Brewers reliever Will Smith was unavailable to pitch Friday due to back spasms, according to MLB.com. 

Smith did not pitch in his usual late-inning role, but the team hasn't made any drastic changes to the bullpen. The injury doesn't seem serious, and Smith could return to action soon.

Pirates reliever Mark Melancon picked up a save Friday against the Rockies.

Melancon entered the game with a two-run lead. He made things interesting initially, giving up a leadoff single. Melancon then settled in, inducing a flyout, strikeout and groundout to close out the inning. He's now saved 17 games with the club. 

Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel nailed down another save Friday against the Phillies. 

Kimbrel tossed a perfect inning, striking out two hitters. It was Kimbrel's 30th save of the season. His ERA sits at 1.86 following the outing. 

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller will move to the bullpen for now, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

It's unclear how long Miller will pitch out of the pen. He could return to the rotation Wednesday, but that's not certain at this time. Manager Mike Matheny indicated that the move is being made in order to give Miller extra rest. 

Over 109 innings, Miller has a 4.29 ERA. 

The Cardinals have chosen to give All-Star pitcher Adam Wainwright a few extra days to rest following the break, as he will not pitch in the weekend series against the Dodgers, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Lance Lynn will start the second-half opener Friday. He will be followed by Joe Kelly and Carlos Martinez in the three-game series.

The Marlins announced their rotation plans for their three-game series against the Giants, which starts Friday. 

Nate Eovaldi will start the second-half opener, and he will be followed by Henderson Alvarez and Brad Hand, who left his last start before the All-Star break with a shin injury.

Phillies rookie pitcher Ken Giles has overcome allowing a home run in his first major-league appearance on June 12 to throw 13 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out 17 batters and walking three in his last 12 appearances.

Giles has quickly risen through the minor-league ranks after getting selected in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. He's dominated minor-league hitters while racking up 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings over his career, but he's also exhibited control issues. If he continues to keep a handle on the walks at the major-league level, he could quickly factor into the ninth-inning discussion if closer Jonathan Papelbon gets dealt before the deadline.