MLB Player News

Against the Yankees Wednesday, Shelby Miller stunk again, allowing seven runs on nine hits with two walks and only one strikeout in five innings. Same old, same old, right?

Except his comments after the game revealed something new:

"I gave up some big hits on curveballs, two of them were first-pitch," Miller said. "I don't know if I was tipping it or not."

Let's ignore for a minute the possibility of him tipping his pitches. What encourages me is the use of his curveball.

It's a pitch that helped distinguish Miller as a prospect coming up through the minors and a pitch he threw about a quarter of the time in his first 15 starts last year, when he had a 2.35 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings. But perhaps because the 15th of those starts wasn't his best, he's shied away from it since, resulting in a 3.90 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 27 starts.

He's gotten back to throwing it close to 20 percent of the time in his last three starts, which had resulted in improved strikeout and walk rates until this latest start.

Maybe he's on the right track and we just don't know it because he is, in fact, tipping his pitches. Given his upside, he's worth stashing for a start or two more just to be sure.

Aside from the high walk rate, Cardinals starting pitcher Shelby Miller's problem seems to be hitters are doing a good job with in-game adjustments against the right-handed hurler.

Opponents are batting .161 in their first plate appearance against Miller, but that number jumps significantly to .358 with a .448 on-base percentage, .667 slugging percentage and 1.115 OPS in their second plate appearance.

Miller also seems to struggle in the third and fourth inning. In the third inning, batters have a slash line of .341/.473/.545/1.018 against Miller, while posting a .362/.392/.723/1.116 slash line in the fourth inning.

It also seems Miller is at his best when he gets extra rest. He is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in six starts on four days rest, as opposed to 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with five days rest.

For as disappointing Miller has been compared to what was expected, he hasn't been totally useless in Fantasy. From Week 3 through Week 7, he averaged 24.6 Fantasy points. Though, through the other four scoring periods, including Week 9, he's totaled minus-2 Fantasy points.

I can see Fantasy owners benching Miller during a one-start week for a two-start pitcher or a one-start pitcher with a more favorable matchup. But by no means am I giving up on Miller. He clearly has the potential to turn it around.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman delivered a 1-2-3 ninth inning Wednesday, striking out two while preserving his team's 3-2 win over the Dodgers.

Chapman's fifth save since returning from the disabled list was much like his previous appearances, as he was able to notch multiple strikeouts for the sixth time in seven appearances. He owns a 2.25 ERA and 14:3 K:BB ratio in seven innings to go with his five saves.

Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller was hammered in a loss Wednesday, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits and two walks in five innings while striking out one in his team's 7-4 loss to the Yankees.

Miller (6-4) has now recorded back-to-back losses after a quality stretch in which he went 6-0 in seven starts. He wasn't hit hard Wednesday, as eight of the nine hits he surrendered were singles, but the Yankees were able to score four runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth.

Miller owns a 3.94 ERA and 46:32 K:BB ratio in 61 2/3 innings. He's on track to face the Royals Monday.

Giants pitcher George Kontos emerged with a win Wednesday after striking out two in 1 1/3 perfect innings in his team's 5-0 win over the Cubs.

Kontos (1-0) began the sixth inning having inherited a no-hitter from starter Tim Lincecum, and he was able to record four outs before handing the no-hitter over to another reliever, who spoiled the no-hit bid. Kontos has yet to allow a run on four hits and no walks in six innings while striking out six.

Cubs pitcher Pedro Strop is getting close to being sent on a rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.

Strop has been on the disabled list since May 7 due to a strained groin. He is currently rehabbing at the team's spring-training complex in Arizona.

Dodgers close Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth in Tuesday's game against the Reds, a 6-3 win.

Pitching for the second night in a row, Jansen set the Reds down in order on just nine pitches. He struck out two batters to end the outing, giving him his 16th save.

Jansen has blown two saves this season, while striking out 39 batters in 24 innings en route to a 3.75 ERA. 

Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly is still in the "healing phase" of his recovery from a hamstring injury, as manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com Tuesday.

Kelly has been limited to throwing off flat ground as he works his way back from a hamstring injury suffered in mid-April. At this point, it is not yet known when he will be able to throw off the mound, let alone return to game action. He will also require a minor-league rehab stint before coming back from the injury.

The Marlins and Nationals had their matchup rained out at Nationals Park Tuesday, and the game will not be made up over the next two days. Even with both clubs off Thursday, the game will be made up at a later date, manager Matt Williams told reporters after the game was postponed.

The Nationals will skip Blake Treinen in the rotation, with Jordan Zimmermann expected to make his scheduled start Wednesday. Treinen will work out of the bullpen until his next turn in the rotation comes. The Marlins have not announced their rotation plans yet. 

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen entered in the eighth and worked past a jam in the ninth to secure a 4-3 win and the save Monday night against Cincinnati.

Jansen pitched 1 1/3 innings and yielded one hit, with one walk and two strikeouts. of his 26 pitches, 18 were strikes. It was the fourth four-out save of Jansen's career. His last came four-out save came on Aug. 12, 2013 against the Mets. He is 15 for 17 in save chances with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 23 innings of relief.