MLB Player News

Matz will be the Cardinals' starting pitcher for Wednesday's game in Cincinnati, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Matz will be pitching on three days' rest after he recorded two outs in a relief appearance Saturday versus the Brewers. The southpaw will be making his second start of the season after the Cardinals recently moved to a modified six-man rotation. He threw 71 pitches over five innings in his other start back on April 16 and should be able to handle a similar pitch count Wednesday.

Merryweather (0-1) gave up two runs (one earned) while retiring two batters to take the loss Sunday against the Phillies. He allowed one hit and three walks.

Merryweather's control eluded him as he took his first loss of the season in the 3-1, 10-inning defeat. Despite the hiccup, the righty has mostly pitched well for the Cubs, registering a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 11 frames. Merryweather struggled with injuries last year as he posted a disappointing 6.60 ERA in 15 innings of work, but he looks healthier and more effective in 2025. His control remains a concern, however, as he now has a 4.9 BB/9, which could lead to some rough outings down the road.

Doval (2-1) got the win over the Rangers on Sunday after pitching a perfect ninth inning. He struck out two.

Doval made easy work of his opponents and retired the side in order on just 10 pitches. He wound up with the win after the Giants walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Doval is working on an eight-game scoreless streak and has allowed just one base hit in that span. Over his last five appearances, Doval has three saves, a hold and a win. He owns a 2.08 ERA ad 0.85 WHIP for the season but is still competing with Ryan Walker for saves despite his recent success.

Pressly (knee) pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one walk in Sunday's 3-1 extra-inning loss to the Phillies. He did not factor into the decision.

Pressly made his first appearance out of the bullpen in a week Sunday, tossing a scoreless top of the ninth to keep the score knotted up at 1-1 ahead of the bottom of the frame. The right-hander has been dealing with right knee irritation and hadn't pitched since having his knee drained Tuesday. After a slow start to his first campaign in Chicago, the right-hander has now compiled nine consecutive scoreless appearances, posting a 1.00 WHIP with four strikeouts while picking up two wins and three saves over nine innings in April.

Romano struck out one batter in a scoreless inning and earned a save during Sunday's extra-inning win against the Cubs.

Romano threw 10 of 13 pitches for strikes to quickly retire the Cubs' 4-5-6 hitters and secure the 3-1 victory. He converted his first since April 4 and now has two in four chances. Romano has allowed at least one run in five of his 12 outings this season, resulting in a 12.19 ERA through 10.1 frames. Jose Alvarado earned a win after working a scoreless ninth inning and remains the primary closer for Philly.

Martinez allowed a run on one hit and two walks in one inning during Sunday's win over Atlanta. He earned a save and did not record a strikeout.

Martinez entered a 6-3 game and was not very effective. On top of the two walks, he also hit a batter. A double play before Marcell Ozuna's RBI double helped limit the damage to just one run. Martinez entered the game with a clean 0.00 ERA through nine innings. He didn't walk a batter in his first seven appearances but has now issued four free passes over his last 3.1 innings. Martinez was recently dealing with some shoulder fatigue but is the current favorite for saves with A.J. Puk (elbow) on the IL, though Shelby Miller may also be in the mix.

Gomez allowed four hits over three scoreless innings and earned a save against the Pirates on Sunday. He struck out four batters.

Gomez made his Dodgers debut after the Yankees designated him for assignment. It was the first time he struck out more than two batters in an appearance this season, and he brought his K:BB up to 9:9 through 13 frames. Gomez shouldn't see many save opportunities with the Dodgers moving forward but could be used in more bulk-relief spots.

Stanek (0-2) was charged with the loss and a blown save Sunday against the Nationals. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk in one-third of an inning.

With Edwin Diaz apparently unavailable, Stanek got another chance in the ninth inning after blowing his last save opportunity Friday. Sunday's outing did not go any better for Stanek -- he surrendered the tying run on a pair of hits before the Nats scored the game-winner on a Pete Alonso error. Stanek's ERA now sits at 3.60 with a 1.50 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB across 10 innings as he falls to 1-for-3 in save chances.

Blalock (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Reds, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over four-plus innings. He struck out one.

Blalock took one for the team in this 80-pitch outing, as he was recalled for this start to provide an extra day's rest for the rotation. The Reds jumped on the Colorado right-hander out the gate, cracking four hits in a three-run first inning. Blalock was mercifully lifted in the fifth frame after allowing the first three batters to reach, but reliever Jimmy Herget subsequently allowed all those runners to score. Given that this appears to have been a spot start, Blalock will likely be shuttled back to the minors.

Diaz (hip) was not used in a save situation Sunday, and the Mets and Ryne Stanek blew the save in his absence.

Diaz did pitch Saturday and converted the save while throwing 22 pitches, but they didn't turn to him to cap off the series against the Cats. It's unclear whether he has aggravated his previous hip injury or if the Mets were just being cautious with Diaz.