MLB Player News

Cole (10-2) picked up the win Wednesday, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings in a 7-2 victory over the Rays. He struck out eight.

An expected pitching duel with Shane McClanahan never materialized when the Tampa southpaw developed forearm soreness and got tagged for five runs in the third inning, while Cole was nearly flawless after serving up a two-run homer to Wander Franco in the first. The veteran right-hander has delivered six straight quality starts, posting a 2.27 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 44:7 K:BB through 39.2 innings over that stretch, and he'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, likely to come early next week on the road against the White Sox.

Cease (4-5) took the loss against Texas on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out one batter over 1.2 innings.

By almost every measure, this was Cease's worst outing of the season. He logged his shortest start to date -- previously, he had completed at least four innings in each of his 22 appearances -- and tied a season-worst mark with the seven runs he allowed. Cease also recorded his lowest strikeout total of the season with the single punchout he was able to muster. The right-hander served up a two-run homer to Corey Seager in the first inning, but his demise was the second, when he allowed five runs on three singles, a double and three walks. The poor outing pushed Cease's season ERA to 4.61, which would be his worst mark since his rookie 2019 campaign.

Dunning (9-4) earned the win over the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters over 7.2 innings.

Dunning was staked to a 7-0 lead after two frames and cruised from there, keeping Chicago off the scoreboard until Seby Zavala tagged him for a solo homer in the eighth. That was the only run Dunning gave up in a dominant outing during which he racked up 16 swinging strikes and a season-high 11 punchouts. This was a very positive start to August following an up-and-down July that saw the right-hander post a 5.06 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB over 26.2 frames covering five starts.

Ryan (9-8) took the loss against St. Louis on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out four batters over four innings.

Ryan was hit hard by the Cardinals in the contest, as five of the nine hits against him went for extra bases, including four that left the yard. It was the second time this season that the right-hander has given up at least four homers in a game, with the other being a June 27 outing during which he served up five long balls to Atlanta. Ryan has struggled in his past two starts, giving up 11 runs and six homers over 7.2 frames. He at least struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings in his previous appearance, but his four punchouts Wednesday were his fewest since a June 10 start versus Toronto.

Ragans (3-3) allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out eight over six shutout innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Mets.

Ragans turned in his best outing of the year after joining the Royals' rotation. With Daniel Lynch (shoulder) shut down into mid-August, Ragans may get a chance to stick as a starter for a while. He's compiled a 4.33 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 35:17 K:BB through 35.1 innings over 19 appearances (two starts). The 25-year-old southpaw is tentatively projected for a road start in Boston next week if he remains in the rotation.

McClanahan experienced tightness in his left forearm during Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The issue arose when the southpaw was warming up ahead of the fourth, following a third inning that saw him cough up five runs on homers by Anthony Volpe and Giancarlo Stanton. McClanahan will head back to Tampa on Thursday to be checked out by the team doctor, at which point more details regarding the severity of his injury will be available. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for the time being, but the Rays will be holding their breath that the team's ace isn't facing a lengthy absence.

Giolito (6-8) took the loss Wednesday, allowing nine runs on eight hits and three walks over 3.2 innings against Atlanta. He struck out two.

Giolito served up a three-run home run to Ronald Acuna in the bottom of the third before completely unraveling in the fourth to the tune of six earned runs on four hits, including back-to-back homers from Austin Riley and Matt Olson. The newly acquired right-hander allowed nine earned runs on the afternoon, which matched his career high, while failing to make it through four innings for the second time in his last four starts. His two strikeouts in the contest were also the fewest he's recorded in any start this season.

Crawford did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing four hits and a walk over five scoreless innings in a 6-3 loss to the Mariners. He struck out five.

Crawford's pitched well since moving into Boston's rotation in early June, holding opponents to three runs or fewer in seven of his 10 outings (48.1 innings) while working to a 3.72 ERA in that span. Overall, the 27-year-old right-hander is 5-5 with a 3.62 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 81:19 K:BB across 82 innings this season. Crawford's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Royals in his next outing, where he should be a solid streaming option.

Gilbert did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks over six innings against the Red Sox. He struck out five.

Jarren Duran's two-run homer in the third inning was the big blow against Gilbert. The 26-year-old right-hander has turned in four quality starts in his last six outings -- he's 4-0 with a 3.05 ERA in that span (38.1 innings). Overall, Gilbert is 9-5 with a 3.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 126:24 K:BB across 22 starts (130.2 innings) this season. He's currently slated for a home matchup with the Padres in his next outing.

Rodriguez (7-5) allowed two runs on seven hits across six innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Pirates. He had one walk and five strikeouts.

A day after vetoing a potential trade to the Dodgers, Rodriguez looked sharp for the Tigers. The lefty now has a strong 2.96 ERA this season, and with the ability to opt out of his five-year, $77 million contract in the offseason, he could be angling for free agency and another big payday. For now, Rodriguez remains in Detroit, and he'll look to build some momentum in his next scheduled start, which is tentatively set for Tuesday against the Twins.