MLB Player News

Imanaga (8-2) tossed six scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Orioles. He allowed six hits and a walk, while striking out six.

Imanaga finished the first half of the season in style, as he allowed zero runs in a start for the seventh time already this year. The lefty got off to a blazing start in his MLB debut, posting a 0.84 ERA across his first nine outings, before enduring a few lumps since then. However, he has a solid 3.00 ERA over his last three starts and 2.97 ERA overall, giving him some momentum heading into his All-Star appearance next week. Imanaga is tentatively set to take the mound again for the Cubs on July 20 against the Diamondbacks.

King (7-6) took the loss against the Mariners on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings.

King allowed three hits and a run in the fourth inning but was otherwise fantastic, generating 13 swinging strikes on 91 pitches. He was sitting about one mph above his season averages on most of his offerings and has now yielded one earned run in each of his past three starts. The 29-year-old will take a 3.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 129:42 K:BB into the All-Star break.

The Reds voided Ashcraft's option to Triple-A Louisville and instead placed him on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a right elbow strain, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 26-year-old was demoted after giving up a run on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings Sunday versus Detroit, but he'll end up making his way to the injured list rather than Louisville. According to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, Reds GM Nick Krall said Wednesday that Ashcraft began experiencing the tightness about a week ago and attempted to pitch through the issue before being optioned. The right-hander will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks and will need multiple weeks beyond that to build his arm back up.

Atlanta optioned Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Just one day after returning from the 15-day IL, Smith-Shawver will now head back to the minors without making an appearance for the big-league team. He threw 4.1 scoreless innings during his lone appearance with Atlanta on May 23, though he's posted a 6.10 ERA in eight starts in the minors. Dylan Lee will come up from Triple-A to fill Smith-Shawver's spot in the bullpen.

Hall (knee) didn't suffer a fracture after getting hit in the forearm by a comebacker Tuesday during his rehab outing with Triple-A Nashville, but he'll be shut down from throwing for 3-to-10 days, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Tuesday was originally expected to be Hall's final rehab outing, but his stay in Nashville will once again be extended while he recovers from the forearm injury. The Brewers haven't yet specified a new target date for Hall's return to Milwaukee, though a timeline may emerge once he's cleared to resume throwing.

The Padres optioned Mazur to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

Mazur had a solid MLB debut against the Angels on June 4, allowing one run in six innings. Things quickly went downhill for him, however, as he posted a 9.36 ERA and 2.04 WHIP across 25 innings over his next six starts. He'll now return to the minors in order to right the ship, though he hasn't found much success at the Triple-A level either (7.11 ERA in 19 innings). Logan Gillaspie was recalled from El Paso in a corresponding move.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday that Wheeler (back) isn't certain to make his next start Sunday against the Athletics, though an MRI on the right-hander's back revealed no structural damage, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports. "We're going to be very cautious with him... We'll know [Thursday]," Thomson said, when asked about Wheeler's status for Sunday.

Wheeler was pulled after five innings in his start during Tuesday's 10-1 win over the Dodgers due to left lower-back tightness. Though Thomson admitted that Wheeler is still feeling sore, the 34-year-old looks to have avoided a significant injury. Even so, with the All-Star break looming, the Phillies could have Wheeler skip his next turn so that he can benefit from some extended time to heal up from the back issue. The team should provide more clarity on its plans for Wheeler after reassessing his condition Thursday.

Williamson (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session July 23, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Williamson is poised to throw off of a mound for the first time since he received injections last month to combat a lesion in his left shoulder. The left-hander is hoping to be ready to pitch for the Reds in September, but he'll have many hurdles to clear to make that a reality.

The Dodgers optioned Miller to the minors Wednesday.

The team didn't specifically relay that Miller will be headed to Triple-A Oklahoma City, as the right-hander could instead be headed to the Dodgers' facility in Arizona to work on some mechanical adjustments. His demotion comes after he was lit up for nine earned runs in four innings in Tuesday's loss to the Phillies, bringing his ERA up to 9.87 over his four starts since he returned to the rotation June 19 following a two-plus-month stay on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation. The Dodgers will need a replacement in the rotation for Miller in Sunday's game in Detroit, but the right-hander might be a candidate to rejoin the big club shortly after the All-Star break. The possibility exists, however, that the Dodgers will have Miller spend some extended time in the minors to iron out the kinks, as the team should get some reinforcements to its rotation after the break that may lessen the need to bring back the struggling right-hander. Tyler Glasnow (back) and Walker Buehler (hip) could both be ready to return from the IL immediately after the break, while Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) is in the midst of a rehab assignment and could be ready to come off the 60-day IL by the end of July or the first week of August.

Lodolo came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 12-6 win over the Rockies, giving up four runs on five hits and a walk over 3.2 innings. He struck out four.

The Reds staked Lodolo to a 5-0 lead after two innings, but the southpaw struggled with his command and served up a pair of homers to Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia in the fourth inning before getting the hook after 69 pitches (36 strikes). Lodolo has failed to complete five innings in back-to-back outings, but that comes on the heels of four straight quality starts. He'll try to get back on track in his final trip to the mound before the All-Star break, as he lines up for a home start against the Marlins this weekend.