MLB Player News

Sasaki (3-5) allowed three runs on three hits, five walks and a hit batsman while striking out two over four-plus innings to take the loss versus the Padres on Friday.

The five walks matched his season high. Sasaki has regressed heavily in recent starts, giving up 13 runs over his last 14 innings, including four home runs. The right-hander is now at a 4.88 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 72:30 K:BB over 72 innings through 14 starts. Sasaki's strikeout upside is a plus, as is a lineup that can often give him enough run support to cover up mistakes. He'll look to get back on track in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled to be a rematch at home versus the Padres next week.

Buehler (5-3) allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings to earn the win Friday over the Dodgers.

Buehler put a bow on an unexpectedly dominant June by limiting one of his former teams to a Mookie Betts solo home run in the second inning. Across five starts in June, Buehler never allowed more than one run in any game. He gave up five runs and posted a 27:8 K:BB across 26.1 innings. He has just three quality starts this season because he continues to struggle pitching deep enough into games to meet the requirements, but he has turned things around after a lackluster first month of the campaign. The right-hander is at a 3.81 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 70:26 K:BB through 78 innings over 16 starts this season. Buehler's next start is projected to be on the road versus the Cubs.

The Cardinals will skip May's turn in the rotation Saturday against Miami while he manages back tightness, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

May has been dealing with lower-back tightness since tossing a complete-game shutout against the Padres on June 15, which may have played a factor in him getting roughed up for six-runs in a two-inning start versus Kansas City on Sunday. Delaying the 28-year-old's next appearance will give him extra time to heal and move Andre Pallante up a day to start Saturday on four days' rest.

Gallen (3-7) took the loss against the Rays on Friday, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He did not record a strikeout.

Four of the five runs Gallen allowed came via the long ball, including a three-run homer off the bat of Junior Caminero in the first inning. While Gallen was able to work deep into the game, the 30-year-old generated just one swinging strike on 86 pitches and has now registered four or fewer strikeouts in six straight outings. He'll take a 6.15 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 52:27 K:BB across 86.1 innings this season into a home matchup with the Giants next week.

Thornton did not factor into the decision in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings.

Making just his second career major-league start, Thornton allowed a run in the first inning before settling in with five scoreless frames. He threw an impressive 54 of 78 pitches for strikes with 13 whiffs while logging his first career quality start. The rookie southpaw likely earned himself another turn in the Mets' rotation, which would line him up for a road matchup against Atlanta next weekend.

Wheeler (8-1) earned the win against the Mets on Friday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts over seven innings.

Wheeler allowed a run in the fourth inning but was otherwise fantastic, generating 14 swinging strikes on 98 pitches and limiting the Mets to one extra-base hit. The 36-year-old has now yielded two earned runs or fewer in each of his five June outings while logging four quality starts during that stretch. For the year, he owns a 2.03 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 74:19 K:BB across 75.1 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Pirates next week.

Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that there's a chance Taillon (hamstring) will return from the injured list before the All-Star break, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs initially believed that Taillon would be out through the break when he landed on the injured list with a strained left hamstring, but he's been ahead of schedule in his rehab. Counsell noted that the right-hander would make just one brief start if he were to pitch again in the first half, but his return would still be well-received by a Cubs team that currently has five starting pitchers on the injured list.

Atlanta recalled Waldrep from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Waldrep has yet to make his season debut for Atlanta after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow back in February. The 24-year-old was reinstated from the IL on June 12 and has been with Gwinnett ever since. Atlanta placed Robert Suarez (elbow) on the 15-day IL, opening a roster spot for Waldrep with the big-league club.

Williams (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Fredericksburg on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Williams is finally ready to pitch in games again following last July's internal brace procedure on his right elbow. The veteran right-hander will likely need most, if not all, of the allotted 30 days a pitcher receives on a rehab assignment, but he should be ready to rejoin the Nationals' active roster sometime in July.

The Marlins activated Meyer from the bereavement list Friday.

Meyer had been away from the club all week while tending to a personal matter. He will not miss a turn in the rotation, as Meyer is slated to take the ball Friday on the road in St. Louis. The right-hander will carry an 8-0 record and 2.80 ERA into Friday's outing against the Cardinals.