MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Friday that Liberatore is scheduled to make at least one more rehab start at Triple-A Memphis prior to being activated from the 15-day injured list, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Though Liberatore tossed 78 pitches in his first rehab start with Memphis on Tuesday, he wasn't particularly sharp. He spotted only 45 of his pitches for strikes, recording five punchouts while allowing five runs on four hits and five walks over 3.2 innings. Liberatore will presumably make his next turn for Memphis on Sunday, and if he shows more efficiency in that outing, he could return from the IL for the Cardinals' series next weekend in Cincinnati.

Wicks (2-0) picked up the win in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the Reds, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out three.

The southpaw left the game with the score tied 1-1 after tossing 51 of 90 pitches for strikes, but the Cubs took the lead for good in the top of the sixth while Wicks was still the pitcher of record. He's won two straight starts since his late August promotion to the majors, giving up a single run in each while posting a 12:4 K:PBB through 10 innings, and Chicago has every reason to keep running the 2021 first-round pick to the mound as the team tries to secure a playoff spot. Wicks will likely make his next start at home next week against the Giants.

Urias (11-8) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings to take the loss Friday versus Atlanta.

Atlanta's sluggers were active early and often -- Travis d'Arnaud, Ronald Acuna and Marcell Ozuna each tagged Urias for solo shots. More trouble arrived in the fifth inning, and Urias was out of the game by the time the Dodgers got on the board in the eighth. The southpaw has once again hit the skids, allowing 11 runs, including six homers, over his last 11 innings. He's at a 4.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 117:24 K:BB through 117.1 innings across 21 starts this season. Urias is lined up for a road start in Miami next week.

Fried (6-1) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out 10 over seven scoreless innings to earn the win Friday over the Dodgers.

Fried enjoyed his longest outing of the season, which also allowed him to rack up a season high in strikeouts. He's turned in four quality starts over six appearances since returning from a forearm injury in early August. For the season, the southpaw has a 2.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 63:13 K:BB through 60.2 innings over 11 starts this season. Fried is projected for a home start versus the Cardinals next week.

Wacha (11-2) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win over the Giants on Friday.

Wacha was able to secure his first quality start in four outings since returning from a shoulder injury. He gave up an early solo home to Wilmer Flores and a sacrifice fly to Brandon Crawford in the fourth inning. Prior to his last start, Wacha hadn't given up more than four runs in 12 straight outings, and it's encouraging he's getting back to that level of performance after a minor hiccup. He's at a 2.85 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 96:35 K:BB through 107.1 innings over 19 starts this season. Wacha is projected for a home start versus the Phillies next week.

Davies (2-5) allowed a run on four hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings to earn the win Friday over the Orioles.

Davies has allowed a combined two runs over 11 innings since returning from a back injury. His win Friday was his first since June 7. The right-hander finally appears to be in his best form after an injury-plagued season that has seen him record a 6.45 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 57:30 K:BB over 68.1 innings across 14 starts. He's tentatively lined up for a home start versus the Rockies next week.

Flexen did not factor into the decision Friday, surrendering four runs on seven hits and a walk over 5.2 innings in the Rockies' 13-9 loss to the Blue Jays.

Flexen struggled to keep the ball in the yard, allowing three homers -- most notably a two-run shot by Danny Jansen with one out in the top of the sixth inning. The right-hander nearly reached six innings for the third time in four starts. Since the beginning of August, Flexen has posted a 5.23 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 24 strikeouts over 32.2 innings in six starts,

Keller did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over six innings while striking out eight batters in the Pirates' 4-2 extra-inning win over the Cardinals.

Keller tossed five scoreless frames before Willson Contreras took him deep for a solo shot to open the bottom of the sixth inning, providing the only blemish on the right-hander's line. The 27-year-old has now recorded four straight quality starts, producing a 1.38 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 33 strikeouts over 26 inning during that stretch. Keller's season-long ERA now sits at 3.93 over 169.2 frames in 28 outings.

Hudson did not factor into the decision Friday, tossing seven innings and giving up one run on three hits and two walks in the Cardinals' 4-2 extra-inning loss to the Pirates.

Hudson gave up an RBI double to Alfonso Rivas in the top of the second inning, but he went unscathed the rest of the way. The right-hander matched his longest outing of the season at seven frames and he has recorded three quality starts over his last six outings. Hudson owns a respectable 4.02 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 33 strikeouts over 56 innings in 13 starts this season.

Wheeler did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out 10 batters in the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Brewers.

Wheeler tossed three scoreless frames to open his outing before Willy Adames took him deep for a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth, accounting for all the damage against him. The right-hander has now reached 10 punchouts in back-to-back starts and he has allowed three or fewer runs in nine of his last 10 outings. Overall on the season, Wheeler owns a 3.62 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 185 strikeouts over 164 innings in 27 starts.