MLB Player News

Soroka was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Soroka will start Tuesday's game against the Cardinals. Soroka could receive an additional start this weekend versus the Pirates, as well, as Atlanta looks to fill the fifth spot in their rotation until Kyle Wright (shoulder) is ready to return from the 60-day injured list. Soroka has posted a 5.52 ERA and 23:11 K:BB over 29.1 innings in the majors this season. He's coming off a terrific August with Gwinnett, having put up a 2.77 ERA and 34:8 K;BB across 26 frames.

Liberatore (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Liberatore didn't pitch well in two rehab starts with Triple-A Memphis, allowing six runs while walking 10 over 6.2 innings. He brought his pitch count up to 83 in his last outing Sunday, and the Cardinals have decided he's ready to join the big club, despite his poor results in the minors. St. Louis presumably wants to stick Liberatore back in its rotation, though it's unclear when he might make his next start.

Hill (7-14) took the loss against Philadelphia on Monday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 1.1 innings.

Hill was in trouble from the get-go, allowing four of the first five batters he faced to reach base and yielding three first-inning runs on a bases-clearing double by Alec Bohm. The veteran hurler was allowed to return to the mound for the second, but things got even worse for him, as he surrendered four straight hits -- including a pair of homers -- to lead off the frame. Hill was pulled with a 6-1 deficit after just 1.1 innings, marking his shortest start of the season. Since joining the Padres on Aug. 1, the southpaw has struggled immensely, posting a 10.71 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB over 19.1 frames while losing four times in six decisions. His rotation spot may be in jeopardy despite the fact that Yu Darvish (elbow) was recently placed on the IL.

Walker (15-5) completed five innings Monday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four batters to earn the win over San Diego.

Walker wasn't very effective in the outing, but he took advantage of a big early lead to take home the victory. The right-hander hasn't been going deep of late -- he's fallen short of six innings in each of his past four starts, posting a 5.23 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 20.2 frames during that span but taking just one loss. Walker ranks third in the majors with 15 wins on the campaign, though his 4.15 ERA and 1.32 WHIP aren't anywhere near the marks of the league leaders.

Burnes (9-8) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Burnes began well, retiring nine of 11 batters through three scoreless frames. However, he served up a game-tying two-run homer to Jack Suwinski in the fourth and yielded two more runs in the fifth. That was enough to saddle him with the loss in a game during which Milwaukee managed just two runs. Burnes extended his streak of starts without a win to eight contests, though he hasn't been all that bad during that span with a 3.99 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB over 49.2 frames. He's still above .500 with a 9-8 record on the campaign, though his 3.63 ERA is well below the standard he set over the previous three seasons, when his worst ERA was 2.94.

Ortiz (4-4) earned the win over Milwaukee on Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four batters over six innings.

Ortiz worked as the Pirates' primary pitcher in relief in his last outing before returning to a traditional starter role Monday. The right-hander fell behind 2-0 in the second inning but didn't allow any other runs and moved into position for the win when Pittsburgh tallied four runs over the fifth and sixth frames. Ortiz ended up tossing 84 pitches over six innings, marking the third time he's pitched at least that many frames in an outing this season. The 24-year-old has posted a mediocre 4.90 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over 68 innings on the campaign, but he's yielded just three runs over 11 frames during his past two appearances, which should be enough to help him continue to hold down a spot in the rotation.

Kelly (11-6) allowed one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings Monday, striking out 12 and earning a win over the Rockies.

Kelly was electric yet again and produced double-digit strikeouts for the third time in his last five outings. He rebounded nicely after being tagged for seven runs by the Dodgers in his last start. Despite that hiccup, he now owns a 3.21 ERA with a strong 61:16 K:BB over his last nine starts. The only downside is that Kelly once again left the start earlier than expected due to cramping. He'll carry a 3.22 ERA into his next start, which is currently projected to be against the Cubs in Chicago.

Steele (16-3) earned the win Monday against the Giants, striking out 12 over eight shutout innings. He scattered two hits and two walks.

Steele shined in front of the holiday crowd at Wrigley Field, notching a career-high 12 punchouts. The one-time All-Star now has seven wins in his last nine starts, dating back to July 21. He has produced a 2.64 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 54.2 innings over that span.

Webb (9-12) took the loss Monday against the Cubs, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out four.

Webb was stuck with his third straight loss even though he managed to earn a quality start. The 26-year-old has seen his strikeout rate drop significantly post-All-Star break to 6.8 K/9 after being 9.1 in first half. Webb has also produced an unspectacular 4.27 ERA over 61 innings in his 10 second-half starts.

Ashby (shoulder) will make another rehab appearance for High-A Wisconsin this week before moving his rehab to Double-A Biloxi next week, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Ashby struck out two and walked two in a scoreless frame Sept. 2 in his first rehab appearance for Wisconsin. If he stays on this track, Ashby could be activated in mid-to-late September.