MLB Player News

Junk didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Cubs after allowing two hits and a walk while striking out six over five scoreless innings. He also tossed a wild pitch.

Junk kept Chicago off the board while Miami built a 1-0 lead, allowing just two hits before departing after five innings. Junk's six strikeouts tied his season high, and the scoreless performance lowered his ERA to 4.31. He's given up one earned run or zero in six of his last seven outings, posting a 4.10 ERA in that stretch.

Wheeler did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Brewers, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out 11 across 5.2 innings.

Wheeler set the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning, with his third punchout being the 2,000th of his career. The hard-throwing right-hander wasn't done there, as he proceeded to strike out each of the next four batters he faced, setting a franchise record of seven straight punchouts to start a game. Wheeler is lined up to throw this weekend at home against the Rays, though he could be pushed back for the NL Wild Card Series next week, depending how the playoff picture unfolds. He has a 13-5 record over 27 starts with a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 188:47 K:BB over 156 innings this season.

King (12-10) took the loss Tuesday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks over four innings against the Dodgers. He struck out five.

The right-hander delivered a scoreless first inning but was tagged for four runs in the second and another in the fourth to end his evening. King's poor showing snapped a four-start win streak and is the first time since July 28 he surrendered more than three earned runs in an outing. During that nine-start stretch, he posted a 2.26 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 45:18 K:BB across 55.2 innings. King tentatively lines up to pitch the final game of the regular season Sunday versus the Diamondbacks, but the Padres are likely to prioritize his availability for next week's wild-card series.

Molina (3-2) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings to take the loss versus the Twins on Tuesday.

With this performance, Molina picked up his first quality start in the majors. The right-hander threw 57 of 85 pitches for strikes and matched his season high for strikeouts. He's now at a 3.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 31:7 K:BB across 34 innings through nine appearances (five starts). The Giants' rotation is being held together by tape at this point in the season, so it's possible Molina gets one more turn at home versus the Dodgers over the weekend.

The Giants announced Tuesday that Tidwell has been recommended to undergo Tommy John surgery, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Tidwell was placed on the injured list Tuesday due to a high-grade UCL sprain, and if he undergoes surgery to address the issue, he would be forced to miss all of 2027 while joining Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald and Carson Whisenhunt on the list of Giants pitchers working their way back from a Tommy John procedure. Tidwell hasn't officially decided to go under the knife just yet, but chances are that he won't be available to pitch next season.

Imanaga allowed just one run on four hits across five innings but did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 8-2, extra-innings loss to the Marlins. He struck out seven and didn't issue any walks.

The lefty was sharp again Tuesday, though he needed 91 pitches to complete five frames, which likely prevented him from going longer into the game. Over his last four appearances, Imanaga has a sparkling 1.96 ERA with 23 strikeouts across 23 innings, and he's lowered his overall ERA from 4.01 to 3.74 in the process. He's not currently slated to take the mound again during the 2026 regular season, with the Cubs instead turning their attention to slotting Imanaga in near the top of their postseason rotation, assuming they lock up their spot soon. It's quite possible that the southpaw even serves as a Game 1 starter.

The Nationals optioned Kent to Triple-A Rochester after Tuesday's game against the Tigers.

Kent gave up one run in four innings on six hits and two walks while striking out three batters Tuesday, but his reward for picking up his second big-league win of the season will be finishing the year in the minors. The 23-year-old lefty will close the book on 2026 with a 5.94 ERA and 1.79 WHIP alongside a 30:25 K:BB across 36.1 innings.

Ritchie (1-4) took the loss after allowing one run on four hits and three walks over five innings against the Reds on Tuesday. He struck out eight.

Ritchie made just one mistake, serving up a home run to Elly De La Cruz in the third inning. The right-hander struck out a season-high eight batters, breaking his previous high of seven. This year, the 23-year-old has posted a 4.79 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 66:41 K:BB over 67.2 innings. Ritchie is slated to make his final start Sunday against the Marlins.

Bachar will start Wednesday against the Cardinals in a bullpen game for the Pirates, Dominic Campbell of SI.com reports.

For the second time in four days, Bachar will work as an opener for Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old righty gave up one run on three hits during his lone inning of work against the Royals on Sunday, and he'll likely be pulled after pitching an inning or two against St. Louis.

Williamson (5-4) earned the win after allowing three hits over six scoreless innings against Atlanta on Tuesday. He struck out two.

Williamson made his first start since Sept. 2 against the Padres. The left-hander recorded his first quality start since April 6 on Tuesday. Through eight starts (11 games) this season, Williamson owns a 4.89 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 33:27 K:BB over 49.2 innings. The 28-year-old is slated to start Game 162 against the Blue Jays on Sunday.