MLB Player News

Fried did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk over 5.2 innings against the Giants. He struck out six.

Fried's final line could've looked a lot worse Sunday -- he held the Giants to three runs on a pair of home runs despite allowing a season-high nine hits. The 29-year-old left-hander's surrendered 17 hits in his last two starts (11.1 innings), though he's allowed just five runs in that span. Overall, Fried is 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 45:9 K:BB across nine starts (47.2 innings) this season. He's currently in line for a rematch with the Giants on the road in his next outing.

Flexen allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and struck out five without walking a batter over six innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox on Sunday.

This was just the third time all year Flexen's gone six innings in an appearance, and it was also his first quality start. Despite the solid outing, he came away with a third straight no-decision after the Rockies' bullpen imploded in the eighth inning. Flexen is now at a 7.18 ERA, 1.79 WHIP and 50:28 K:BB with 19 home runs allowed over 67.2 innings between the Rockies and the Mariners this year. The right-hander is projected to make his next start on the road in Baltimore.

Liberatore will make his next start Wednesday in Pittsburgh while he gets extra time to heal up from back pain, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Liberatore had been lined up to take the hill for Monday's series opener at PNC Park, but the Cardinals will instead call up Drew Rom from Triple-A Memphis to start that day to afford the lefty some extra time to rest up and recover. According to Denton, Liberatore's back issue stems from a weightlifting session rather than from his most recent start last Wednesday, when he gave up six runs (five earned) over 4.1 innings in a loss to Oakland. Before falling flat against the last-place Athletics, Liberatore turned in the best start of his career Aug. 10, blanking the Rays over eight innings while striking out seven.

The Cardinals will recall Rom from Triple-A Memphis to start Monday's game against the Pirates at PNC Park, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

One of three prospects acquired from the Orioles in the Aug. 1 deal that sent Jack Flaherty to Baltimore, Rom will be the first of the trio to reach the big leagues. Rom was unfazed by the move from Triple-A Norfolk in the Baltimore organization to Memphis, as he struck out 18 batters and allowed just one earned run on two hits and four walks over his two starts with the Redbirds. The Cardinals will make room in the rotation for Rom while Matthew Liberatore gets two extra days to recover from a back injury before making his next start, but whether Rom sticks with the big club beyond Monday will likely hinge on how he performs in his big-league debut. If Rom acquits himself well Monday, the Cardinals would likely be willing to open up a more permanent spot for him in the rotation.

Smyly is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Tigers, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The veteran left-hander was shifted to the bullpen earlier in August and covered one frame in each of his past three outings, but he'll return to the rotation Tuesday with Marcus Stroman (ribs/hip) still on the injured list. Smyly hasn't covered multiple innings since his last start Aug. 7, so he could have some workload limitations in Detroit. Even without those limitations, Smyly's 4.92 ERA in 21 starts this year makes him an undesirable fantasy option.

Winans will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Monday against the Giants, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Winans was sent down after he delivered seven scoreless innings against the Mets on Aug. 12, so Atlanta will need to put a player on the injured list in order for him to rejoin the big club so quickly. The 28-year-old has 14 strikeouts across 11.1 frames in his first taste of the big leagues this season.

The Giants are expected to call up Harrison from Triple-A Sacramento to pitch during Tuesday's game in Philadelphia, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Harrison has started in each of his 69 career minor-league appearances, but Giants manager Gabe Kapler could choose to deploy the 22-year-old lefty as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen in an effort to keep his innings in check and optimize his performance. Whatever the case, Harrison looks poised to fill a spot in the Giants' barren rotation. He earned his ticket to the big leagues by producing a 4.52 ERA and 1.48 WHIP while holding opposing batters to a .210 average and striking out 109 this season across 67.2 frames in the minors, with all but two of those innings coming in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His strikeout upside makes him an intriguing speculative pickup, though fantasy managers should temper expectations for Harrison given that his innings are likely to be monitored carefully in any appearances he makes for the Giants down the stretch.

Bido is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opener Ryan Borucki in Sunday's game against the Twins, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Borucki is pitching in front of Bido for the second time this season, as the former previously covered 1.2 scoreless frames as an opener July 22 versus the Angels, with Bido tossing three scoreless innings behind him. Since Borucki hasn't covered more than two innings in any appearance this season, he's unlikely to work more than once through the batting order before turning the contest over to Bido, who will be the Pirates pitcher most likely to factor into any decision. Look for Bido to cover around 3-to-5 innings Sunday.

Irvin came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 12-3 loss to the Phillies, allowing five hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

The rookie right-hander delivered his best performance yet in the majors and left the mound in line for his fourth win, but the Nationals' bullpen completely fell apart over the final three frames. Irvin generated 33 called or swinging strikes among his 94 pitches as he produced his second straight quality start and sixth of the year, and he'll look for a better result in his next outing, likely to come next weekend in Miami.

Keller improved to 10-8 after striking out 12 and allowing two earned runs on seven hits and a walk across six innings in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Twins.

Keller had a rough three-start stretch coming out of the All-Star break but seems to have emerged out of the slump. He dominated the Twins to rack up his highest strikeout total in a game since May 14 and backed the effort with 18 swinging strikes. Keller has gotten back on track across his last three outings, maintaining a 3.18 ERA with a 23:4 K:BB across 17 frames.