MLB Player News

Liberatore (3-4) allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out two batters over 1.2 innings to take the loss against Kansas City on Thursday.

Liberatore got an early lead when St. Louis scored twice in the top of the first inning, but he gave one run back in the bottom of the frame on a Bobby Witt (knee) solo homer. Things got much worse for Liberatore in the second, as the Royals swarmed him for six hits -- five of which were doubles -- en route to six runs. The left-hander ultimately gave way to a reliever after retiring only two batters in that disastrous frame. It was the shortest outing of the season for Liberatore, and he hasn't been providing much depth of late, completing fewer than five frames in three straight outings. He's had a few promising starts this season, but it's mostly been a struggle for the veteran pitcher, who now has an ugly 5.23 ERA and 1.56 WHIP along with a 67:27 K:BB through 72.1 innings spanning 15 appearances.

Nola did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Mets, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings.

The veteran right-hander generated 10 whiffs on 97 pitches, with most of the damage against him coming via a pair of solo homers from Juan Soto. Despite the solid strikeout total, Nola continues to search for consistency in what has been a difficult campaign. He's failed to cover more than five frames in any of his past five starts and has a 5.68 ERA during that span. Nola will carry a 5.71 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 77:25 K:BB into his next scheduled start on the road against Washington.

Perez won't pitch against the Giants on Thursday, as the game was postponed due to rain.

Thursday's contest has been rescheduled for Aug. 31, and it's likely that Perez's next start will now come Friday against Milwaukee. The 35-year-old has been fairly consistent all season, pitching to a 2.90 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 14 appearances (10 starts), and he's recorded a win in each of his last three outings.

Roupp and the Giants won't face Atlanta on Thursday, as the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Thursday's game will be pushed back to Aug. 31; meanwhile, Roupp's next start is likely to come Friday during San Francisco's series opener in Miami. The 27-year-old has struggled since the beginning of June, giving up four or more runs in two of his three starts this month while failing to make it through the fifth inning on both occasions.

Ray (5-6) took the win in the resumption of Tuesday's game against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight across 6.1 scoreless innings in a 7-2 victory.

Adrian Houser started the contest Tuesday before it was suspended by inclement weather and resumed Wednesday. Ray entered in the second inning with a 3-2 lead and never let it go, recording his second win in his last three appearances. The 34-year-old southpaw struck out a season-high eight batters. He now owns a 4.07 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 74:38 K:BB across 79.2 innings in 15 outings.

Priester will undergo thoracic outlet compression surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined 8-to-10 months, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Priester has dealt with thoracic outlet symptoms since last season, and he attempted unsuccessfully to treat it with rest and rehab. After consulting with Dr. Gregory Pearl on Tuesday, the decision was made to have surgery. Priester expects to be ready to go for the beginning of next season, but the track record of pitchers coming back from this type of procedure isn't great.

Junk (shin) was able to throw a light bullpen session earlier this week and could throw a higher-intensity side session in the coming days, MLB.com reports.

Once Junk incorporates all of his pitches in a full-intensity session, he'll move on to facing hitters before eventually heading out on a rehab assignment. After landing on the 15-day injured list May 31 due to right shin bone inflammation, Junk appears to be tracking for a late-June or early-July return from the shelf.

Ashcraft (6-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out seven over six innings to earn the win over the Athletics on Wednesday.

Ashcraft had his best start of June in this outing, throwing 58 of 93 pitches for strikes while issuing his most free passes since late April. This was his ninth quality start in 15 games this season. He has a 3.18 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 97:22 K:BB through 90.2 innings on the year. Ashcraft has largely taken care of business in easy matchups, giving him a reliable floor in fantasy. His next start is projected to come at home versus the Mariners.

Sullivan (0-1) allowed eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out two over four innings to take the loss versus the Cubs on Wednesday.

Sullivan threw 56 of 82 pitches for strikes, but the Cubs had no trouble getting to him. The southpaw threw three scoreless innings against the Athletics last week before his major-league debut was cut short by an illness. Sullivan pitched to a 5.76 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 50:10 K:BB over 54.2 innings with Triple-A Albuquerque prior to his call-up, and given his tough home park, he's a risky option at best in fantasy. If Tanner Gordon (hip) remains out next week, Sullivan is tentatively projected to make a home start versus the Red Sox.

Ritchie (1-2) was tagged with the loss Wednesday in the 7-5 defeat to the Giants after he allowed five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in five innings.

Ritchie was tagged for five runs early as he gave up three home runs in the first two innings Wednesday. This was Ritchie's first start since being recalled from the minors last week. The 22-year-old was also a bit wild in the game, throwing strikes on only 54 of his 90 pitches and issuing at least three free passes for a fourth time in seven MLB outings. Spencer Strider's (elbow) presence on the injured list should allow Ritchie to pick up another start next week in San Diego.