MLB Player News

Gray (4-6) took the loss Monday, allowing six runs on nine hits and one walk over five innings against St. Louis. He struck out six.

Gray surrendered a season-high six earned runs and allowed multiple home runs for the third time over his past four starts. During that stretch, the right-hander has a 6.04 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and a 21:7 K:BB through 22.1 innings. The homers are a concerning trend considering Gray had given up only three long balls over his previous 10 appearances before his recent struggles. Overall, the 25-year-old's numbers are still solid (3.64 ERA and 1.39 WHIP), and he's entrenched atop the Nationals' rotation moving forward. Gray's next start lines up against the Padres this coming weekend.

Flaherty (4-5) earned the win Monday, allowing six runs on 10 hits and one walk over 6.1 innings against the Nationals. He struck out five.

Flaherty allowed five runs through the first two frames, but he was able to keep the Cardinals within striking distance by tossing four straight scoreless innings before getting into trouble again in the seventh. It was just the third time all season that the right-hander had recorded an out in the seventh inning. Despite earning the win Monday, Flaherty has struggled over his last two starts, allowing 20 hits and 12 earned runs with a 8:4 K:BB across 10.2 innings. Before that, he'd allowed three or fewer runs in six straight starts, posting a 2.06 ERA and 1.37 WHIP during that stretch. Flaherty will look to get back on track in his next outing, which is tentatively scheduled during the Cardinals' two-game set versus the Cubs in London.

Solometo struck out seven batters and allowed two earned runs in five innings in his first start for Double-A Altoona.

The low-slot southpaw carved up High-A hitters to the tune of a 2.30 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 58.2 innings through 12 starts before earning the promotion to Double-A. The 6-foot-5 Solometo has one of the most deceptive arm actions in the minors, somewhat reminiscent of Madison Bumgarner's delivery, and it's possible he could still add a tick to his low-90s fastball in the coming years.

Lesko (elbow) will make his pro debut Tuesday in the Arizona Complex League, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

The best prep pitcher in last year's draft class, Lesko had Tommy John surgery last spring, and he will be eased into pro action against rookie-level hitters. Assuming his stuff is back to where it was pre-surgery, Lesko should quickly ascend to Single-A Lake Elsinore.

Wacha allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings in a no-decision in Monday's 7-4 extra-inning loss to the Giants. He didn't strike out any batters in the 93-pitch start.

Wacha was far from overpowering in the outing -- he notched just three whiffs and didn't strike out any batters -- but he still managed his fourth straight quality start. The right-hander kept the Giants off the scoreboard for four frames before giving up a solo homer in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Wacha improved his ERA to 2.90 with the performance, and that mark is a remarkable 1.14 since the start of May. The veteran has also posted a 0.81 WHIP and 46:16 K:BB over 55.1 innings across nine starts during that span.

Burnes dropped to 5-5 in Monday's 9-1 loss to Arizona, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Nearly all of the damage against Burnes came in the first inning, when he gave up six runs on five hits. The scoring tally in that frame matched the total Burnes had yielded over 20 innings in his previous three starts combined. To his credit, the right-hander hung around for four more frames and gave up just one more run, but Milwaukee's offense never came close to making the game interesting. Burnes had registered four straight quality starts coming into the contest, but he's had an uncharacteristic number of blow-ups this season, giving up five or more earned runs on four different occasions. His 3.96 ERA is on track to be his worst since 2019.

Kelly moved to 9-3 in Monday's 9-1 win over Milwaukee, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over seven innings.

In another excellent outing, Kelly notched his fifth straight quality start and gave up just three hits for the second straight appearance. The right-hander has rattled off eight victories since his last loss and is tied for second in the majors with nine victories on the campaign. Kelly has also upped his strikeout rate considerably this season, tallying 96 punchouts over 90 frames. Coming into 2023, he had never averaged more than a strikeout per inning.

Bido (0-1) yielded three runs on five hits and two walks over six innings Monday, striking out seven and taking a loss against the Cubs.

The Cubs tagged Bido with three runs in the second inning of what was otherwise a strong start. He was handed his first career loss as the Pirates were shut out by Drew Smyly and the Cubs. Bido has compiled a 13:5 K:BB across 10 frames in his first two MLB starts. The right-handed rookie is currently scheduled to take the mound in Miami this weekend.

Smyly (7-4) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win Monday against the Pirates. He allowed three hits and five walks while striking out four.

The Cubs scored three runs in the second inning and that was more than enough for Smyly in the eventual 8-0 victory. The lefty struggled with control, issuing a season high in walks, and needed 94 pitches to cover five innings, but he was otherwise strong as he lowered his season ERA to 3.38. Smyly is now tied for second on the team in wins, one behind Marcus Stroman. The veteran will look to build on this in his next outing, which will likely come early next week against the Phillies, as the Cubs have two off days this week that will push the whole rotation back.

Gomber (4-7) allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits over 5.1 innings Monday, striking out six and taking a loss against the Reds.

Gomber served up three solo homers and was later charged with two more runs after being removed in the sixth inning. He's been taken deep 13 times over his last eight starts while registering an unsightly 7.68 ERA during that stretch. On the bright side, Gomber now owns a 50:28 K:BB after tying his season high with six punchouts. He'll carry a 7.25 ERA into his next outing, which is currently lined up to be at home against the Angels.