MLB Player News

Matz (0-6) took the loss Wednesday as the Cardinals were routed 10-3 by the Reds, coughing up six runs on 11 hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out two.

Nine of Cincy's 11 hits were singles, but it's still hard to chalk this one up entirely to bad BABIP luck on Matz's part. He has yet to complete six innings in any of his 10 starts this season and has issued multiple free passes in seven of them, and his 19.4 percent strikeout rate and 8.6 percent walk rate are his worst numbers in five years. The veteran southpaw will take a 5.72 ERA and 1.75 WHIP into his next outing, which is currently scheduled for early next week at home against the Royals. If Matthew Liberatore has another solid performance Friday, however, it wouldn't be surprising if the Cards used their upcoming two-day break May 31-June 1 to shuffle their rotation and drop Matz from the picture.

Senga (4-3) took the loss against the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and five walks while striking out six batters over five innings.

Senga pitched on six days of rest, as this start was pushed from Tuesday to Wednesday. The right-hander began with two scoreless frames before surrendering a trio of runs on a walk and three hits -- including two doubles -- in the third. Senga was able to bounce back with two more scoreless innings, but he racked up 106 pitches by the end of the fifth and didn't go any further. The relatively short outing was largely due to his troubles finding the zone -- he threw 41 balls and walked a season-high five batters. Free passes have been the biggest concern for the Japanese hurler this season, as he's issued at least three walks in all but one of his nine starts. Senga has somewhat minimized the damage from the control issues with an excellent 11.4 K/9, but he's completed six innings only three times and sports an uninspiring 1.52 WHIP.

Gonsolin allowed three runs on three hits and two walks whiles striking out four batters over 5.2 innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on Wednesday.

Gonsolin entered the contest having pitched 16 innings without allowing an earned run over his previous three starts, and he kept Atlanta off the scoreboard for three frames Wednesday. However, the scoreless streak ended with Matt Olson's mammoth solo homer in the fourth, and Marcell Ozuna added a two-run blast off the right-hander in the fifth. Gonsolin still pitched well overall -- he yielded just one hit aside from the long balls -- and his ERA remains sterling at 1.82. His next turn in the rotation is tentatively slated to be a home matchup against the Nationals.

Alcantara (2-5) earned the win Wednesday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over six innings against the Rockies. He struck out three.

Alcantara gave up a run and two extra-base hits on the first six pitches of his night. He shut down the Rockies from there, only allowing another run on an Elias Diaz solo shot in the sixth. Alcantara has failed to live up to his phenomenal 2022 campaign. He has allowed at least two runs in nine of his 10 starts and has a career-high 4.86 ERA. His FIP sits at 3.58, implying he will improve, but he may not reach the dominance he had last season.

Elder tossed six innings against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out six batters. He did not factor in the decision.

Elder allowed six batters to reach base through his first three frames but prevented Los Angeles from notching any runs. The Dodgers finally got to him in the fifth on a Mookie Betts solo homer, though that was all the run production they managed against the rookie over six innings. An eighth-inning LA rally kept Elder winless for the fourth straight outing despite the fact that he hasn't yielded more than two runs in any appearance during that stretch. The 24-year-old has been a revelation for both Atlanta and fantasy managers this season, as he's registered a 2.01 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB through 10 starts covering 58.1 frames.

Stroman (4-4) allowed two runs on four hits across eight innings to pick up the win Wednesday against the Mets. He walked two and struck out three.

Stroman needed only 88 pitches to complete eight innings, as he pitched efficiently and kept New York hitters off balance all night. The righty struggled two starts ago against the Twins, allowing six runs over 2.2 innings, but he's allowed just three total runs over 14 innings in his two subsequent outings. That's allowed Stroman to lower his season ERA to a strong 2.95. He'll look to keep rolling in his next appearance, which is tentatively set for Monday against the Rays.

Liberatore will start Friday against the Guardians at Progressive Field, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Though Liberatore made his last appearance out of the bullpen Sunday against the Dodgers, manager Oliver Marmol previously confirmed that the 23-year-old lefty would get another start during the team's weekend series in Cleveland. Liberatore now has a date set in place for his next turn, and he'll get the chance to build on a strong showing in his first start of the season versus Milwaukee on May 17, when he worked five scoreless innings and struck out six. If he's able to hold his own against Cleveland, Liberatore should have a good chance of sticking around with the big club as the sixth member of the rotation.

Hendricks (shoulder) will start Thursday's game against the Mets, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Hendricks has been on the injured list all season due to a strained right shoulder he suffered in July 2022. He got roughed up quite a bit during his first two rehab starts, but he was able to regroup and surrender just three earned runs across 16 innings in his final three appearances. Hendricks' return will give Jameson Taillon a few extra days of rest, as Taillon's next start will now come on Saturday against the Reds.

Dodd will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday to start against the Phillies in Atlanta later that day, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Dodd holds a 6.46 ERA and 1.83 WHIP in the majors this season through 15.1 innings across three starts. His Triple-A numbers are similar, but he is coming off a four-inning shutout performance in his last minor-league start. Dodd is still in the process of proving he belongs in the big leagues.

Suarez did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk over five innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out five.

Suarez did retire the final seven batters faced, providing some positive momentum heading into his next outing. Still, it's been a rough start to the year for the 27-year-old lefty, as he's pitched to a 9.82 ERA with a 2.00 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through his first three games (11 innings) and is still looking for his first win of the season. Suarez will look to get on track in his next outing, currently lined for next week on the road against the Mets.