MLB Player News

Grove (groin) struck out seven and allowed five hits and no walks over 5.2 innings in his second rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Grove built up to 77 pitches Saturday and has now looked sharp over both of his rehab outings with Oklahoma City, working 10 innings in total while striking out 14 and allowing just nine baserunners. The Dodgers have yet to comment on Grove's next step, but he appears likely to return from the 15-day injured list to slot into Los Angeles' rotation during next weekend's series with the Yankees. Though the team doesn't have a rotation opening for Grove at the moment, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was non-committal on rookie Gavin Stone making his next start after the young right-hander was lit up for seven earned runs in two innings in Sunday's loss to the Rays, bringing his ERA to 14.40 over his first three MLB outings.

Gore did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Royals, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while striking out 11 over seven innings.

Sunday was just the second time Gore had managed to reach seven innings since debuting last season and his 11 strikeouts were a career high. He racked up 23 whiffs and permitted just one free pass for only the second time this year. When he puts it all together, the 24-year-old has boasted some electric stuff and just needs to show more consistency with the command on his off speed pitches. Gore now owns a 3.57 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 74:28 K:BB over 58 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Phillies next weekend.

Smyly (5-2) took the loss against the Reds on Sunday after allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out two over 4.2 innings.

Ironically, Smyly's two losses have both come against the Reds after they also got to him in his opening start back on April 3. Sunday was a similar outing for Smyly, who managed to go less than five innings for just the third time in 11 starts. Cincinnati tacked on two runs in the second, another in the third and two more in the fifth to chase him out of the game. The 34-year-old has given up 12 runs in his two outings against the division foes and 12 runs in his nine other starts total. He now sits at a 3.45 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 53:14 K:BB over 60 innings and will look to bounce back in a road test against the Padres next weekend.

Strider (5-2) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over six innings Sunday, striking out nine and earning a win over the Phillies.

Strider was dominant as usual Sunday, with the only misstep coming in the third inning when he served up a two-run shot to Brandon Marsh. After allowing two homers through his first eight starts, Strider has now been taken deep four times in his last three outings. Still, he's maintained a 2.97 ERA with a stellar 106:22 K:BB through 63.2 frames. The second-year star registered a 3.57 ERA over four starts since his last win May 1. Strider's next outing is expected to come at home against the Diamondbacks.

Kelly (6-3) allowed one run on four hits and two walks over 6.1 frames Sunday, striking out 10 and earning a win over the Red Sox.

Kelly was dominant Sunday, cruising through six shutout frames to begin the contest. He left two runners on base in the seventh and was charged with a run when one came around to score. The 34-year-old righty has won five straight decisions dating back to April 28; during that stretch, he's posted an impressive 44:8 K:BB and 2.41 ERA through 37.1 innings. Kelly will carry a 2.83 ERA into his next start, which is currently lined up to be at home against Atlanta.

Perez (2-1) allowed two hits and four walks while striking out three over five shutout innings to earn the win over the Angels on Sunday.

Perez's four walks were a blemish, but he kept runs off the board for the first time in his four career starts. There's still room for growth with his command at the big-league level -- he has issued 10 walks in 19 innings so far, though he's also racked up 19 strikeouts. The 20-year-old also has decent ratios with a 2.84 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, so he's a safe distance away from looking overmatched. He's projected for a favorable home start versus Oakland his next time out.

Ortiz allowed three runs on five hits and four walks over five innings in Sunday's loss to Seattle. He struck out six and did not factor in the decision.

Ortiz was tagged with a pair of solo homers, including Julio Rodriguez's first-inning shot. Despite a shaky outing overall, Ortiz punched out a season-high six batters, though he needed 99 pitches to get through five frames. The right-handed rookie is now sporting a 4.35 ERA and a lackluster 14:11 K:BB through 20.2 innings. Ortiz's next start is currently lined up to be against the Cardinals.

Contreras appeared out of the bullpen in Sunday's 6-3 loss to Seattle in 10 innings, striking out one while allowing one hit and no walks over two scoreless frames.

Contreras appeared out of the bullpen for the first time in 2023, but his time as a reliever is expected to be only temporary. Per Justice delos Santos of MLB.com, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington implied prior to Sunday's contest that Contreras is likely to re-enter the rotation after Vince Velasquez (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list. The Pirates had initially planned to have Contreras shift to the bullpen to accommodate Velasquez's return Saturday from a three-and-a-half-week stay on the IL, but Velasquez lasted just two innings in his start against the Mariners that day before succumbing to another setback with his elbow. Due to an off day Thursday, the Pirates would be able to get by with a four-man rotation until at least June 6, so Contreras could be available for a relief appearance or two next week if the Pirates opt not to have him start during next weekend's series with St. Louis.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Velasquez is set to undergo an MRI and receive further medical opinions after the right-hander exited his start in Saturday's loss to the Mariners with elbow discomfort, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Velasquez was shelved for about three and a half weeks with elbow inflammation before he returned from the 15-day injured list Saturday, only to suffer a setback with his throwing arm two innings into his start and returning to the IL a day later. The 30-year-old implied that he'll likely be in store for a lengthier absence than the previous one in his second stint on the IL, though he's optimistic that he'll pitch again in 2023. Expect a clearer timeline as well as a more precise diagnosis of his injury to become available once the results of the MRI are gathered.

Megill allowed six runs (four earned) on 10 hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings in a no-decision versus the Rockies on Sunday.

Megill ran into some trouble in the third and fourth innings, but he was able to avoid the loss by exiting with the game tied at 6-6. It's the second start in a row and the fourth time this year he's failed to pitch five full innings. He's now at a 4.67 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 43:27 K:BB through 54 innings across 11 starts. Megill is tentatively set for a home start versus the Blue Jays in his next outing.