MLB Player News

Ritchie will start Sunday's game in St. Louis, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

He's taking over the rotation spot vacated by Hurston Waldrep, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Ritchie has made seven starts and three relief outings with the big club this season, turning in a 4.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 42:28 K:BB over 45 innings. Ritchie hasn't handled a normal starter's workload for nearly two weeks and threw 35 pitches in relief Thursday, so he'll likely be on a limited pitch count Sunday.

Atlanta optioned Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Waldrep looked rusty in two starts and one relief appearance during his first stint with the big club this season, posting an 8.44 ERA, 2.16 WHIP and 9:10 K:BB over 10.2 innings. The young right-hander could eventually get another chance in the Atlanta rotation after the All-Star break, but he'll try to sharpen up at Gwinnett first. JR Ritchie is entering the rotation in Waldrep's place.

Mathews continued a terrific stretch at Triple-A Memphis with seven strikeouts over seven shutout innings in Thursday's start versus Gwinnett.

Mathews had an up-and-down first two months of the season but has been on a roll since the start of June, posting a 1.83 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB over 39.1 frames covering seven starts. His 10.3 percent walk rate during that span remains a tad high, but it's greatly improved from the 18.2 percent mark he had in his first 10 outings. Mathews is not on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, but he looks ready for a chance at the big-league level sooner rather than later.

Smith-Shawver (elbow) will make his next rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Gwinnett, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 23-year-old right-hander is closing in on his return to the big-league rotation following Tommy John surgery in June 2025. Smith-Shawver has made two rehab starts for Single-A Augusta, producing a 9:0 K:BB over seven innings while allowing just one run, and he built up to 46 pitches in his most recent outing July 5. He'll likely need at least two more rehab starts before Atlanta considers activating him, giving him a chance to make his 2026 debut before the end of the month.

Pallante (10-6) took the loss against Milwaukee on Thursday, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two batters over five innings.

Pallante entered Thursday with a 2.68 ERA and five wins over his previous six starts, but it was pretty clear early in this outing that he wasn't going to be able to continue that run. Milwaukee tagged him for two runs on three singles in the second inning, then struck for four runs in the third, with the big blow being a three-run homer by Jake Bauers. Pallante didn't give up any more runs after that long ball, but the damage was more than enough to send him to his second loss in his last three starts. It's been a decent first half for the right-hander despite Thursday's defeat; he already has a career-high 10 victories to go along with a 3.96 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 72:29 K:BB over 100 innings spanning 18 starts.

Feltner (3-3) allowed four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings to take the loss versus the Giants on Thursday.

Feltner threw just 53 of 92 pitches for strikes in this outing. He hadn't walked a batter over his previous two games, but he matched his season high with four free passes Thursday while also allowing multiple home runs for the third time this year. Feltner has a 4.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 47:24 K:BB through 63.1 innings over 13 starts this year, which isn't so bad for a Colorado starter. He's actually been better at home (4.14 ERA in eight starts) than on the road (5.32 ERA in five starts).

Henderson (3-1) earned the win over St. Louis on Thursday, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out four batters over 5.1 innings.

Henderson returned to Milwaukee's rotation after spending over six weeks on the IL due to a back injury. The 24-year-old was held to a modest 76 pitches in his first start back, but that was enough for him to cover 5.1 frames and qualify for the win. Henderson yielded only one run while he was in the game, but his final line sagged a little after the two batters he put on base in the sixth inning both scored following his departure. The right-hander has pitched well for the Brewers when healthy so far this season, posting a 3.18 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 34:7 K:BB over 28.1 innings spanning six starts. He appears set to remain in the rotation following the All-Star break.

Junk (4-5) earned the win Thursday against the Mariners, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings.

Making his first start since May 25 after returning from the injured list, Junk was surprisingly stretched out to 79 pitches (48 strikes). He allowed Josh Naylor to score on his own throwing error in the second inning, while his only earned run came on a Randy Arozarena solo homer in the fifth. Prior to landing on the injured list, Junk owned a 4.80 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 11 starts. Thursday's command was shaky with a season-high four walks, but this performance represents a strong finish to the first half of the campaign.

Singer (3-9) allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 7.1 innings in a loss to Philadelphia on Thursday.

Singer was excellent, covering a season-high 7.1 frames on just 89 pitches. He entered the eighth locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel, but the Phillies were finally able to get to him for a run before he departed with one out. That lone tally proved to be enough for Philadelphia to pull out the win and send Singer to his third straight defeat. Nonetheless, the outing was a positive one and extends a strong stretch by the veteran hurler, who has now given up two or fewer earned runs in six of his past seven starts. Assuming he doesn't get called upon to pitch out of the bullpen this weekend, Singer will enter the All-Star break with an overall 4.72 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 76:31 K:BB across 89.2 frames spanning 18 starts.

Whisenhunt (2-0) allowed two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out four over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Thursday.

Whisenhunt threw 57 of 87 pitches for strikes. Both runs against him came on a Willi Castro home run in the fourth inning. Whisenhunt has impressed in his two major-league outings this season, winning both while allowing four runs over 10.2 innings, though his 6:6 K:BB would be a limiting factor if he gets a longer look with the big club. With Trevor McDonald and Landen Roupp both struggling since the start of June, it's possible Whisenhunt eventually gets a longer look in the rotation.