MLB Player News

Morton (1-0) gave up three runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out one in 5.1 innings Monday against St. Louis. He picked up the win.

This was a pretty ugly stat line for Morton's first start of the season, but he still outclassed Jake Woodford on the opposite side and rode his run support to the win. Morton got six whiffs on 41 swings across his 81 total pitches, and while the Cardinals have a stout offense, it's still pretty concerning that the strikeout wasn't a viable weapon. He lines up for a home start Saturday against the Padres.

Woodford (0-1) gave up six earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three in 4.1 innings Monday against Atlanta. He took the loss.

He generally needs to rely on guile and deception to have success as a starter, as the righty leans primarily on a pair of low-90s fastballs and an 82-mph sweeping slider. Woodford was put into a tough spot here against a talented offense, and he would be pitching in a hitter-friendly park if he gets another turn in the rotation Sunday in Milwaukee. Matthew Liberatore getting the call from Triple-A could be an option in the coming weeks if the Cardinals want to try something else before Adam Wainwright (groin) returns later this month.

Oviedo gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings Monday against the Red Sox.

Oviedo gave up home runs to Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida and Triston Casas in the first inning. He then recorded the next 11 outs without giving up a run, but he exited before he could qualify for the win. With JT Brubaker potentially needing Tommy John surgery, Oviedo was given the fifth spot in the Pirates' rotation. While Monday's line looks ugly on paper, it's encouraging that Oviedo settled down after a shaky first frame. He leaned heavily on his 89-mph slider, which he threw 46 percent of the time, and touched 98 mph with his fastball, which was sitting in the mid-90s. Oviedo currently projects for a home start Sunday against the White Sox.

Cueto's biceps issue reoccured in his start Monday against the Twins and he will likely land on the 15-day injured list, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

As Mish notes, Cueto was dealing with a biceps issue a couple weeks ago and it was a problem Monday, The veteran righty gave up four earned runs on three hits and one walk, including a pair of home runs, over one inning without striking out any batters. Braxton Garrett would be an option to replace Cueto in the rotation.

Suarez (elbow) will throw another bullpen session Wednesday, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Suarez threw a bullpen session over the weekend, and Phillies manager Rich Thomson said the team was "encouraged" by how the left-hander worked. If the bullpen session goes well Wednesday, he could begin a rehab assignment. Because he's missed close to a month, it's very likely Suarez would need two starts in the minors before he's ready to join the Philadelphia rotation.

Cueto left Monday's start against the Twins with an apparent injury in the second inning, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Cueto gave up four runs on three hits with a walk and no strikeouts before exiting with a trainer. Jeff Lindgren has come into the contest to replace the veteran right-hander. A reason for Cueto's exit should be presented shortly.

DeSclafani earned the win Monday, allowing no runs on three hits over six innings against the White Sox while striking out four.

It was a very strong effort from DeSclafani on an afternoon where he was also provided plenty of run support. The right-hander gave up just one extra-base hit on a double to Yoan Moncada, and he pounded the strike zone while limiting hard contact throughout his six frames. DeSclafani will try and build on this effort in his next scheduled start Sunday against the Royals.

Carrasco and Mets manager Buck Showalter both attributed the right-hander's dip in velocity during Monday's start in Milwaukee to fatigue brought on by the pitch clock, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

Carrasco was bludgeoned for five runs on four hits and four walks over four-plus innings in the outing while averaging just 91.1 mph with his fastball, which is down more than two mph from last season. This is one of the consequences of the pitch clock and it's going to affect pitchers differently. Carrasco will be an iffy fantasy proposition until he makes the adjustment.

The Marlins announced Monday that Meyer (elbow) has been cleared to play catch from 75 feet, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Meyer recently appears to have initiated a throwing program after spending the past few months navigating the early stages of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent Aug. 9. The Marlins are still developing the 24-year-old right-hander as a starting pitcher, but if he avoids any setbacks while passing through the multiple checkpoints he still needs to clear in his rehab program, he likely won't be available as anything more than a multi-inning reliever in the event he returns from the 60-day injured list before season's end, which is far from a sure thing.

Wainwright (groin) threw a bullpen session Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals' medical staff will take a look at Wainwright following the throwing session before it's determined when he might be able to start a rehab assignment. The veteran right-hander is working his way back from a groin strain which he suffered shortly before Opening Day. Jake Woodford is filling Wainwright's spot in the St. Louis rotation.