MLB Player News

Holmes will start Friday's series opener versus the Mets in Atlanta, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta will plug Holmes back into the rotation after he made his first appearance of the season as a reliever his last time out Saturday, striking out four batters over four shutout innings against the Giants. Per Bowman, Atlanta believes Holmes could prove to be a more valuable asset in the bullpen, where he would be able to work at a higher velocity and lean more heavily on his slider, a pitch that has generated a 41.3 percent whiff rate on the season. A decision on Holmes' role beyond this weekend could hinge on the performance of Hurston Waldrep, who will draw a start Thursday against the Cardinals after Atlanta opted to skip Bryce Elder's turn in the rotation. Elder is expected to rejoin the rotation next week, and if Waldrep fares well against the Cardinals and earns himself an extended leash as a starter, Holmes would likely head back to the bullpen on a more permanent basis.

Gallen (3-8) allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four over 5.2 innings to take the loss Wednesday versus the Giants.

Gallen had a decent start going until he allowed a solo home run to Heliot Ramos and a two-run blast to Victor Bericoto in the fifth inning. The Giants went small ball to scrape together three more runs, all charged to Gallen, in the sixth. While the veteran right-hander has struggled for most of the season, he's been particularly bad lately, allowing 20 runs over his last 16.1 innings with a 6:5 K:BB in that span. Overall, he's at a 6.36 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 56:28 K:BB with 17 homers surrendered through 92 innings over 18 starts. His next start is projected to be in San Diego, but Gallen has gotten to the point where it's virtually impossible for fantasy manager's to trust him in any park or matchup.

McDonald (3-6) allowed one hit and struck out five without walking a batter over six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

McDonald ended June on a three-game skid and had gone seven games without a win, but he ended the drought Wednesday with his best performance to date in the majors. McDonald now has a 4.42 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 50:19 K:BB across 57 innings through 11 starts this season. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at home versus the Blue Jays.

Meyer (9-1) allowed five runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks while striking out five over six innings to take the loss versus the Rockies on Wednesday.

Meyer had a good start going, but an error in the fifth inning by Javier Sanoja ultimately led to a four-run rally for the Rockies. Meyer still looked good overall, throwing 56 of 78 pitches for strikes in his first start without issuing a walk all year. With only one of the runs on his ledger being earned, Meyer's ERA shrunk to 2.53 with a 1.11 WHIP and 112:36 K:BB across 103 innings over 18 starts. The 27-year-old's next outing is projected to come at home versus the Mariners.

Freeland (2-7) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings to earn the win over the Marlins on Wednesday.

Freeland put together a decent showing and exited at 85 pitches (55 strikes). The Rockies' bullpen managed to hold the lead, allowing Freeland to come away with his first win since April 7 versus the Astros. He posted a 6.67 ERA over 29.2 innings in June, which was actually an improvement compared to May. Overall, the veteran left-hander has a 7.25 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 68:18 K:BB through 77 innings over 15 starts this season. Freeland's next outing is projected to be a tough one on the road versus the Dodgers early next week.

Abbott did not factor into the decision in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers, giving up two runs on five hits and five walks over five innings. He struck out three.

Abbott got off to a bumpy start with two runs allowed during the first inning, but he followed that up with four scoreless frames. The lefty set a season high with five walks and has now issued at least three free passes in three of his past four starts. The walks led to an inefficient showing, as Abbott needed 96 pitches (54 strikes) to record just 15 outs. Following a string of three straight quality starts, he hasn't made it through the sixth inning during any of his past four outings.

Wheeler did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk across 4.2 innings. He struck out 10.

It was an odd start for Wheeler, as he set a season high with 10 strikeouts but also gave up a season-high 10 hits while failing to make it through five innings for the first time this year. The poor showing also ended a three-start win streak. Overall, the 36-year-old Wheeler is 8-1 with a 2.36 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 84:20 K:BB across 13 starts (80 innings). He's currently lined up to face the Reds on the road in his next outing.

Skenes (6-8) took the loss Wednesday against the Phillies, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on six hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out five.

Five of the runs charged to Skenes came in the second inning, which was capped by Trea Turner's three-run homer. The 24-year-old Skenes has now gone nine straight starts without a win, posting a 5.36 ERA across 47 frames in what's been the first extended rut of his MLB career. Overall, Skenes sports a 3.62 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP and 119:22 K:BB across 18 starts (97 innings) this season. His next start is tentatively scheduled to come against Atlanta at home.

Atlanta will skip Elder's turn in the rotation this week, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Elder had been lined up to make his next start Friday against the Mets, but Atlanta will give him extra time to rest after he displayed diminished velocity during his last outing Saturday. Grant Holmes will now take the mound to begin Friday's contest. Meanwhile, Elder's next start is likely to come next week in Pittsburgh.

Peralta (5-7) took the loss Wednesday against the Blue Jays, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. He struck out four.

Hard contact was a problem for Peralta, who gave up three extra-base hits (one home run). The 30-year-old right-hander endured another laborious start, needing 91 pitches to complete four innings, and his lack of efficiency has prevented him from working at least six frames in four consecutive appearances. Peralta will carry a disappointing 4.81 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 92:38 K:BB across 95.1 innings into his next scheduled outing against Atlanta.