MLB Player News

Gallen (hamstring) was activated from the injured list as expected Saturday ahead of his scheduled start against the Cubs.

Gallen wound up missing two weeks with a right hamstring strain. That was already his third trip to the injured list this season, as he'd previously missed time with a hairline fracture in his forearm as well as a sprained elbow. He's fallen short of expectations when available, posting a mediocre 4.17 ERA in nine starts while combining a career-low (but still above-average) 26.8 percent strikeout rate with a career-high 11.5 percent walk rate. The Diamondbacks will hope that an extended run of good health for the righty will lead to an uptick in performance in the second half.

Morton allowed three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight over six innings Friday against the Rays. He did not factor into the decision.

Morton allowed a pair of runs in the second inning and then later was taken yard by Ji-Man Choi. The 37-year-old righty still managed to post a quality start against his former team and recorded at least seven strikeouts for a sixth straight start. He now owns a 3.69 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 122:36 K:BB over 105 innings and is tentatively lined up to take the mound next week against the Padres.

Eflin (4-7) allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out five over 3.2 innings as he took the loss to the Marlins in the second game of Friday's doubleheader.

Eflin went into the All-Star break with three straight quality starts, but he could not build on that success in Friday's outing. Starling Marte did most of the damage against him; Marte swatted a two-run homer in the first and then plated another run in the fourth before eventually coming home on a three-run blast from Jesus Aguilar. Eflin still remains an intriguing option due to his ability to log 6-plus innings and the fact that he doesn't allow many walks. The 27-year-old owns a 4.17 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 99:16 K:BB over 105.2 innings and is set up to face the Braves at home next week.

Gallen (hamstring) is expected to be activated off the injured list and start Saturday against the Cubs, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen made a quick recovery after tweaking his right hamstring July 2. This will be his second return from the injured list this season, and the right-hander is hopeful this one lasts longer than the first. He had spent time on the IL with an elbow injury and appeared in four games before going down with the hamstring issue.

Mahle didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 11-6 loss to the Brewers, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out eight.

The whiffs salvaged his night from a fantasy perspective, but it was a disappointing outcome for the right-hander considering the Reds held a 4-1 lead through four innings. Mahle hasn't picked up a win since June 16, going 0-1 over his last five starts after a 5-0 record in his previous five, and on the year he sports a 3.93 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 126:38 K:BB through 100.2 innings.

Houser didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 11-6 win over the Reds, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out one.

The right-hander exited the game after 71 pitches (41 strikes) with the Brewers in a 4-1 hole, but the team's bats came to life after Houser hit the showers. He continues to battle his control, walking multiple batters in five straight starts and nine of his last 11 while posting a 4.33 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 41:30 K:BB through 54 innings over that stretch.

Wainwright (7-6) was tagged with the loss Friday against San Francisco as a result of allowing four runs on five hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

The veteran kept the Giants off the board for three innings before Mike Yastrzemski tagged him for a solo homer in the fourth frame. Things didn't get any better for Wainwright from there -- a three-run homer by LaMonte Wade Jr. in the fifth essentially sealed his fate on a night when the Cardinals' offense was mostly quiet. The loss snapped a streak of six straight outings in which Wainwright avoided taking an L. He'll look to get back into the win column next week when he faces the Cubs at home.

Webb did not factor in the decision against St. Louis on Friday, hurling four innings and allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out two.

The right-hander picked up only two punchouts in the contest, but he was otherwise effective, limiting the Cardinals to a fourth-inning run. He is still building back up after missing over a month with a right shoulder strain, however, and was therefore unable to go deep enough Friday to qualify for the win. Webb has given up only one run across seven innings since returning from the injured list July 9, which could help him maintain a spot with the big club, at least temporarily. He tentatively lines up to next face the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Urias (12-3) allowed four earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking three across 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Friday.

Urias had one bad inning, allowing all four of his runs on one swing of the bat from C.J. Cron in the third frame. Otherwise, he was fantastic in his outing. He got his third win in a row despite allowing over twice as many hits as strikeouts for the first time this season. The 24-year-old has a 3.78 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 112 innings. He is tied with Kyle Hendricks with the most wins in all of baseball.

Hendricks (12-4) won Friday's 5-1 victory over Arizona, allowing one run on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts in six innings.

Hendricks breezed through the first two innings but allowed his only run in the third and loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, though he was able to escape the jam. The soft-tossing righty's 101 pitches are tied for his second most on the season and his 12 wins tie him with Julio Urias for the MLB lead. He'll take a 3.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 84:23 K:BB into next week's scheduled start against St. Louis.