MLB Player News

Wood (2-0) pitched seven strong innings en route to his second win of the year while allowing one run on one hit and a walk to go along with seven strikeouts against the Marlins on Friday.

Remarkably, Wood's only hit and run allowed was to lead off the game, as Jazz Chisholm took the left-hander deep to right on the third pitch of the game to give the Marlins an early 1-0 lead. The 30-year-old was nearly perfect moving forward with a fourth-inning walk being his only other blunder on the evening. Wood now owns a 0.75 ERA and an 11:1 K:BB through his first 12 innings of the season and will look to continue his hot start at home against the Rockies on Wednesday.

Marquez hurled six innings against Philadelphia on Friday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight. He did not factor in the decision.

Marquez yielded a single run in the second and fourth frames but was mostly in control throughout the contest. He induced an impressive 24 swinging strikes and finished with a season-high eight punchouts. The right-hander has enjoyed a steady beginning to the campaign, racking up three quality starts across five outings and posting a 28:16 K:BB along with a 3.45 ERA over 28.2 innings despite making all but one of his appearances at Coors Field. Marquez's next start is scheduled for Wednesday at San Francisco.

Velasquez did not factor in the decision Friday against the Rockies. He pitched four innings and allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four.

Velasquez got the opportunity to start with Matt Moore currently on the COVID-19 injured list. The right-hander fared decently well given the venue, allowing only a pair of runs -- each on solo homers -- and striking out four across four frames. Velasquez has now struck out 13 batters in eight innings this season, though he has also issued nine walks. He's likely to return to the bullpen when Moore rejoins the rotation.

Ynoa (1-1) picked up the win in Friday's 5-4 victory over the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk over six innings while striking out five.

The right-hander tossed 52 of 82 pitches for strikes in his second quality start of the season, with his only real mistake resulting in a Carson Kelly two-run shot in the fifth inning. Ynoa is helping stabilize a battered Atlanta rotation, and he'll take a 3.68 ERA and sharp 25:4 K:BB through 22 innings into his next outing Wednesday at home against the Cubs.

Kim (1-0) earned the win Friday versus Cincinnati, hurling 5.2 innings and allowing one run on five hits and eight strikeouts. He did not walk a batter.

Kim was excellent in the victory, throwing 53 of 85 pitches for strikes and racking up 15 swings-and-misses. He held the Reds scoreless until the sixth inning, when Nick Castellanos touched him up for a solo home run to start the frame. Through two starts, Kim has allowed four runs across 8.2 innings while posting a 12:1 K:BB. His next start will come at home against Philadelphia on Thursday.

DeGrom (2-1) went the distance in a 6-0 shutout of the Nationals on Friday, scattering two hits over nine scoreless innings while striking out a career-high 15 without walking a batter.

He threw 84 of his 109 pitches for strikes, and somehow that understates just how locked in deGrom was. He's the first pitcher ever with 50 strikeouts through his first four starts, breaking the mark of 48 that Shane Bieber reached just a few days ago to tie Nolan Ryan's old record, and he's only the third pitcher in history with three straight starts of 14 K's or more, joining Pedro Martinez and Gerrit Cole in a very exclusive club. DeGrom has even emerged as a threat at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs to push his batting average to an astounding .545 (6-for-11). At some point the right-hander will look mortal again, but he'll take a ridiculous 0.31 ERA and 50:3 K:BB through 29 innings into his next outing Wednesday at home against the Red Sox.

Gray (0-1) took the loss against St. Louis on Friday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out six over 3.2 innings.

Gray's second outing of the campaign did not go well, as the right-hander failed to get out of the fourth inning. The bulk of the damage against Gray came in the third, when St. Louis tallied four runs on two doubles and three singles. The veteran did rack up six strikeouts for the second straight outing, but that was about the only positive in an otherwise forgettable appearance. Gray will look to bounce back in a tough road matchup against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Hendricks (1-2) allowed two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six in six innings to earn the win against the Brewers on Friday.

Hendricks struggled mightily against Atlanta on Sunday, but he was much more effective Friday and got plenty of run support from the Cubs' offense to cruise to his first win of 2021. The right-hander began Friday's contest with five scoreless frames before giving up a pair of home runs and a double in the top of the sixth inning. However, he was able to finish the inning and recorded a quality start in a blowout win. Hendricks now carries a 5.68 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 19 innings across his first four starts of the year. He'll attempt to remain effective on the road against Atlanta on Wednesday.

Brubaker (2-1) yielded two runs on five hits over seven innings Friday, striking out five and taking the loss against Minnesota.

Brubaker was incredibly efficient Friday, tossing 55 of 79 pitches for strikes. The only runs to score on him came via the long ball, as he allowed a pair of solo shots to Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave. His offense was no-hit by J.A. Happ for 7.1 innings, so Brubaker was stuck with the tough-luck loss. The 27-year-old right-hander will carry his 2.01 ERA into next Friday's home matchup with the Cardinals.

Lugo (elbow) has begun throwing bullpen sessions, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Lugo underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow in mid-February. He was initially given a mid-May timeline and remains on that schedule.