MLB Player News

Wacha was placed on the 10-day injured list with left knee patellar tendinitis Monday.

The move is retroactive to Friday, so Wacha is eligible to return April 29 and miss just one start. It's unclear if his absence is expected to be that brief or if he'll be required to miss more time. Rather than calling up someone to fill his rotation spot, the Cardinals recalled utility man Drew Robinson.

Wood (back) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the second week of May, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Wood took a step forward in his recovery from back soreness by throwing 20 fastballs in a bullpen session Saturday. He's scheduled to incorporate all his pitches into a side session of similar length Tuesday, but he appears to be at least two weeks away from facing hitters in a game setting. Because he's been on the injured list all season after the back issues cropped up in spring training, Wood will likely require at least two rehab starts in the minors before returning to the Cincinnati rotation. That timeline means he likely won't be activated from the 10-day injured list until at least the second half of May.

Martinez (shoulder) is set for a side session Monday and will then head to Jupiter, Florida to throw live batting practice later in the week, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Martinez has reportedly looked strong in his recent throwing sessions, and Monday's is slated to involve more intensity than Saturday's. The next notable step in the right-hander's recovery will come later in the week when he faces High-A Palm Beach hitters at the team's spring training facility, which could eventually be followed by an official rehab assignment.

Woodruff allowed five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks across 5.2 innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Sunday.

The Dodgers still won the game, but Woodruff managed to get off the hook because the Brewers rallied to tie the game in the late innings. While the five runs he allowed was a season high, Woodruff hasn't be on top of his game at all this year. Through six appearances, opposing batters are hitting about 50 points higher this season than last year against Woodruff, and that's largely contributed to his 5.81 ERA. He is also 2-1 with a 1.48 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. His next scheduled start is on the road against the Mets on Saturday.

Kershaw allowed two runs on two hits with seven strikeouts and four walks across six innings in a no-decision against the Brewers on Sunday.

While Kershaw induced 17 swinging strikes and punched out seven, he also uncharacteristically struggled with control and had to work around four walks. Still, the 31-year-old pitched more than well enough to win, but the Dodgers bullpen blew the lead in the eighth. Even though Kershaw is still awaiting his first decision of 2019, he has a 2.77 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings. His next scheduled start is home against the Pirates on Saturday.

Fried (3-0) allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six over 6.1 innings in a win over the Indians on Sunday.

The offense staked him to a big lead and Fried cruised, posting zeroes until the seventh inning. Fried only has 18 strikeouts in his 26 innings, but the results have been excellent, and the combination of a solid fastball, a plus curveball, good command and favorable team context makes Fried an appealing option in all formats. The lefty lines up for a home start next weekend against the Rockies, a team he held to five hits and one unearned run over six innings at Coors Field on April 9.

Lucchesi (3-2) allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks while striking out eight across 5.2 innings to earn the win Sunday against Cincinnati.

Lucchesi had the Reds guessing throughout his outing, racking up 15 swinging strikes and 15 called strikes on just 92 total pitches. He allowed only one extra-base hit -- a double to Matt Kemp -- one start after being burned by the long ball. Entering Sunday's start, Lucchesi had allowed 12 earned runs in his past 11 innings spanning two starts, making this effort a nice bounceback performance.

Mahle (0-2) allowed four earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out nine across six innings to take the loss Sunday against the Padres.

Mahle was largely effective outside of a disastrous third inning, during which he surrendered six hits, including three that went for extra bases. His nine strikeouts were backed up by 20 called strikes and 13 swinging strikes. Despite allowing four earned runs in consecutive starts, Mahle has an impressive 24:4 K:BB over 23 frames, giving hope that he will turn in a better start his next time out despite a tough match-up Saturday against the Cardinals.

Gray (2-3) allowed one hit and four walks while striking out five across six scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday against the Phillies.

Despite the walks, Gray seemed in control, throwing 62 of his 97 pitches in the zone and beginning 15 of the 24 batters he faced with a strike. He's gotten off to a strong start this season, posting a 2.78 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 32.1 innings.

Eickhoff (0-1) allowed four earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out eight across six innings to take the loss Sunday against the Rockies.

Eickhoff danced in and out of trouble in his first start of the season, but handled Coors fairly well by allowing only two extra-base hits and no home runs. He entered the sixth inning having allowed only one earned run but ultimately let the first four runners he faced reach base, leading to a three-run inning. He'll be in a much better environment to succeed in his next start, which comes at home against Miami.