MLB Player News

Martinez (8-6) struck out three in a 5-4 win over the Giants on Saturday, giving up two hits and two walks over two innings of work.

Martinez picked up his first win since Aug. 24, holding San Francisco off the board in the final two innings. His ERA sits at 3.19 for the season with a 113:58 K:BB over 115.2 innings, and the 27-year-old is expected to serve as the Cardinals' closer for the remainder of the season.

Musgrove is done for the season after recently being diagnosed with a stress reaction on the front of his pelvic bone and a strain in his abdominal wall muscle, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Musgrove will end the 2018 season with an underwhelming 4.06 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 6-9 record in 19 starts, yet those numbers hide his promising 1.8 BB/9 -- control which would help him even if he doesn't drastically spike his strikeout ability in 2019. The righty, who'll turn 26 in December, still boasts intriguing skills that warrant attention from mixed-league fantasy players in the late rounds next spring, assuming these health issues don't halt his preseason prep.

Wainwright struck out six but was tagged with four earned runs over 6.1 innings in a no-decision against the Giants on Saturday. He allowed eight hits and no walks as the Cardinals eventually won 5-4 in 10 innings.

Wainwright gave up only one run through the first six innings, but he ran into trouble in the seventh as he gave up four hits before he came out of the game. The 37-year-old has made just seven starts this season, compiling a 4.08 ERA and 1.50 WHIP along with a 33:17 K:BB.

Teheran allowed four runs on five hits in 6.1 innings Friday against the Phillies, striking out five and walking three in a no-decision.

Teheran pitched effectively after giving up a first-inning homer to Cesar Hernandez, throwing five scoreless innings before allowing three runs in the top of the seventh. Teheran's numbers this season are a little peculiar, as he has an elevated 4.03 ERA but his .199 batting average against make him just one of four starting pitchers holding opponents to a sub-.200 average (Blake Snell, Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole the other three). While he does limit the hits, he's given up the third most walks (82) in the majors and surrendered 25 home runs in 169.2 innings as well. Teheran's next start will be determined by the rotation the Braves decide to go with, as he'll face either the Mets in New York or have a rematch with the Phillies in Philadelphia.

Lauer (6-7) picked up the win against the Dodgers on Friday, giving up one earned run on four hits over five innings, striking out five and walking two in the Padres' 5-3 victory.

He didn't work very deep into the game but Lauer managed to hold the Dodgers to the one earned run and got rewarded with his sixth victory of the season. He now has a 4.60 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP to go along with 94 strikeouts through 105.2 innings in 2018.

Stripling didn't factor into the decision against the Padres on Friday, giving up two earned runs on three hits over 3.1 innings, striking out four and walking two as the Dodgers fell 5-3.

Stripling hasn't quite been able to recapture his brilliant form since returning from the disabled list with a back injury, as this marked his second straight where he's lasted just 3.1 frames before getting chased from the game. His 2.84 ERA and 1.15 WHIP for the season are still great numbers, so he'll look to get back on that track in his next start which will see him take the mound on the road against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Marquez (13-10) got the win against the Diamondbacks on Friday, giving up two earned runs on six hits over seven strong innings, striking out 11 and walking none in Colorado's 6-2 victory.

The right-hander continues to dominate, as this marked the fourth time in his last five outings that he's recorded double-digit strikeouts. He's been punching batters out at a prolific rate for a while now, as this performance brought him up to 210 strikeouts in 184.1 innings on the season. The 23-year-old has pitched like a legitimate ace for much of the second half of 2018, as he's sporting a brilliant 2.44 ERA since the beginning of August - a feat all the more impressive considering he pitches on a Rockies team that plays home games in one of the more difficult venues for pitchers in the league in Coors Field.

Greinke (14-11) got the loss against the Rockies on Friday, giving up three earned runs on four hits over 7.1 innings, striking out six and walking two as the Diamondbacks fell 6-2.

It was a strong outing for the right-hander but his teammates didn't offer him much run support and the Rockies tagged the Arizona bullpen for three earned runs after he left the contest, eventually forcing Greinke to settle for his 11th defeat of the season. He's just 1-3 over his last five starts, but Greinke has provided excellent fantasy value overall once again at age 34 this season, as he's sporting a 3.21 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP to go along with a 193:41 K:BB over 201.2 innings.

Martinez earned his fourth save of the season in Friday's 5-3 victory over the Giants. He allowed one hit and struck out two over one inning of work.

The former Cardinals' starter picked up his first save since Sept. 10 with Friday's scoreless ninth frame, and he has now converted all four of his save opportunities on the year. His ERA sits at 3.25 for the season with a 110:56 K:BB ratio over 113.2 innings, and he'll likely continue to maintain his hold on the closer duties for St. Louis provided that he remains effective.

Castillo struck out five in 8.1 scoreless innings Friday against the Marlins, allowing five hits and one walk in a no-decision.

Castillo was outstanding in Friday's outing, allowing just one extra-base hit while throwing 73 of 102 pitches for strikes. In his last 10 starts, Castillo has thrown six quality starts and three of those have been scoreless outings. On the season the young right-hander has a 4.30 ERA and 1.22 WHIP to go along with a 165:49 K:BB in 169.2 innings. His next scheduled start will be a matchup with the Pirates at home.