MLB Player News

Quintana (13-10) took the loss against the Reds on Sunday, giving up two earned runs on five hits, striking out seven and walking three over five innings in the Cubs' 2-1 defeat.

It was a solid outing from the left-hander, but he was still dealt his 10th defeat of the season in a low-scoring contest against Cincinnati. He's been on a nice run of late, as this was his sixth straight outing when he's given up two or fewer earned runs. He now has a 3.95 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP and 142 strikeouts over 159.1 innings this season.

Mahle experienced shoulder tenderness following his Sept. 9 start against the Padres and faces an uncertain return timeline, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Reliever Michael Lorenzen will fill Mahle's spot in the rotation for at least Tuesday's game in Milwaukee and could garner additional starts if he impresses in the transition from the bullpen. Interim manager Jim Riggleman said Mahle, meanwhile, is working with team trainers with the hope of being able to pitch again in 2018. The start against San Diego has been Mahle's only appearance since rejoining the big club when rosters expanded earlier this month. Mahle has covered 112 innings in total for the Reds this season, logging a 4.98 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 8.8 K/9.

DeGrom allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out 12 over seven innings Sunday against the Red Sox. He didn't factor into the decision.

DeGrom gave up all three of his runs in the third inning, but he managed to record four straight scoreless frames to end his outing. He left with the game tied 3-3, but Boston would strike for a run in the bottom of the eighth and hang on for the victory. The 30-year-old has continued to pitch well in the final month of the season, giving up six runs and striking out 27 over 20 frames in September (three starts).

Greinke (14-10) pitched 6.1 innings and took the loss Sunday, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in the 5-4 defeat against Houston. He gave up a home run and struck out two batters.

It was a rough outing all around for Greinke, with the two strikeouts tying a season low. The veteran righty had allowed just one run through five innings but gave up three runs in the sixth and seventh innings combined. Despite allowing at least three runs in his last four starts, Greinke still owns a solid 3.20 ERA. His next start will be a tough matchup at home against Colorado on Saturday.

Williams (13-9) twirled six scoreless innings and took the win Sunday, scattering just two walks and two hits while striking out seven in the 3-2 victory against the Brewers.

Dating back to July 11, Williams has now allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his last 11 outings. His 115:51 K:BB isn't spectacular, but the 3.16 ERA across 159.2 innings looks solid for the 6-foot-3 righty. Williams will face off against Milwaukee again on Saturday.

Urena exited Sunday's game against the Phillies for precautionary reasons due to a right hand cramp, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Urena allowed one run on three hits and a walk across five innings prior to his removal. He struck out four and exited in line to earn the win. It doesn't seem like the injury will force the right-hander to miss a start, a home start against the Reds is next on the docket, though the Marlins will likely wait and see how Urena feels in the coming days before clearing him.

Nikorak (elbow) pitched in the final month of the season with short-season Boise, compiling a 4.32 ERA across 8.1 innings.

Nikorak's clean bill of health allowed him to finally return to game action after missing the entire 2017 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. The results weren't overly encouraging, however, as he actually walked more batters in that span (11) than he struck out (10). Regardless, his health was the main concern this season. Now that his elbow is back to full strength, he'll focus on shoring up his performance heading into the 2019 campaign, when he figures to get his first shot with a full-season club.

Lauer allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four across five innings Saturday against the Rangers. He did not factor into the decision.

Lauer gave up a solo home run to Joey Gallo in the second inning, the only run he allowed while on the mound. He was charged the second run after the Padres' bullpen was unable to strand a baserunner he put on prior to being pulled. Regardless, Lauer has pitched effectively across his last three outings, giving up only two earned runs in 14 innings to go along with 14 strikeouts. The downside to Lauer is his inability to pitch deep into games, as he has surpassed five innings only twice in his last 10 appearances.

Marquez (12-10) allowed three earned runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four across six innings but took the loss Saturday against the Giants.

The Giants got to Marquez for two runs in the second inning after the first two batters reached base. After that, Marquez was solid, turning in his 10th consecutive quality start as a result. Though strikeouts were lacking in Saturday's start, Marquez has been dominant of late, racking up 48 strikeouts across his last 34.2 innings.

Davies (2-6) took the loss Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk over five innings while striking out three as the Brewers fell 3-1 to the Pirates.

The 25-year-old isn't providing the Brewers with much length, tossing exactly five innings in each of his first three starts since rejoining the rotation. but his 3.00 ERA and 12:3 K:BB in 15 innings are solid. Davies will look for a better result in his next start Friday on the road in a rematch with Pittsburgh.