MLB Player News

Wacha (oblique) will make his next rehab appearance with Double-A Springfield on Thursday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The news was confirmed by interim manager Mike Shildt, with the move up in competition at least a mild surprise given how Wacha struggled in his first minor-league outing with High-A Palm Beach on Saturday. Wacha was charged with three earned runs over just two-thirds of an inning, but the Cardinals apparently view that hiccup as an outlier. The right-hander is likely to make at least another pair of rehab appearances following Thursday's outing, with an eventual move up to Triple-A Memphis likely.

Wainwright (elbow) fired two scoreless innings in Double-A Springfield's rain-shortened win over Corpus Christi on Sunday, allowing a hit and recording four strikeouts.

The veteran right-hander moved his rehab up one level of competition after making his first two appearances with High-A Palm Beach, and the results were highly encouraging. Wainwright fired 27 pitches overall, and given the success of the outing, he could be in line to make his next minor-league start with Triple-A Memphis.

Martinez (shoulder) gave up an earned run on a hit over three innings and recorded two strikeouts over two appearances with Double-A Springfield on Friday and Sunday. He'll return to St. Louis on Monday for a medical evaluation by team doctors, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander was particularly sharp in Sunday's outing, getting through his one perfect frame by throwing 12 of 15 pitches for strikes. Martinez is slated for a bullpen role upon activation, and he's likely to remain in that capacity for what remains of the regular season.

Taillon gave up one run on five hits and three walks while striking out eight in six innings Sunday against the Cubs. He did not factor into the decision.

He has only struck out eight or more on three other occasions this season, but apart from his middling strikeout rate, Taillon has been excellent in his age-26 season. After this start, he sits at 146 innings after throwing 147.2 total innings in 2017, so it's good to see Taillon isn't fading down the stretch. His next start will come Saturday in Milwaukee.

Marquez (11-9) gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five in seven innings Sunday in Atlanta. He picked up the win.

He now has a 2.88 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 81 innings away from Coors Field this year. However, given his 6.42 ERA in 61.2 innings at home, it would be wise to consider sitting him for his next start Saturday when the Rockies host the Cardinals.

Kershaw (6-5) fired seven innings and earned the victory Sunday, allowing one run on a walk and four hits while striking out seven in the 12-1 routing of the Mariners.

Kershaw is absolutely dealing right now, with Sunday's win giving him six straight starts allowing just two runs or fewer. He's dropped his season ERA to 2.40 in 116.1 innings alongside a strong 115:20 K:BB. He'll look for his third August win next weekend against the Padres.

Greinke threw six innings Sunday, yielding three runs on a walk and five hits in the 4-3 win over the Padres. He allowed a homer and struck out seven in the no-decision.

Greinke was 0-3 in three August starts heading into Sunday's outing, so it's good to see him snap the losing streak, even if he didn't get back in the win column. The seven strikeouts were his highest since July 22 when he punched out 13 batters. The former Cy Young winner has put together another strong campaign in 2018 with a 3.06 ERA and 165:32 K:BB. Greinke will aim for his 13th win next Sunday at home against the Mariners.

Castillo (7-10) earned the win Sunday against the Giants, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out nine.

It was a nice bounce-back effort from Castillo, who was tagged for five runs his last time out. The 25-year-old was sharp throughout this one, tossing 76 of his 98 pitches for strikes en route to picking up his first quality start in three appearances this month. After struggling through the first half of the season, Castillo has posted a solid 2.10 ERA through five second-half starts (30 innings). He'll look to keep things rolling in his next assignment, which will come on the road against the Cubs.

Urena (4-12) allowed one run on two hits and two walks in a complete-game win Sunday against the Nationals. He struck out four.

Urena threw 66 percent of his pitches for strikes and kept the ball down to great effect, recording a whopping 14 groundball outs to silence the home team. He allowed a run on two hits in the third inning but allowed just two baserunners during the rest of this dominant outing. This was Urena's first start since returning from a suspension for intentionally hitting Ronald Acuna of the Braves, and it appears his arm responded well to the additional rest. Despite his hefty 4.50 ERA on the season, the right-hander has shown flashes of excellence and will look to build on this gem next weekend against the aforementioned Atlanta club.

Quintana did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 2-1, 11-inning loss against the Pirates. He allowed one run on four hits and two walks over five innings, while striking out four.

Quintana pitched better than he did in his last two starts, when he allowed a combined 10 earned runs, but the Chicago offense didn't do enough to get the lefty his 11th win of the season. Quintana actually looked like he'd go even deeper in the game, but he started the sixth inning by allowing a single, a walk and a double before getting the hook. This was nonetheless a step in the right direction for the 29-year-old, and he'll look to build on it his next outing, which is scheduled for Saturday against the Reds.