MLB Player News

Davies (shoulder) made his second rehab start with Triple-A Colorado Springs on Wednesday, tossing 2.2 innings and striking out three while giving up five runs on four hits and three walks.

Davies retired all seven batters he faced in first rehab appearance at Low-A Wisconsin four days earlier, but he unsurprisingly encountered more turbulence while facing higher-caliber competition at a hitter-friendly park in Reno. The poor outing shouldn't dramatically alter Davies' timeline for a return, as the Brewers' main priority is getting the right-hander's arm conditioned for a starter's workload. Davies, who has been on the shelf since June 1 with right rotator cuff inflammation, pushed his pitch count up to 53 on Wednesday and will likely need to reach the 75-to-90-pitch range in his subsequent minor-league outings before rejoining the big club.

Gomber will take Carlos Martinez's (shoulder) spot in the rotation and start against Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Gomber made his first start at the major-league level in Cincinnati on July 24, allowing just two earned runs on two hits and a pair of walks while striking out six across 6.1 innings. The left-hander was then shifted to the bullpen when Martinez was activated from the 10-day DL with an oblique injury, but with Martinez back on the shelf with a shoulder issue, Gomber will temporarily rejoin the rotation. Across 18 appearances with the Cardinals this year, Gomber has logged a 3.22 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 7.3 K/9.

An MRI on Thursday revealed that Matz is not dealing with any structural damage in his forearm, Jon Heyman of Fancred reports.

Matz received some good news after he was removed from Tuesday's start with a "dead arm" following a 32-pitch first-inning nightmare against the Nationals. It remains to be seen whether Matz will be able to take the mound during his scheduled start versus Atlanta on Sunday, but it appears as though a stint on the DL is coming, which will force him to miss at least one turn through the rotation, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Lopez will start Thursday's game against the Phillies, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Lopez had been slated to start Wednesday's series finale against the Braves, but was pushed back a day in the pitching schedule after rain ended up postponing that contest. The rookie right-hander will now square off against Nick Pivetta as the Marlins kick off a four-game set in Philadelphia.

Fried is expected to start one game of the Braves' doubleheader Tuesday against the Nationals, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Fried's hopes of maintaining a full-time starting role for the rest of the season were dealt a blow Tuesday when the Braves acquired Kevin Gausman from the Orioles, but it appears the young lefty won't be exiled from the rotation just yet. Due to Tuesday's doubleheader and another twin bill Aug. 13 against the Marlins, the Braves will go with a six-man starting staff out of necessity, with the main beneficiaries being Fried and/or Kolby Allard, who made his MLB debut earlier in the week before being optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Assuming he isn't used heavily out of the bullpen during the Braves' four-game slate with the Mets this weekend, Fried should re-enter the rotation Tuesday and face no strict limit with his pitch count.

Hamels (6-9) picked up a win Wednesday in the Cubs' 9-2 triumph over the Pirates, striking out nine while allowing one unearned run on three hits and two walks over five innings.

The Cubs scored four runs in the top of the first inning to provide Hamels with an early cushion in his team debut, though the lefty didn't require much offensive support. Hamels' changeup looked especially sharp during the outing, with the 34-year-old collecting six of his nine punchouts with that offering. He didn't merely get by on fooling the Pirates with off-speed stuff, however. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, Hamels' fastball maxed out at 96.4 miles per hour, representing the hardest pitch he has thrown in over two years. The uptick in velocity -- along with a cushy matchup his next time out against the 34-73 Royals -- may embolden fantasy players in shallower formats to scoop Hamels off the wire if he's still available.

Gausman is scheduled to make his first start with the Braves on Saturday against the Mets, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It initially appeared that Gausman's Braves debut would come Friday, but he ended up getting pushed back a day in the pitching schedule after Wednesday's game against the Marlins was postponed. Gausman, who went 5-8 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 124 innings with the Orioles prior to being acquired by Braves on Tuesday, is slated to oppose Mets ace Jacob deGrom in his first outing on the Senior Circuit.

Hill allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out four over six innings in Wednesday's win over the Brewers. He did not factor into the decision.

Hill fell behind from the get-go, seeing the leadoff batter score on a triple and error to start off the game, but he settled down the rest of the way for a third straight quality start. The lefty has been terrific in that span, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 23 in 19 innings to lower his ERA on the year to 3.63. That mark is even better since he returned from the disabled list in mid-June (2.36 ERA over 49.2 innings). He'll look to keep rolling Tuesday in Oakland.

Anderson did not factor into the decision in Wednesday's loss to the Dodgers, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings.

Anderson's only blemishes came to lead off the fifth inning, as he allowed back-to-back solo homers to Yasmani Grandal and Brian Dozier on consecutive pitches to open the frame. It was otherwise a solid outing for the 30-year-old, who's worked to a stellar 2.08 ERA over 43.1 innings in his last eight starts. His 96:44 K:BB through 120.2 innings isn't cause for much excitement, but he's sporting a solid 3.65 ERA and 1.15 WHIP to go along with seven wins. The Padres are next on tap at home Tuesday.

Freeland (9-7) took the loss Wednesday, allowing three runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings against the Cardinals.

Freeland ran into trouble when he came back out for the sixth inning, allowing the go-ahead run on a double, single and walk while recording just one out on 22 pitches to push him to a season-high 113 pitches. The lefty has struggled some with control of late, yielding three free passes in each of his last three starts and sporting a mediocre 21:14 K:BB over his last 26.2 innings. Even still, the 25-year-old is working to an impressive 3.20 ERA and has allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his last nine starts. Next in line is a home start Monday against the Pirates.