MLB Player News

Gomber was officially promoted as expected Tuesday and will start against the Reds.

Gomber has appeared 15 times as a reliever for the Cardinals this season but has yet to make a major-league start. His ERA is a respectable 3.77 at the big-league level, though his 10:8 K:BB is not particularly encouraging. He's looked better for Triple-A Memphis, posting a 3.42 ERA and a 76:20 K:BB in 68.1 innings. Daniel Poncedeleon was sent down to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Monday that Soroka (shoulder) is at least a couple weeks away from beginning a throwing program, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The Braves' decision to place Soroka on the 60-day disabled list in late June shortly after he was diagnosed with shoulder fatigue already made it likely that he would be unavailable until September, so it's not especially surprising that the rookie hasn't resumed throwing yet. Because Soroka would need about a month to build up his arm once he begins throwing again in order to get conditioned for a starting workload, the Braves may prefer to bring him back as a reliever in September. The injury coupled with uncertainty regarding his role when he returns make Soroka a rather unappealing stash in single-season formats without DL spots, but he'll retain plenty of appeal in keeper and dynasty settings due to his frontline upside as a starter.

Corbin (7-4) covered seven innings and gave up one run on six hits and no walks while striking out nine in the Diamondbacks' 7-1 win over the Cubs on Monday.

After posting a season-low three strikeouts in his final turn before the All-Star break, Corbin bounced back in a big way while taking the hill on seven days' rest. He threw 70 of his 98 pitches for strikes and induced 18 whiffs on the night, aiding him to his first win in eight starts. The lefty's downturn in velocity earlier in May created concern that his early season excellence wouldn't be sustainable, but Corbin hasn't seen his performance take a major step backward over the past three months. Over his last 15 outings, Corbin has posted a 3.53 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 10.4 K/9.

Alcantara (infection) began a rehab assignment at High-A Jupiter on Monday, tossing two innings and giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out one in the affiliate's 12-11 win over Fort Myers.

Alcantara resumed throwing shortly after the All-Star break and is building his arm back up again now that he has recovered from the right axillary infection that forced him to the 10-day disabled list July 3. Prior to being shut down, Alcantara had settled into a spot in the Miami rotation, but it's unclear if he'll stick around with the big club once he's activated. The right-hander tossed 47 pitches Monday, so he'll likely require one or two more rehab outings before he's ready to handle a starter's workload.

Castillo allowed one run on four hits and one walk across 5.1 innings in a no-decision Monday against the Cardinals. He struck out five.

Castillo was quite sharp in his first start of the second half, allowing just one extra-base hit as he kept an in-form Cards lineup down. He ran into a bit of trouble in the sixth inning, allowing a run on a pair of hits to start the frame before his removal at just 85 pitches. This solid effort continues a recent trend for Castillo, who's posted a shiny 3.00 ERA over 21 innings in his last four starts. He'll look to keep it up this weekend against the Phillies.

Lucchesi (5-5) allowed two runs on six hits with no walks across 5.1 innings to earn a win Monday against the Mets. He struck out six.

Lucchesi threw an impressive 67 percent of his pitches for strikes as he went without issuing a walk for just the second time this season. He allowed a run on two hits in the third inning and was only scored upon again when the bullpen allowed an inherited runner to score in the sixth. This was certainly a positive showing for Lucchesi, who delivered an underwhelming effort in his last start prior to the All-Star break and was hit hard in one recent outing for Triple-A El Paso. He'll take a respectable 3.34 ERA and 1.21 WHIP into this weekend's scheduled start against the Diamondbacks.

Williams (8-7) tossed six scoreless innings to earn a win Monday against the Indians, allowing four hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Williams technically went the distance in this rain-shortened affair, throwing 54 of 84 pitches for strikes. His fastball velocity dipped to a season-low 89.7 mph Monday and he induced just five swinging strikes, relying on weak contact to get outs. Though he scuffled a bit prior to the All-Star break, Williams has now gone 11 innings without allowing an earned run, but the dip in velocity -- he averaged 92.1 mph in 2017 -- is somewhat concerning. He'll look to continue his recent success this weekend at home against the Mets.

DeGrom (5-5) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks across eight innings while taking the loss Monday against the Padres. He struck out 10.

DeGrom was electric in his first start since July 11, throwing first-pitch strikes to 26 of 31 batters as he was in the strike zone at a 73 percent clip. He allowed a pair of runs following an error in the fifth inning and gave up an unearned run in the sixth, which unfortunately was enough to sink him to his fifth loss. While the lack of victories in dominant outings such as this are likely frustrating for both deGrom and his fantasy owners, he continues to pitch at an elite level and has impressively gone 17 straight starts with three earned runs allowed or fewer. He'll next get the ball this weekend against the Pirates.

Urena (2-10) surrendered five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings Monday, as he was saddled with the loss against the Braves.

Urena's outing didn't last long, as he gave up three runs on two homers in the first two innings, followed by two runs in the third. He exited the game with a four-run deficit, as the Braves cruised to a 12-1 victory. Urena's struggles continued in the series opener, as he's been tagged for 10 runs over his previous two starts (eight innings). He'll look to turn it around in his next appearance, which figures to come Sunday against Washington.

Eflin lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one Monday as he didn't factor into the decision against the Dodgers.

Eflin was yanked from the ballgame after surrendering three solo home runs on 75 pitches. The 24-year-old right-hander came into Monday's outing having collected a win in six of his last seven starts, but he certainly didn't appear to have his best stuff in the series opener after missing time on the disabled list with a blister on his right middle finger. Despite a shaky performance, Eflin sits with a solid 3.41 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with a 68:17 K:BB over 71.1 innings, as he'll look to get back on track in his next start slated for Saturday against Cincinnati.