MLB Player News

Greinke (11-5) got the win against the Rockies on Sunday, giving up one earned run on two hits over eight strong innings while striking out 13 and walking one in Arizona's 6-1 victory.

It was a dominant effort from the veteran right-hander, with a solo home run by Ian Desmond representing the chief blip on an otherwise suffocating effort against a tough Rockies lineup. The 13 strikeouts were a season high, and this marked the sixth straight start when he has conceded two or fewer runs. Greinke is on fire at the moment, and his 3.05 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and phenomenal 137:24 K:BB all demonstrate he's still plenty capable of posting excellent fantasy numbers, even at age 34.

Velasquez (6-8) allowed two hits and a walk while striking out seven across seven scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday against the Padres.

Velasquez had his start pushed back a day due to rain, but he showed no ill effects as he needed only 87 pitches to complete his longest outing of the season. He threw 58 strikes -- 16 of which came on whiffs -- and started 15 of the 24 batters he faced with a strike. Velasquez has now put together 13 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and only two walks across his last two starts.

DeGrom will start Monday's tilt against the Padres following Sunday's rainout, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

DeGrom was slated to toe the rubber for Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, but he'll be bumped back a day due to inclement weather. He'll catch a break and face a much friendlier Padres lineup, after he was supposed to go up against one of the better teams in the American League. DeGrom is in line for two starts this week, as he'll pitch against San Diego and Pittsburgh.

Cueto threw seven innings Sunday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in the 6-5 loss to Oakland. He gave up three home runs and struck out three in the no-decision.

In three starts since returning from the disabled list with an elbow injury, Cueto has allowed 12 earned runs in just 17 innings and coughed up seven home runs. His ERA is skyrocketed to 2.76 from the 0.84 he owned prior to the DL stint. He'll look to turn things around against Milwaukee on Saturday.

Quintana (9-6) tossed seven innings Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and four walks in the 7-2 victory over St. Louis. He struck out six and earned the win.

The four walks don't look good, but overall it was a solid outing for Quintana, who picked up his third straight win. He's allowed just four runs in 19 innings in the month of July, lowering his ERA from 4.31 to 3.87 during that span. There were reports that Quintana was dealing with some shoulder fatigue prior to the All-Star break, so it's a bit surprising that he threw 121 pitches Sunday. On the bright side, the long outing likely means he's feeling 100 percent and should be good to go on Friday in St. Louis.

Darvish (shoulder, triceps) played catch from 135 feet Sunday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports. "[Sunday] was his best day in a long time, and he threw really well and felt really good," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said of Darvish.

It amounts to a small step forward in the recovery process for Darvish, but the right-hander still looks to be at least a couple weeks away from being a realistic rotation option for the Cubs. Epstein said Darvish should be able to throw off a mound within the next few days before advancing to facing live hitters. Darvish has been sidelined since May 23, first with right triceps tendinitis and then with a shoulder impingement, which he sustained in June during his throwing program.

Wood (6-5) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks across six innings to earn the win Sunday against the Brewers. He struck out four.

Wood got into a bit of trouble early on, allowing a pair of runs on three hits and a pair of walks in the first inning. He settled down to great effect afterward, allowing just three men to reach base over the next five frames as he notched his sixth win. This continues a strong recent run of form for Wood, who's allowed three earned runs or fewer in eight straight starts and now has six consecutive quality starts to his name. He'll look to keep it rolling next weekend against the Braves.

Mikolas threw five innings in a no-decision Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six in the Cardinals' 7-2 loss to the Cubs.

In his first start since the All-Star break, Mikolas held the Cubs scoreless through three innings before allowing a pair of runs in the fourth. He threw just 74 pitches and left the game with a 2-2 tie before the Cardinals' bullpen was rocked for five runs. The 29-year-old righty still owns a strong 2.82 ERA and 10-3 record alongside a 89:22 K:BB. He'll take on the Cubs again Saturday, this time in St. Louis.

Farrell will take the mound for Monday's series opener against the Diamondbacks, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Farrell was selected to toe the rubber as the Cubs are in need of a sixth starter following Saturday's doubleheader. He was initially recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday as the 26th man, but he'll hang around with the big-league club at least until Monday's tilt. In 19 appearances for Chicago this season, Farrell has pieced together a 3.86 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 37 strikeouts across 28 innings.

Gomber will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis and start Tuesday's game against the Reds, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals will break in a pair of rookies in Cincinnati for their first MLB starts, as Gomber will follow 26-year-old Daniel Poncedeleon in the pitching schedule. Carlos Martinez (oblique) is expected to return from the 10-day disabled list over the weekend to bolster the rotation, but one more spot on the Cardinals' five-man staff would still be open for Gomber or Poncedeleon, with the performances of both pitchers earlier in the week likely dictating who sticks around with the big club. Gomber, who has previously made 15 relief appearances for the Cardinals and has collected seven holds, has worked nearly exclusively as a starter at Memphis this season, compiling a 3.42 ERA and 76:20 K:BB In 68.1 innings.