MLB Player News

Marquez (10-7) took the loss against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowing four runs on 11 hits over 3.2 innings while striking out only one.

The 22-year-old didn't have a feel for his breaking pitches, forcing him to rely on a fastball that Arizona hitters quickly began squaring up. Perhaps the only silver lining to this outing was the fact that Marquez kept the ball in the park, the first time he hasn't allowed a homer in his last seven starts. He'll get a much better matchup in his next outing Tuesday on the road against the Giants.

Flaherty (0-1) took the loss against the Reds on Wednesday, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks over 4.1 innings while striking out three.

The rookie right-hander has yet to throw more than five innings in any of his three big-league starts, and while Flaherty's 13:7 K:BB in 13.1 innings shows promise, his 6.08 ERA isn't helping the Cards stay in the NL playoff chase. If Adam Wainwright is able to return to the rotation next week, expect Flaherty to shift to the bullpen.

Mahle (1-2) recorded his first big-league win Wednesday against the Cardinals, allowing four hits and three walks over five scoreless innings while striking out four.

The rookie right-hander now has a 2.70 ERA through four starts in the majors, and a 2.14 ERA across three levels in 2017. Mahle's 14:11 K:BB through 20 innings for the Reds does suggest he's been plenty lucky so far in The Show, though, making him a potentially risky play in a rematch with the Cards back in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Darvish (3-3) fired seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out five in a winning effort over the Giants on Wednesday.

After taking losses in his last three starts (9.49 ERA), Darvish got back into the win column with an ace-like performance. He needed just 87 pitches to complete seven frames and did not allow an extra-base hit. The 31-year-old will look to build off of Wednesday's outing with favorable matchups against the Phillies and Padres -- who both rank in the bottom third of the league in wOBA -- in his next two starts.

Nola (11-10) picked up the win after allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters in seven innings Wednesday against the Marlins.

Nola has been sharp in a pair of starts since his six-run blowup against the Marlins at the beginning of the month; he's allowed just three earned runs and compiled a 19:4 K:BB in 12.1 innings of work. The 11 strikeouts are a career high for the 24-year-old, and he's now fanned 167 batters in 155 innings this season to go along with his 3.60 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He's already reached a career high in innings, but assuming he stays on schedule, his next start is lined up for Tuesday against the Dodgers.

Wainwright (elbow) will throw his second bullpen session Thursday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Wainwright threw his first bullpen Tuesday and manager Mike Matheny announced Wednesday that the veteran did not feel any adverse effects a day later. Consequently, he's slated to put in another session Thursday, as he inches closer to a return after a multi-week absence.

Syndergaard (lat) is set to play catch prior to Wednesday's game against the Cubs, The Record's Matt Ehalt reports.

Syndergaard wasn't able to partake in his simulated game that was scheduled for Sunday due to "general soreness." If all goes well during Wednesday's session, it appears likely that the team will schedule a sim game in the near future for its ace.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Alvarez will start Sunday against Oakland, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

The Phillies are transitioning to a six-man rotation for the remainder of the season in order to get a look at Alvarez and to cut down on the innings of their other starters. Alvarez made his last appearance in the majors in 2015 with the Marlins. His fastball has been clocked as high as 98 mph this season, so the Phillies will give him some starts to see if he can be an option to compete for a rotation spot next spring.

Kershaw (17-3) gave up two runs -- one earned -- over six innings en route to a win over the Giants on Tuesday. He struck out six while allowing eight hits and a walk.

This wasn't exactly a vintage Kershaw outing, but it ended the Dodgers' 11-game losing streak and represents a notable rebound from his ugly start against the Rockies. Of course, the fact that a game like this ranks among the superstar lefty's less appealing starts tells you all you need to know about just how amazing he is -- as does the fact that his spectacular 0.92 WHIP actually represents a four-year high.

Flaherty, who is scheduled to start Wednesday's contest against the Reds, does not have a defined innings limit for the season as of yet, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. "The good thing about the way Jack has pitched this year is he's thrown a lot of innings without facing a lot of batters or throwing a ton of pitches because he's been so effective," general manager Michael Girsch said. "We don't have a date or a number in mind."

The rookie has now thrown 157.2 innings across three levels of the Cardinals organization this season, which easily eclipses his 2016 total of 134 frames. Flaherty had originally been scheduled to not go beyond a 20 percent increase over last season's total in 2017, but the team now appears willing to be more flexible in that regard. The 21-year-old right-hander has a 6.00 ERA and 10:5 K:BB over nine innings across his first two big-league starts.