MLB Player News

Manager Dusty Baker said Strasburg had a back spasm in the fourth inning which partially led to his removal after the seventh inning, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Strasburg was able to continue pitching and looked unaffected by the issue, racking up five strikeouts and allowing just one hit over his last three frames. He said his back was feeling better after the game and that he wasn't worried about it moving forward, so he should be in line to make his next scheduled start Monday against the Mets unless something goes wrong before then.

Castillo struck out nine Milwaukee hitters over 5.2 innings Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in a no-decision.

He left with the lead and the Reds went on to win, but not before their bullpen blew the victory for Castillo. Nonetheless, the young righty has impressed with his velocity and showed strong control in the minors, so he offers tantalizing upside. However, the schedule does him no favors, as Castillo is lined up for a start against the Rockies at Coors Field on Monday.

Matz (2-1) held the Marlins scoreless on six hits over seven innings Wednesday, striking out four and walking one in an 8-0 win.

After missing the first two months of the season to an elbow issue, Matz has completed seven innings in three of his first four starts, compiling a 2.67 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in that time. It's clear that a healthy Matz can be a rock-solid No. 2 or 3 starter, but injuries have dogged the lefty throughout his career. He's ditched his slider to avoid straining his elbow, and while that may help keep him healthy, it also seems to be affecting his ability to miss bats.

Anderson will be placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a left oblique strain, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Anderson said he felt like he got stabbed after injuring himself while taking a swing in the second inning of Wednesday's game against the Reds. This is a tough break for Anderson, as he sported the league's 10th-best ERA (2.92) among starters heading into the contest. It's unclear how long this will keep him sidelined, but oblique injuries tend to be tricky, so the Brewers will likely exercise caution with the 29-year-old. Further evaluation in the coming days should yield a clearer timetable.

Strasburg (9-2) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out 13 over seven innings in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

It's his 11th quality start and fifth double-digit strikeout performance of the season, topped only by his 15 Ks on May 27 against the Padres. Strasburg will take a 3.51 ERA and 10.7 K/9 into his next outing Monday at home against the Mets.

Anderson was lifted after just one inning due to a left oblique injury, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Anderson came to the bench holding his left side after striking out in the top of the second inning, and he was promptly replaced on the mound by Paolo Espino for the bottom half of the inning. It's unclear how serious the injury is at this point, but more should be known once he is further evaluated Thursday.

Freeland (8-6) pitched six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk, striking out two in Wednesday's loss to the Giants.

Freeland looked to be cruising early, facing one over the minimum through three innings, but the long ball bit him after that. He allowed a two-run homer to Nick Hundley in the fourth inning and, after the Rockies tied the score in top of the sixth, a solo shot to Jae-Gyun Hwang. Freeland has been a workhorse for the Rockies this season, pitching at least into the sixth inning in his last 12 starts, and his eight wins ranks fifth in the National League. His next scheduled start comes at home on Monday against the Reds.

Nicolino will leave the rotation and head to the bullpen, The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer reports.

During his two starts since coming off the DL with a finger injury, Nicolino has given up nine runs (five earned) off 14 hits and just five strikeouts over the course of seven innings. He wasn't able to last past the fourth inning in either of those games, and the Marlins decided to make a change before his scheduled start against the Brewers on Saturday. The team could choose to call up Tom Koehler from Triple-A New Orleans for Saturday's game, but hasn't announced anything yet.

Finnegan (shoulder) landed on the disabled list Wednesday, The Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports.

It was announced Tuesday that Finnegan would need another stint on the disabled list after straining a muscled in his shoulder during the third inning of Monday's start. There's a decent chance that Finnegan will miss an extended period of time after spending over two months on the 60-day DL with a similar shoulder injury earlier this year. In his place, the team recalled Austin Brice just a day after sending him down to Triple-A Louisville.

Ramirez failed to record an out Tuesday against the Marlins, allowing a hit and a walk to lead off the seventh inning before watching both runners come around to score and getting charged with the loss.

The 28-year-old right-hander has been a disaster since joining the Mets in mid-May, posting a 6.46 ERA, 1.89 WHIP and 19:15 K:BB in 15.1 innings. Ramirez has already bounced through three organizations this season, and it may not be long before he's looking for a fourth.