MLB Player News

Fried, 23, has a 5.49 ERA and 59:27 K:BB through 57.1 innings for Double-A Mississippi.

The strikeouts are nice, but Fried has allowed entirely too many baserunners. He has also been bitten by the home run ball, having served up seven homers in 11 starts. His inability to keep the ball down as much at the higher levels is coming back to haunt him. Fried still has plenty of upside, but he's been too inconsistent to remain an elite pitching prospect.

Manager Dave Roberts said following Monday's game that Ryu has earned another start, the Orange County Register reports.

The skipper did not say when Ryu would start next, but Ryu will indeed get another opportunity in the rotation even with the impending return of Alex Wood (shoulder). While Ryu mostly struggled throughout the first six weeks of the season, he's rebounded with seven earned runs allowed in his last four appearances (22.1 innings). If he fares well in his next outing, perhaps he will push Kenta Maeda to the bullpen.

Gray (foot) will throw a simulated game Tuesday, MLB Network Radio reports.

After completing a 41-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Gray is ready to face hitters, and appears on the verge of heading out on a rehab assignment. His arm is fine, it's just a matter of making sure he is fully recovered from a stress fracture in his left foot that has sidelined him for almost two months. Gray has as much strikeout upside as any pitcher who is not widely considered an SP1, it is just a matter of him limiting baserunners and navigating his home starts in the unfriendly confines at Coors Field.

Soroka (7-3) scattered three hits while striking out nine over eight scoreless innings for Double-A Mississippi in Monday's win over Biloxi.

The Braves' No. 6 prospect needed only 85 pitches (66 strikes) to cruise through the dominant start. Soroka now has a 2.73 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 60:15 K:BB through 62.2 innings, an outstanding performance for a 19-year-old at Double-A, and given his ability to command three potentially plus pitches, his stock in dynasty leagues has soared this season.

Ryu (2-6) pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four in Monday's loss to the Nationals.

Ryu logged 21 of 29 first-pitch strikes, while filling up the zone on 73 percent of his pitches Monday. He caught a little too much at times, though, and the NL's best team made him pay by scattering a handful of runs across the scoreboard as the night wore on. Overall, it was an admirable effort for the 30-year-old, who's likely headed back to the bullpen with the impending return of Alex Wood (shoulder).

Martinez (4-5) allowed four runs on four hits and two walks across 6.1 innings in Monday's loss to the Reds. He struck out eight.

Martinez was excellent through six innings, but he unraveled after coming back out for the seventh and proceeded to load the bases with no outs before four men came around to score. While the outcome left something to be desired for fantasy owners, the right-hander displayed electric strikeout stuff again and has now whiffed 26 batters over his last 21.2 innings. This outing also ended a string of seven straight starts in which Martinez had allowed no more than three earned runs; he'll look to bounce back Saturday against the Phillies.

Wood (shoulder) expects to rejoin the rotation this weekend, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

He will throw an extended bullpen session Wednesday and could return this weekend for a home series against the Reds. Wood has pitched like an SP1 on a per-start basis this year, so he should be inserted into lineups in all formats once he's activated.

Eflin, who is sidelined at Triple-A Lehigh Valley with an elbow injury, will see a specialist Tuesday in Philadelphia, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

He was placed on the minor-league DL on Sunday because of the injury. This season, Eflin has posted a 6.13 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 47 innings for the Phillies -- numbers that recently got him optioned back to Triple-A.

Williams, who has compiled a 2.83 ERA in his last four starts (28.2 innings), is building a case to remain in the rotation following the return of fellow starter Jameson Taillon (testicular cancer) in the next week or so. "It's out of my hands," Williams told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I'm just glad that I still have an opportunity to pitch at the big-league level. Whenever the ball's in my hand in whatever situation, I'm going to do my best and give the team the best of my ability that day to help the team win."

One of Williams, Chad Kuhl or Tyler Glasnow will be removed from the rotation as soon as June 12 (the anticipated return date of Taillon), according to general manager Neal Huntington. After stumbling in his first start against the Dodgers (six earned runs in three innings), WIlliams has thrown well. As things stand now, it seems like Kuhl and Glasnow are at greater risk of being bumped from the rotation.

Pennington (elbow) remains in extended spring training as he recovers from surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The soon-to-be 22-year-old has yet to appear in a game at any level this season following the elbow procedure in December. The organization has not released a firm timetable, but assuming he doesn't suffer a setback, Pennington will likely report to Low-A Wisconsin or High-A Carolina sometime in the next few weeks, where he'll continue his development as a starter.