MLB Player News

The Nationals optioned Giolito to Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

Giolito would not have pitched again for the Nationals prior to the All-Star break, so the team decided to send him down in order to continue getting him regular starts. He could rejoin the big club at some point after the All-Star break, but if and when that happens may depend on the health of fellow starter Joe Ross.

Thompson credits his recent success to a mechanical adjustment that he made with Triple-A Lehigh Valley pitching coach David Lundquist, Paul Schwedelson of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Thompson's upper body and lower body weren't aligning in his delivery which caused his secondary pitches to be less sharp. Since making the mechanical adjustment, Thompson has a 0.73 ERA over his last seven starts and has gone at least six innings in each of those appearances. He has also increased his ground ball rate from 29.2 percent in the first two months of the year to 36 percent over the last five weeks. He is likely next in line for an opportunity in the Phillies' rotation. That opportunity could come this month if Jeremy Hellickson is traded before the deadline.

Ryu (0-1) gave up six earned runs on eight hits and two walks over 4.2 innings in Thursday's 6-0 loss to the Padres. He struck out four.

Ryu certainly had his moments despite the unfavorable stat line, recording first-pitch strikes on 13 of 24 batters and inducing 10 swinging strikes. Coming off a 14-month absence due to a shoulder injury, the 29-year-old ran into trouble in four of the five innings he went to the mound. He gave up a first-inning homer to Melvin Upton, Jr., a second-inning RBI single to opposing pitcher Drew Pomeranz, and a run-scoring two-bagger to Alexei Ramirez in the fourth, before coming undone in the fifth. After securing the first two outs, he gave up back-to-back doubles to Matt Kemp and Yangervis Solarte, resulting in one run. Following an intentional walk to Derek Norris, Alex Dickerson ended Ryu's night with an RBI triple to deep right that brought home both Solarte and Norris. While it was undoubtedly a rough landing for the left-hander following his extended absence, he'll look to rebound in his first post-All-Star-break start.

Hammel left Thursday's start with cramping in his pitching hand. He allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six over five innings prior to exiting, but received no decision against the Braves.

After giving up a two-run homer, Hammel settled down and held the Braves scoreless until he had to leave the game with cramps in his pitching hand. He left the game with a 2-0 deficit, and was on the hook for a potential loss until the Cubs' offense came up with a three-run eighth inning. Although he hasn't posted a win since June 4, he still has a respectable 3.46 ERA along with a 1.13 WHIP on the year. As long as his injury checks out, he'll make his next start after the All-Star break.

Cabrera pitched a perfect 10th inning to notch his second save of the year Thursday at the Cubs.

After Arodys Vizcaino struggled again Wednesday, Cabrera was called upon to protect a one-run lead, and he needed only seven pitches to close the door on the Cubs. He now has had six appearances with the Braves, and he's allowed one run in five innings of work.

Wheeler is at least a month away from joining the Mets and could remain sidelined even longer due to slight setbacks in his recovery, GM Sandy Alderson said Thursday.

Wheeler is throwing again from 90 feet and should start slope work again this week. But that is a step back from where he was a few weeks ago, when it looked like he would be able to rejoin the team in July. Once Wheeler progresses to slope work and bullpen sessions without setback, he would then be able to progress to kicking off the 30-day rehab assignment window. The possibility remains that Wheeler will not be back this year due to the continued pushback of return date.

Hammel exited Thursday's start with cramping in his pitching hand.

A leadoff, four-pitch walk to Gordon Beckham in the top of the fifth inning was followed by a long mound visit from the Cubs' training staff. Ultimately, manager Joe Maddon opted to take the cautious route with Hammel and remove him from the game after just 80 pitches due to the cramping in his right hand. Fortunately, the upcoming All-Star break should give Hammel enough downtime to where he can make his next scheduled start. That said, the Cubs will do their due diligence in the coming days to make sure that Hammel's injury isn't more serious than the initial diagnosis.

Giolito (0-0) allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings, but received no-decision Thursday at the Mets.

Giolito was staked to a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, but he gave up a pair of homers in the frame and squandered the lead. After tossing four shutout innings in his first start on June 28, he now has a 4.70 ERA in two outings. With Joe Ross (shoulder) on the disabled list, he'll likely make his next start after the All-Star break.

Making his MLB debut, Glasnow (0-1) pitched 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five against the Cardinals.

The No. 8 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com, was impressive in his long-awaited debut. He threw 55 of his 87 pitches for strikes while inducing nine swings and misses. Glasnow held the Cardinals off the board for three frames before giving up one in the fourth, a solo shot in the fifth and running into more serious trouble in the sixth. The 22-year-old right-hander has an uncanny ability to rack up strikeouts, but has struggled to have consistent control over his pitched in the minors, thus leading the Pirates to hold off on calling him up until now.

Wainwright (8-5) allowed just one run on five hits Thursday against the Pirates. He walked one and struck out nine in the win.

Wainwright matched his season-high in strikeouts to help the Cardinals avoid a four-game sweep while ending the Pirates' season-best seven-game winning streak. He was a 20-game winner two years ago, but missed most of last season with a torn left Achilles. He is rediscovering his form now, lowering his ERA to 4.49.