MLB Player News

Ray (4-6) pitched 5.1 innings, allowing four runs, four hits and two walks while striking out eight in Wednesday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Ray struggled with his command a bit on Wednesday. Despite escaping with only two walks, he threw just 11 of 22 first-pitch strikes and missed the zone on nearly 40 percent of his pitches. The 24-year-old left-hander has been inconsistent throughout the year, making him a tough call for those in daily formats debating on whether or not to start him. The decision may be easier in his next start Monday, as he faces a Phillies team that he dominated on June 17.

Wacha (3-7) picked up the win against the Cubs in Wednesday's matinee. He allowed two runs on three hits over 6.2 innings while walking two and striking out five.

Wednesday marked the right-hander's first win in nearly two months. Wacha had allowed just two hits until rookie Wilson Contreras hit a two-run homer in the seventh that ended his day. The Cardinals 2012 first-round pick had a rough stretch from mid-May to early June, but he's rebounded nicely by picking up three straight quality starts while posting a 2.11 ERA during the streak. Wacha's next start will be in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Gray (arm) was yanked after four innings against the Yankees on Wednesday with arm fatigue, Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports.

Gray will be reevaluated Thursday with an injury that he said "has been that way for a couple weeks" and "it's just now getting to a serious point." He has struggled with his command during his most recent starts but is still hopeful that he will be on the mound Monday against the Blue Jays.

Strasburg (back) was throwing on flat ground Wednesday, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

The Nationals are hopeful that their ace will be ready to make his next start against Milwaukee on Sunday after being a late scratch for Monday's outing. He seemed to look fine during his throwing session Wednesday and the Nationals want to announce whether he is starting a couple days before his next scheduled outing to avoid Monday's predicament. In the case that Strasburg is not able to go, Yusmeiro Petit will likely take the mound again Sunday.

Matz (elbow) said he felt fine after throwing a bullpen session Wednesday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Matz had reported elbow soreness in his last start but this is some positive news for the Mets. Matz is scheduled to start Friday's game and would have a great matchup with a offensively-challenged Braves lineup should he be ready to go.

Cole (triceps) will not be ready to return disabled list when first eligible, Adam Berry of ESPN.com reports.

Cole has begun playing catch but has not thrown off a mound yet, so he still has some work to do in his rehab. In order to protect against any kind of setback, it is likely that the Pirates will hold their ace out until he is fully healthy.

Syndergaard was pulled from Wednesday's game with elbow discomfort and will be evaluated by doctors, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Syndergaard left the game after 91 pitches after his elbow flared up, having thrown six innings while allowing three runs on eight hits. More information regarding the injury should be released once his evaluation is complete.

Lorenzen will rejoin the Reds as he has been activated from the 60-day DL.

The Reds will use Lorenzen as a reliever out of the gate. Last season, Lorenzen appeared in 27 games with Cincinnati, starting 21 of them. The Reds will ease the hard-throwing righty back into the mix, potentially stretching him out to start games down the road.

Cueto (11-1) held the Pirates to one run on four hits before exiting with a 10-1 lead after 6.2 innings, racking up six strikeouts with only one walk.

Cueto didn't have to work very hard to earn win No. 11, as the Giants offense handed him plenty of run support against the spot-starting Wilfredo Boscan. His first season in San Francisco might end up being the 30-year-old's best, as he sports a career-low 2.06 ERA, and is on pace to exceed his previous career high of 20 wins set in 2014. Sunday's start against the Phillies offers a tremendous opportunities to improve those numbers even further.

Nola (5-7) lasted just three innings Tuesday against the Twins. He allowed eight runs (seven earned), seven hits and three walks while striking out two in the loss.

For the third consecutive week, Nola was unable to log four innings before getting the hook. In his last three starts, the righty has given up 17 earned runs on 22 hits in just 9.2 innings. Over that span, Nola's ERA has ballooned from 2.65 to 4.11. The Twins were supposed to be a nice bounce-back draw, but the 23-year-old wound up having arguably the worst start of his young career.