MLB Player News

Hammel (5-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out eight over 6.2 innings of a 9-4 win over Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon.

Hammel kept the Pirates in check until the sixth inning when they got to him for a pair of runs, but the game was already out of reach. He has a very impressive 1.77 ERA but he has been prone to putting quite a few runners on base, so there is at least mild reason for concern that some regression may be in his future. He'll try to keep the ball rolling on the road against the Brewers next time out.

Reed, 19, has a 0.78 ERA and 36:1 K:BB through 23 innings for Low-A Kane County.

Not to be confused with Cincinnati's Cody Reed, this version is younger and needs more time to develop. That being said, it is difficult to argue with the results thus far, and the K:BB is off the charts.

Strasburg will make his next start Saturday in the first game of the Nationals' doubleheader rather than Sunday, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

It was originally thought that Strasburg would get an extra day of rest before making his next start, but with the Nationals making up their rainout from April 9 on Saturday, the Nationals opted to keep him on his normal schedule. This move bumps Tanner Roark to the nightcap Saturday, with Sunday's starter to be determined.

Velasquez (4-1) allowed four runs on five hits over six innings Thursday against the Braves. He struck out five and walked two.

Velasquez held the Braves scoreless through six innings before giving up all four runs in the seventh. Manager Pete Mackanin told Aimee Sachs of MLB.com that Velasquez started relying on too many off-speed pitches in the seventh instead of continuing to attack hitters with his fastball. He now sports a 2.70 ERA and a 49:13 K:BB in 43.1 innings.

Wainwright (3-3) was smacked around for seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits in just five innings against the Angels on Thursday, but came away with a victory. He struck out three and walked one.

It was painful to watch Wainwright labor to complete the five frames necessary for a win, and his 2016 struggles continue. The veteran righty seemed to make a promising return from his Achilles injury at the end of last season, but he hasn't delivered on that promise at all this year. His fastball's averaging a career-low 89.6 mph and his typically pinpoint command seems to have abandoned him. Even his legendary curveball hasn't been a positive -- that's how bad this season has been going. Wainwright is giving up harder contact and more line drives than ever before in his career. Don't be that owner who drops him right before he figures it all out, but he's practically unstartable until he rights the ship.

Greinke (3-3) gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings in a loss against the Giants on Thursday. He struck out four.

Just when it looked like he was getting things back on track with consecutive solid outings, Greinke took a step backward with a distinctly less-than-impressive outing. He threw only 61 strikes on 104 pitches and gave up a two-run blast to Joe Panik on an underwhelming 91 mph fastball. On the bright side for any fantasy owners in unconventional leagues that count pitchers' hitting stats, he smacked a double and is now hitting .333 in 18 at-bats. The man with the $200 million arm will try to right the ship against the Yankees on Tuesday.

Cueto (5-1) struck out nine while holding Arizona to two runs on eight hits and two walks over seven innings in Thursday's road win.

The veteran righty's 2.97 ERA doesn't tell the whole story of his season so far -- he's been pretty consistently outstanding with the exception of a couple of six-run mishaps against the Reds and Dodgers. After struggling following a deadline deal to Kansas City last year and signing with the Giants in the offseason, Cueto seems to have settled back into his niche as one of the league's better starting pitchers. There may be some jitters here and there along the way, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for Cueto.

Kershaw (5-1) hurled a three-hit shutout in a 5-0 win against the Mets on Thursday, striking out 13 with one walk.

That's his second shutout of the year and his fifth consecutive game of double-digit strikeouts. It's no fun for fans of opposing teams, but Kershaw in the prime of his career is poetry in motion. Incredibly, he's walked just four batters while striking out 77 in 62 innings spanning his first eight starts of 2016. There's no shortage of superlatives we can lay on Kershaw, who's challenged only by Jake Arrieta for the title of best pitcher in baseball.

Matz (forearm) played catch Thursday, Matt Ehalt of the Bergen Record reports.

A bout of forearm soreness will force Matz to miss his scheduled start Saturday, but his ability to throw some Thursday, even if it was just long toss, is encouraging. There's still the possibility of a DL stint depending on what's found in his upcoming doctor's exam in New York, but owners would be wise not to panic, at least not until more information becomes available.

Syndergaard had a precautionary exam on his right elbow May 2 that came up clean, the North Jersey.com reports.

Manager Terry Collins revealed this information after Syndergaard's start Wednesday. Syndergaard wasn't brought out for the ninth inning Wednesday, partially due to Steven Matz's elbow soreness and Collins' desire not to push Syndergaard early in the season. Syndergaard is now 3-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 55 strikeouts in 46.1 innings in seven starts. Presuming the elbow is healthy, he looks ready to post top-tier pitching numbers this season.