MLB Player News

Ray (1-2) pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits while walking three and striking out nine in Wednesday's no-decision against the Rockies.

The Rockies did not exactly hit D-backs Ray around, but the left-hander once again threw too many pitches early, forcing him from the game before the fifth inning for the third time in his last four starts. Ray did strike out a career-high nine and was victimized by some bloop hits. At this point, Ray's value is limited to only the deepest of leagues.

Maeda gave up four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings in a loss to the Mets on Wednesday.

It goes down as the worst outing so far in Maeda's young MLB career, but he was able to quiet most of the Mets' regulars. Opposing starter Noah Syndergaard did all of the damage against Maeda, homering twice and driving in all four runs for New York. Despite his ERA jumping more than 60 points with the forgettable performance, Maeda still ranks in the top 10 among NL starters in ERA (2.30). After starts against the Blue Jays and Mets to begin May, Maeda will get a bit of a break next week with matchups against the Angels and Padres on tap.

Syndergaard gave up two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six over eight innings in a win over the Dodgers on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old's success on the mound was overshadowed by what he did at the plate. Syndergaard accounted for all four runs the Mets scored in the victory, hitting two home runs off opposing starter Kenta Maeda, one a three-run shot. It marked the first time since 2007 that a pitcher homered twice in one game. On the hill, Syndergaard gave up a pair of homers, and he's now failed to strike out more than six batters in any of his last three starts. However, Syndergaard was efficient Wednesday (95 pitches) and showed no signs of slowing down late, touching triple digits in his final frame. He lines up for home starts against Washington and Milwaukee next week.

Anderson (1-5) took another loss Wednesday in Miami after allowing three runs on three hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out four.

Anderson was terrifically efficient, tossing only 74 pitches through those six frames, but he was removed for a pinch hitter with the Brewers trailing in the seventh. The move didn't help him avoid his fifth consecutive loss, astretch in which Anderson has given up 24 earned runs (and another three unearned) thanks to nine homers in just 24.1 innings. His next start comes Tuesday against the Cubs, and considering all these long balls, DFS players should strongly consider stacking against him in that outing.

Nicasio gave up four runs on four hits over six innings Wednesday in a no-decision against the Reds. He struck out five without a walk, but did hit a batter.

That's about as well as you can pitch in a four-run outing, as Nicasio put barely anyone on base, but pretty much everyone who did reach ended up scoring. A popular fantasy sleeper after his huge spring, Nicasio's been only so-so in the season's first month-plus -- his ERA's not pretty at 4.34, but he does have 37 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. Sure, he's got 15 walks too, but a full third of those came in just one start. All in all, Nicasio's shown positive signs and remains worth owning, especially with pitching so thin on most fantasy waiver wires this year.

Eickhoff (1-5) gave up four runs (three earned) over just 4.1 innings in Wednesday's loss to the Braves. He allowed seven hits, struck out two and walked one.

A friendly matchup against a horrible Braves offense didn't help Eickhoff reverse his losing ways, as he's been one of the black marks on the Phillies' surprisingly strong start to the season. His team simply doesn't have enough offense to win if he allows three or more runs, which puts a lot of pressure on Eickhoff and the other Philadelphia starters every time out. He's also not fooling hitters like he was early on -- Eickhoff struck out 25 batters over a three-start stretch in April, but has only eight strikeouts over three starts since then.

Perez (1-0) limited the Phillies to one run (a Ryan Howard solo homer) on two hits over eight terrific innings Wednesday, striking out four without a walk in a 5-1 win.

Prior to his demotion to the minors, Perez had failed to finish even five innings in any of his three starts and had more strikeouts than walks, but we saw an entirely different pitcher Wednesday. He certainly found something down in Triple-A, as he tossed a complete-game shutout there in his last start before being recalled. We'll see if he can keep it up, though, as Perez has only rarely succeeded at carrying his strong stats from the minors into the majors.

Ryu (shoulder) is slated to pitch against live hitters early next week and then begin a rehab assignment the following weekend, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Rye seems to be making steady progress in his recovery process. A timetable for his return should become clear once he gets through his next pitching session, but right now he's slated to return in mid-June.

Matz will have his start skipped Saturday due to forearm soreness, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

Matz's forearm reportedly flared up following Monday's start, so the Mets will take the cautious approach with the young left-hander. Matz hasn't undergone an MRI yet, but he will see a doctor in New York in the coming days and could get one then. Logan Verrett is temporarily slated to take his spot in the rotation unless he is forced to be used in relief before Saturday.

Hendricks (2-2) yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings in a no-decision against the Padres on Wednesday. He also struck out eight and walked one.

That's certainly good enough to win most days with the Cubs offense. The eight strikeouts for Hendricks was a season high, as he threw 66 of his 102 pitches for strikes, 22 of which were called strikes. The Cubs offense gave Hendricks a one-run lead by the time he departed, but reliever Pedro Strop gave up a three-run homer. San Diego won 7-4. Hendricks will make his next start Tuesday versus the Brewers.