MLB Player News

Rays starter Drew Smyly allowed just one run on three hits and three walks while striking out eight over six innings in a win over Miami on Wednesday.

A shoulder injury cost Smyly more than half of the season, but he finishes the year having allowed five or fewer hits in five of his six September starts while posting a 45:13 K:BB over his last 36 innings. He went 5-1 after his mid-August return, and seems destined to be a Fantasy darling again next spring given his age (26) and strikeout upside.

Braves starting pitcher Williams Perez (7-6) tossed six scoreless innings in a win over the Nationals on Wednesday, allowing six hits and three walks.

He struck out three.While the final numbers are unsightly (4.78 ERA, 1.55 WHIP), Perez finished the season strong. He threw quality starts in four of his final five starts and picked up three wins during that span to push his record above .500.

His late-season success likely won't be enough to push him onto the standard mixed-league radar, but Perez should at least compete for a starting role in spring training.

Diamondbacks starting pitcher Chase Anderson took a no-decision after 5 1/3 innings of work in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Rockies. He allowed one earned run over four hits and three walks, while striking out four.

Anderson settled down after allowing a DJ LeMahieu sacrifice fly in the second inning, limiting the Rockies to just one run in his final start of the season.

While he managed to improve his walk rate considerably from last season, Anderson's dreadful second half and paltry 6.54 K/9 leaves little reason to think he'll have mixed-league value in 2016.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright made his return to an MLB mound Wednesday, giving up two hits and a run while recording a strikeout in an inning of work against the Pirates.

Sure, he wasn't at his sharpest, but it's impressive that Wainwright's made his way back from Achilles surgery, and he'll likely make another regular-season appearance or two with an eye on being an integral member of the St. Louis bullpen in the playoffs.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to throw an abbreviated start Sunday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Kershaw will throw on regular rest, but with the playoffs right around the corner, manager Don Mattingly is expected to be conservative with his ace. The lefty is already just seven innings away from his single-season career-high mark, and has crushed his personal best strikeout number (294).

He could conceivably be removed from the contest shortly after fanning his 300th batter of the year. Even though it's Clayton Kershaw, his upside might be limited in daily formats.

Mets rookie pitcher Steven Matz (side) will not start Thursday against the Phillies, per Marc Carig of Newsday.

The hope was that one additional day between starts would allow Matz to take the hill against Philadelphia, but with the side soreness lingering into Wednesday, manager Terry Collins has opted to scratch the 24-year-old.

Matz could still slot in as a reliever this weekend, but if he's unable to turn the page on the issue by then, his spot on the National League Division Series roster could be compromised.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who has been down since late April with an Achilles injury, was activated from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday. He will be available as a reliever for the doubleheader against Pittsburgh.

Wainwright bolsters an already strong bullpen. He returns with a 1.44 ERA in four outings.

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray took a no-decision Tuesday against Colorado as he allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three.

Ray induced a solid 10 swinging strikes and seven ground balls in 98 pitches. Ray has now thrown quality starts in consecutive outings for the first time since June and has gone six innings in back-to-back performances for the first time since July. His ERA is down to 3.50, but it will be critical for him to last longer if he is to pick up more than five wins next season.

Rockies pitcher Christian Bergman took a no-decision Tuesday against Arizona as he allowed three runs on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three.

Bergman had been pitching out of the bullpen until making a spot start last week, and he won't get stretched out by the end of the year. He threw just 76 pitches and five innings is probably about as long as he'll go if he makes another start this season. His ERA sits at 4.68.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw threw a one-hit shutout Tuesday against the Giants for his 16th win. He also struck out 13 and walked one.

What will likely be Kershaw's final start of the regular season was his best thus far. It was his third shutout and fourth complete game of the year and the fifth time he notched at least 13 strikeouts.

If he's done, Kershaw will finish with 229 innings pitched, 294 strikeouts, a 2.16 ERA, and a great case for the National League Cy Young Award.