MLB Player News

Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel earned his ninth win despite a shaky start Monday against Milwaukee, as he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk over five innings. He also struck out six. 

Hammel has just one quality start in his past five outings and has seen his ERA rise from 3.35 to 3.79 in that span. He did induce 13 swinging strikes, but he also needed 104 pitches just to get through the fifth inning. Hammel still owns a sweet 4.1 K/BB, but he hasn't been on his game consistently for at least the past month.

Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa has been scratched from his shceduled start on Wednesday. The left-hander is dealing with right Achilles tendinitis, and there is currently no timetable for his return to the mound. 

Christian Bergman will get the start in place of De La Rosa. Pitching primarily out of the bullpen, Bergman has made just one start this year and that came back on April 14.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright (Achilles) has been cleared for baseball activity, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. 

Wainwright made just four starts with the Cardinals this season before the Achilles issue sent him to the disabled list. It appears he's on track to rejoin the team at some point, but he will attempt to pitch as a reliever when or if he returns down the playoff stretch.

Rockies pitcher Jordan Lyles (toe) threw a 30-pitch simulated game Saturday, The Denver Post reports. 

Lyles saw his season end in June when he required surgery on his fractured toe, but it sounds like the Rockies have outlined a throwing program during the offseason in order for him to pick up some innings.

The 24-year-old is expected to report to either instructional or winter league to throw around 40 innings prior to spring training. The Rockies should have a rotation spot waiting for Lyles when he returns next season.

Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said he thinks pitcher Aaron Nola will make his next scheduled start this weekend against the Nationals, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. 

The Phillies are going to have internal discussions before an official decision is made regarding Nola's next start. The initial plan was to shut him down for the season, but the team backed off that plan recently.

Nola, who has thrown 175 innings between the majors and minors this year, said after Sunday's game that his arm feels fine.

Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez registered his 14th win of the season Sunday against the Cubs, allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings and striking out six.

Martinez ran into some serious trouble in the third inning, loading the bases with Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant up to bat, but he was able to limit the damage to two runs scored. Some later trouble in the eighth inning endangered his win, but the Cardinals were able to induce a double play and a strikeout to get the win.

Braves starter Julio Teheran registered one of the season's more impressive no-decisions in Sunday's win over the Phillies, going 8.1 innings while allowing one run and recording eight strikeouts.

Teheran was pulled after allowing the game-tying run reach second base in the ninth inning, then had to watch as Peter Moylan let the Phillies even things up. A win would have been nice, but his ERA was at least been brought down to 4.20, its lowest point since May.

Phillies rookie starter Aaron Nola was strong in what could have been his final start of the year, throwing seven innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts and receiving a no-decision Sunday against the Braves.

Nola was able to bounce back from a rough six-run outing, allowing one run or less for the fourth time in his last six starts. His ERA has been a yo-yo lately, crossing the 4.00 mark four games in a row. Assuming reports that the Phillies don't want to shut him down are correct, he should get his next start next weekend against the Nationals.

Marlins rookie starter Justin Nicolino took a rough loss Sunday against the Nationals, allowing seven runs in 5 2/3 innings while only striking out three.

Nicolino looked like he overcame a three-run first inning going into the sixth, but he was promptly chased by allowing five hits to six batters, ending with a Tyler Moore home run. The 23-year-old's career high in strikeouts is still only four, so it's becoming pretty obvious how low his ceiling is. He'll try to bounce back next weekend against the Braves.

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg continued his stellar run since returning from the DL, striking out 10 and allowing one earned run in seven innings to get the win Sunday against the Marlins.

In Strasburg's eight starts since his return, he's had seven quality starts and four double digit-strikeout games while lowering his ERA from 4.76 to 3.81. It might be too late to save the Nationals, but the 27-year-old is at least re-establishing his value as a top starter for 2016.