MLB Player News

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels took a loss Thursday, giving up five earned runs on five hits and four walks in six innings while striking out seven in his team's 5-2 defeat against the Nationals.

Hamels (0-2) has had trouble with the long ball in the early portion of the season, and all five of the runs scored against him coming into Thursday's start had been on solo home runs. He surrendered two more solo home runs Thursday as well as an RBI single and a two-run double as the Nationals were able to score in four of the six innings he pitched.

"They're definitely adding up," Hamels said about the home runs after the game, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It's just knowing that I've got to be able to make the pitches early. I think when you're not able to get ahead in the count and you're forced to throw a strike, I have to at least make sure that those strikes are down in the zone, not up. And I think that's kind of what happened was, (I was) getting behind in the count and then leaving pitches up in a very hittable location. I just have to get the ball down I guess. That's the way it sums up."

Hamels owns a 5.00 ERA and 18:9 K:BB ratio in 18 innings across three starts. He'll look for his first win Wednesday against the Marlins.

Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez (shoulder) could start playing catch early next week, according to MLB.com. Alvarez made two starts before going on the disabled list Monday.

Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels pitched well enough in his last start Saturday to pick up the win, allowing one run on two hits and two walks in seven innings against the Nationals. Unfortunately, the Phillies waited until after Hamels left the game to rally for a 3-2 win.

Hamels will be looking for his first win of the season Thursday, when he makes his third start and second against the Nationals.

The left-hander has had pretty good success in his career against Washington, going 15-8 with a 2.59 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 33 starts. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in his last 13 starts against Washington.

Although he took the loss Saturday against the Cardinals, Reds ace Johnny Cueto pitched pretty well. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk in seven innings.

Cueto will get his chance to exact revenge against the Cardinals on Friday, as he takes the hill for his next start. However, the venue for this start is moving from the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where Cueto doesn't have a very good history.

The right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in nine career starts at St. Louis. Cueto lost in his only start at Busch Stadium in 2014, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and four walks in five innings.

When Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha takes the hill Friday night against the Reds, it will be his seventh career start against the NL Central foe. It is the opponent he has faced the most thus far in his young MLB career. 

Wacha has had pretty good success against Cincinnati as well. He is 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in seven career outings (six starts). He went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts against Cincinnati last season, and beat the Reds in his season debut Saturday (one ER in 6 1/3 innings).

The right-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his six starts against the Reds.

Diamondbacks pitcher Chase Anderson gave up two earned runs in Wednesday night's 4-2 loss to the Padres. Anderson's outing resulted in a no-decision. 

Anderson threw 88 pitches in six innings of work. He allowed eight hits, struck out five batters and walked one. His ERA is now 4.09. 

Anderson's next start is projected for April 21 against the Rangers. 

Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn gave up one earned run during Wednesday night's 4-2 win over the Brewers. 

Lynn went five innings and gave up his lone run of the game in the third. Aramis Ramirez hit an RBI single that scored Jonathan Lucroy. Lynn threw 99 pitches and gave up six hits. He struck out four batters and walked one. 

Lynn is now 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA. 

His next start is projected for April 21 against the Nationals. 

Cubs pitcher Neil Ramirez left Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Reds with shoulder discomfort, according to ESPN Chicago. 

Ramirez threw three pitches and was replaced by Brian Schlitter in the ninth inning. Manager Joe Maddon wasn't overly optimistic about the status of Ramirez's injury. 

"Nothing real positive but we'll see," Maddon said. 

Ramirez is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday with the likelihood of knowing what's wrong with his shoulder happening Friday. 

“The 90 mile an hour fastball was well below his thing, so something was obviously not well with him," Maddon said, via MLB.com. 

Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton is expected to throw 3-4 innings in an extended spring training Saturday, manager Clint Hurdle said per the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Morton, who is currently on the 15-day DL with a hip injury, has been making "incremental progress" towards a return to the hill. Morton posted a 6-12 record with a 3.72 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 157 1/3 innings in 2014.

Rockies starter Christian Bergman did not give up a run in four innings of work, yielding four hits and striking out four against the Giants on Tuesday.

Bergman did not go the necessary five innings to earn the win. Reliever Scott Oberg (1-0) succeeded Bergman with one scoreless inning to record the victory. 

Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa was supposed to get the nod on Tuesday but a groin injury prevented it.

Bergman's next start for the Rockies has not been announced as of Tuesday night.