MLB Player News

Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole turned in a strong performance Sunday against the Brewers, but it was overshadowed by a brawl that erupted in the third inning.

After Carlos Gomez's two-out triple in the top of the third inning, Cole seemed to be unhappy with Gomez's actions at the plate and let him know about it by shouting at Gomez. Cole walked away before the brawl erupted, but fists started flying once the benches emptied. Gomez was ejected from the game, as well as Pirates outfielder Travis Snider, but Cole was allowed to continue despite his actions triggering the melee.

"I didn’t curse at him. I didn’t try to provoke a fight. I was frustrated and I let my emotions get the better of me," Cole said. "(I said) 'If you’re going to hit a home run, you can watch it. If you’re going to hit a fly ball to center field, don’t watch it.'"

Though, Cole didn't seem bothered by the stop in play. He tossed seven scoreless innings to begin his afternoon and didn't give up a run until Mark Reynolds tied the game at 1 with a leadoff homer in the eighth inning. Cole was in line for the win before Milwaukee tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the ninth.

Cole was charged with one run on six hits and one walk in eight innings, while striking out three. His next scheduled start is for Friday against the Cardinals. Cole earned a win in his first start of the season against St. Louis April 4, allowing two earned runs in seven innings.

Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler pitched well outside of just one bad inning during a no-decision Sunday against the Braves. He was charged with three runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out six in six innings.

Wheeler opened the game with a pair of strikeouts in the first inning and had three strikeouts through two innings.

He was in control and holding a two-run lead before unraveling in the fifth inning. The Braves would produce three runs on RBI doubles from Jason Heyward, B.J. Upton and Freedie Freeman.

Wheeler got off the hook for the loss as New York tied the game at 3 in the sixth inning. He's expected to make his next start Friday against the Marlins.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg bounced back from a rough start Tuesday at Miami to strike out nine during a no-decision Sunday vs. St. Louis. The right-hander was charged with two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings.

Strasburg, who allowed six runs in four innings Tuesday, got off to a great start Sunday, striking out two in the first inning.

He ran into some trouble in the second inning, as St. Louis collected three hits and one run. Strasburg didn't give up another run until opposing pitcher Shelby Miller had an RBI double with two outs in the fifth.

Strasburg left the game trailing 2-0, but was off the hook for the loss as Washington rallied for a 3-2 win. His next scheduled start is for Friday against the Padres.

Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (back) threw a "full effort" three-inning simulated game Sunday, per MLB.com. Kershaw expects the next time he takes the hill it will be on a rehab assignment.

"This was full effort for me," he said. "You can't simulate the adrenaline of a big league game. But as far as [a] 10 a.m. sim game, that's all I got."

Kershaw added the soreness and stiffness from the teres major muscle strain in his back that landed him on the disabled list "is gone, and now it's just building back up" arm strength.

Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez and Pirates outfielder Travis Snider were ejected from Sunday's game after both teams got into a benches-clearing brawl. 

The melee ensued after Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole approached Gomez following Gomez's triple in the top of the third inning. Gomez had to be restrained as Cole walked back to the mound, but punches were exchanged once both teams came onto the field. Gomez appeared to have thrown the first punch.

According to the Cubs' game notes, Travis Wood will start Monday and Jason Hammel will start Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. Both pitchers started in Wednesday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Rockies pitcher Jordan Lyles gave up just one unearned run on five hits and one walk in seven innings while striking out two in his team's 3-1 win over the Phillies Saturday.

Lyles (3-0) has done a good job limiting scoring over his last three starts despite not posting a strong strikeout rate. The Phillies' only run came in the eighth inning, when the only batter Lyles pitched to in the inning came around to score. He owns a 3.42 ERA and 14:6 K:BB ratio in 23 2/3 innings. Lyles is slated to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles Friday.

Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez put together a dominant outing on Saturday, going the distance with a two-hit complete game shutout at home against the Mariners.

Alvarez only faced 28 batters, the closest a Miami pitcher has ever come to facing a minimum of 27 batters in an nine-inning game. He allowed a single to Dustin Ackley in the sixth and a double to Mike Zunino in the ninth for his only mistakes of the night. He also helped his cause with an RBI single in the sixth.

Alvarez (1-2) struck out four and needed just 90 pitches in his complete game 7-0 win over the Mariners. He lowered his ERA from 4.30 to 2.66 after earning his first win of the season. He'll look to keep rolling Friday against the Mets in New York.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw will throw a bullpen session Sunday as well as pitch to one or two hitters in game-simulation conditions, MLB.com reports.

Manager Don Mattingly said Saturday that it's too early to tell when Kershaw might return to the rotation, though he will need a rehab assignment before making his return. Kershaw is on the disabled list with strained terses muscle in his back.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels is scheduled to make his season debut Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia reports.

Hamels was shut down early in camp due to shoulder inflammation, but he's ready to make his long-anticipated return to the Phillies rotation after throwing seven innings in his final rehab start Thursday. He'll be looking to improve from last season's numbers after going 8-14 with a 3.60 ERA and 202:50 K:BB ratio in 220 innings.