MLB Player News

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg was warned by the umpire after hitting Justin Upton in the first inning of Saturday's start, but he apparently didn't get the message. Strasburg threw behind Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons twice in the second inning and was immediately ejected, ending his game after just one inning of work.

Strasburg was charged with two runs on two hits in one-plus inning. He struck out one batter, walked two, and threw three wild pitches.

Strasburg's next start is scheduled to come Thursday against the Cubs, but that could change if he possibly faces a suspension. He could also be bumped up in the rotation, having thrown just 26 pitches. 

A return to the rotation is starting to look unlikely for Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, who received discouraging news in his recovery from a strained lat Saturday.

An MRI of his strain showed that it has not yet healed, despite his efforts in a strengthening program. As a result, he has not yet been able to begin a throwing program

"They showed basically about 75 percent of the strain is healed," trainer Paul Lessard told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "He's going to continue to do the strengthening stuff for another week and then we'll re-scan him again and see if that 25 percent has closed up."

With just two weeks remaining in the minor-league season, it appears unlikely Cueto will have a chance to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. He has been out since June 29 with this injury, and it is not clear if he will be able to return to the club before the season ends. 

The Pirates have no plans to put a full stop to rookie starter Gerrit Cole's season, but he admitted Saturday to MLB.com that the team will limit him at some point over the season's final month, in order to have him available for the postseason.

"And I'm OK with that. They [pitching coach Ray Searage and manager Clint Hurdle] are openly communicating with me, letting me know what's going on," Cole said. "Doing things to extend my season is fine; I just don't want to be distracted by having to keep track of innings or pitches while I'm on the mound."

The team has yet to announce their plans for Cole, but it appears as if he will be skipped on scheduled off days, and will then move to the bullpen in the playoffs.

Cole has surpassed his innings total from last season by eight already, and is likely to finish the season with around 170, including the minors, nearly 40 more than last season. 

Marlins pitcher Nate Eovaldi (2-3) endured the worst outing of his career as he took the loss Friday night at home against the Giants. The right-hander was shelled for 11 runs -- nine earned -- on 12 hits and one walk while striking out three over three innings of a 14-10 defeat.

Eovaldi became the second pitcher to allow 11 or more runs in a game this season. He also tied the franchise record for runs allowed in a start. Eovaldi had allowed three runs in 26 innings pitched in his previous four starts before Friday's meltdown.

He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at home against the Dodgers.

Braves pitcher Alex Wood turned in another sharp outing but settled for a no-decision Friday night against the Nationals at Turner Field. The right-hander surrendered one earned run on five hits and no walks while striking out nine over 6 1/3 innings of a 3-2 victory in extras.

Wood has tossed four straight quality starts and owns a 1.78 ERA over that span. He is scheduled to make his next start Thursday at St. Louis. He is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 11 appearances (two starts) away from home.

Rockies starter Juan Nicasio (7-6) tossed a quality start as he earned his seventh win of the season Friday night against the Orioles. The right-hander surrendered two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two over six innings of a 6-3 victory.

Niccasio has allowed five earned runs over his last 11 2/3 innings pitched. He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at Philadelphia. He gave up five runs over 5 2/3 innings pitched in his previous meeting against the Phillies on June 14.

Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke (11-3) pitched into the eighth inning as he turned in a dominant outing and picked up his 11th win of the season Friday night against the Phillies. The right-hander surrendered three hits and four walks while striking out three over 7 1/3 innings of a 4-0 victory.

Greinke has not permitted a run over his last two starts (13 2/3 innings). He posted a 1.45 ERA over his last eight starts, with 39 hits and 44 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched during that span. He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at Miami. He is 5-2 with a 3.81 ERA in 10 starts away from Dodger Stadium.

Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (6-5) bounced back with a solid outing as he earned his sixth win of the season Friday night against the Diamondbacks. The rookie right-hander yielded two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings of a 6-2 victory.

Cole has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last seven starts. He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at San Diego. He is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA in three starts away from home.

Mets rookie Zack Wheeler is different now. That hot mess we saw in mid-June who couldn't get his 98-mph fastball over the plate with any real consistency is beginning to show just how effective his stuff can be when he throws it for strikes.

Obviously, the head-turner was his 12-strikeout effort at San Diego Thursday, but his six starts leading up to it were no worse than competent.

So now, over his last seven starts, he has a 3.00 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which is more impressive to me than what Gerrit Cole has done this season. And unlike Cole, Wheeler still has a ways to go before he reaches his career high in innings.

The steady improvement reminds me of Harvey's first stint in the majors last year, when he issued 12 walks over 22 1/3 innings in his first four starts compared to 14 over 37 in his last six. While it's unreasonable to think Wheeler's on-the-job development will go exactly like Harvey's did, it's not so unreasonable to think his 12-strikeout effort is a sign of him getting comfortable with his surroundings.

And once that happens, the sky's the limit.

Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler turned in a dominant outing but was not backed by enough run support as he received a no-decision Thursday against the Padres. The rookie right-hander yielded one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out a career-high 12 over six innings of work.

Wheeler has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last five starts. He owns a 3.72 ERA over that span. He is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday at home against Atlanta. He is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against the Braves this season.