MLB Player News

Cardinals starter Lance Lynn was hit hard again but managed to get his ninth win Saturday night against the Marlins. Lynn (9-1) allowed a season-high seven runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings of a 13-7 win.

Lynn, who is second in the NL in wins, has surrendered 11 runs over his last two starts (11 innings). He is scheduled to next start Thursday at home against the Cubs. He is 5-0 with a 2.54 ERA in seven starts at home.

Reds starter Johnny Cueto will return to make the start Sunday against Milwaukee, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports Saturday. 

Cueto (lat) returns with a 2.17 ERA over six starts on the year. Reds manager Dusty Baker mentioned that Tony Congrani could remain on the roster in a bullpen role. 

Nationals pitching prospect Sammy Solis has a sore shoulder, MLB.com reports. Solis, who is pitching with Class A Potomac, is dealing with "general soreness." 

He missed all of 2012 due to Tommy John surgery. He returned this year and has allowed six runs over 16 innings in four starts. 

Rockies starter Juan Nicasio endured a rough outing but did not factor in the decision Friday night against the Phillies. Nicasio was shelled for five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four in 5 2/3 innings in an 8-7 loss.

Nicasio has allowed three runs or more in three of his last four starts. He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at Toronto. He is 2-1 with a 4.86 ERA in seven starts away from Coors Field.

The Mets have announced that prospect Zack Wheeler will make his major-league debut in Game 2 of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader against the Braves.

Wheeler allowed one run on one hit and two walks over 5 2/3 innings in his final start in the minors. He is 4-2 and owns a 3.93 ERA with a 73-to-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 starts (68 2/3 innings) for Triple-A Las Vegas this season.

Well, the Cardinals did the one thing nobody wanted them to do and opted to keep the middling Tyler Lyons in their starting rotation over high-end prospect Michael Wacha with Jake Westbrook set to return from the DL Friday.

So what's the next step for Wacha's Fantasy owners, who were feeling great about their investment just a couple days ago, when the 21-year-old held the Mets to two earned runs in six innings?

They could always hold on to him. If Lyons is as low-end as some people make him out to be, he won't last in the role -- even if he has it for now. But how many bad starts will it take, and how many innings will Wacha have by then? The Cardinals want to limit him to 150 this year, and he's already at about 70.

Though Wacha's first three starts were no doubt encouraging, they weren't Tony Cingrani-like. I'm not sure he's shown enough to make him worth the wait, especially with the innings limit in mind. If you're already having trouble rostering Rick Porcello and Mike Leake in your league, I say you cut him loose.

The Marlins will activate starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on Tuesday to start against Arizona, The Palm Beach Post reports. Eovaldi has yet to pitch in the majors this season. He allowed 10 runs in 20 2/3 rehab innings between High Class A and Double-A.

The Cardinals have optioned reliever Michael Wacha to Triple-A Memphis, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wacha allowed a 4.58 ERA and struck out 14 against four walks over three starts covering 17 2/3 innings. The 19th-overall pick in the 2012 draft will be back in the majors to stay at some point, but the Cardinals likely don't want to stress his arm too much in his first full professional season. Wacha posted a 2.05 ERA in his nine starts for Memphis prior to being called up.

Mets prospect Zack Wheeler struck out seven in his final start Thursday for Triple-A Las Vegas.

Wheeler allowed one run on one hit and two walks over 5 2/3 innings. The only hit was a home run by Carlos Peguero, a Mariners farmhand with major league experience. Wheeler owns a 3.91 ERA in 69 innings at notoriously hitter-friendly Las Vegas. Over his final eight starts, Wheeler allowed four runs or more just once and posted a 2.98 ERA and 45 strikeouts against 12 walks.

Wheeler is expected to debut for the Mets on Tuesday against Atlanta.

Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton made his first major-league start in more than a year Thursday, surrendering four runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk in five innings against the Giants while striking out five and taking the loss.

Morton missed a little more than 12 months while recovering from Tommy John surgery and joins the Pirates rotation on the same day A.J. Burnett was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Morton will face the Reds in Cincinnati Tuesday.