MLB Player News

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright turned in another dominant outing as he picked up his ninth win of the season Friday night against the Reds.

Wainwright (9-3) permitted a run-scoring single to Jay Bruce in the sixth and a run-scoring single to Shin-Soo Choo in the seventh for his only damage of the night. The right-hander surrendered two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven in seven innings in a 9-2 victory.

Wainwright has won four consecutive starts. He has allowed more than two earned runs just once in that four-start stretch. He is scheduled to make his next start Thursday against the Mets at Citi Field.

Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez is scheduled to throw 50-55 pitches in a simulated game Saturday, The Palm Beach Post reports.

Alvarez has been sidelined all season because of a shoulder injury. The Marlins have not released a concrete timetable for his return.

Add the Pirates' Gerrit Cole to the list of recent and eventual call-ups worth rostering in standard mixed leagues, joining Kevin Gausman, Michael Wacha, Tyler Skaggs, Tony Cingrani and Zack Wheeler.

Good luck sorting out that mess. Chances are one or more of those pitchers is still available in your league, and as much as you may like to, you can't roster them all. I tried to prioritize them in my latest Down on the Farm column, but of course, Cole wasn't a part of that.

Doesn't mean he's any less exciting. As of now, I rank them Gausman, Wacha, Wheeler, Cole, Cingrani and Skaggs, but they're all so close that it's almost a matter of preference. Cole is a former first overall pick, so if he throws seven shutout innings in his debut Tuesday, he shoots to the top of the list.

So why isn't he there yet? Unlike Gausman, Wacha and Cingrani, he's had some control issues, and unlike Wheeler, his strikeouts were lacking at Triple-A. Also unlike Wheeler, he's no certainty to stick around for more than a start or two.

It's nitpicky stuff, but that's what we're reduced to with this deep crop of talented young pitchers.

Mets pitcher and top prospect Zack Wheeler could make his first major-league start next Friday against the Cubs, ESPN New York reports.

Wheeler is scheduled for one final start this Friday for Triple-A Las Vegas. He owns a 3.86 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings for Las Vegas, one of the toughest pitching environments for pitchers in the minor leagues. Baseball America rated him the eighth-best prospect heading into the season.

Pirates starter and top prospect Gerrit Cole is likely to make his major-league debut Tuesday against San Francisco, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Friday. Cole, the first overall pick in 2011, has a 2.91 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 68 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis this season.

Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke threw seven scoreless innings against the Braves Thursday to move to 3-1 on the season. He surrendered four hits and three walks while striking out seven and throwing 117 pitches.

It was the first time Grienke held the opposition scoreless since his first start of the year. He draws the Diamondbacks Tuesday.

Dodgers starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu has been cleared to make Friday's scheduled start against the Braves, the Orange County Register reports.

Ryu was scratched from Sunday's start against the Rockies after sustaining a foot injury in his previous start. However, he was deemed "100 percent" by manager Don Mattingly after bullpen sessions Monday and Wednesday.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg will throw a simulated game Tuesday while the team is in Colorado, a sign that his lat injury is not being considered serious, according to MASNSports.com. Strasburg was able to play catch Thursday.

"He went out early and he was throwing," manager Davey Johnson said. "He threw a lot before (pitching coach Steve McCatty) got there. He was feeling real frisky, and Cat had to cut him short. But he's champing at the bit to get back on the rubber."

Strasburg is eligible to come off the disabled list June 16, and he would be on normal rest to do so if he avoids any setbacks following Tuesday's session. 

The Marlins are open to dealing starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, according to MLB.com. A source said the Marlins are likely to receive a mid-level prospect for Nolasco, who will be a free agent after the season.

The right-hander has spent his eight-year career with the Marlins. He's 3-6 with a 3.61 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through 13 starts in 2013. His ERA is the lowest its been since a career-best 3.52 ERA in 2008.

Diamondbacks starting pitcher Wade Miley ended his losing streak at four games with a win Wednesday against the Cardinals. The left-hander surrendered 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings, but he seemed pleased.

"I just went out with a clear mind," Miley told The Arizona Republic. "I just went out and pitched. I didn’t think about nothing. I just went after guys."

Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson seems convinced Miley is ready to turn the corner and get back to the pitcher he was earlier this season.

"He had good pace, kept the ball down, threw to both sides of the plate and had some action on his fastball," Gibson said. "He was vintage Wade."