MLB Player News

Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran struggled yet again Thursday against the Pirates, as he continues to have trouble adjusting to the major leagues.

Teheran allowed four runs in five innings of work, with half of the damage coming on a pair of solo home runs in the second and fourth innings. He struck out four batters and walked three, while surrendering seven hits. Despite Teheran's third subpar outing in a row, the Braves won yet again, 6-4. They have yet to lose in Teheran's three starts.

Teheran has a 7.31 ERA, with 13 runs allowed in 16 innings of work. He has allowed 21 hits on a .309 opponent batting average, with seven walks and 12 strikeouts. Five of those hits have left the park for home runs.

The 22-year-old's next scheduled start is set to come Tuesday in Colorado. The Rockies are averaging eight runs per game at home with a 6-0 record. 

Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels was solid for the second start in a row Thursday against the Cardinals, but the 29-year-old still does not have a win this season.

Hamels tossed his second quality start in a row, limiting the Cardinals to three earned runs in seven innings of work, but was not in line for a win by the time he left. He fell behind early, allowing a two-run double by Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina in the fourth inning, but the Phillies were able to work their way back from that deficit. Hamels allowed one more run in his seventh and final inning of work, and he earned a no-decision in a 4-3 loss.

Hamels struck out eight batters and walked two in his seven innings, while giving up five hits. He threw 66 of 98 pitches for strikes.

Hamels is 0-2 through four starts, with a 6.46 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings of work. Hamels will make his next start Tuesday against the Pirates, one of the league's lesser offenses. Pittsburgh ranks 25th in the majors with 51 runs scored in 14 games. 

Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright earned his third win of the year Thursday against the Phillies, allowing three earned runs on nine hits and no walks in seven innings while striking out four.

It was Wainwright's fourth straight start without issuing a walk, giving him a 28:0 K:BB ratio in 29 innings this year. It's the first time in his career that he went four straight games without walking a batter.

Wainwright will hit the road to face the Nationals Tuesday in his next start.

Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton made his first rehab start Thursday, surrendering two earned runs in three innings while throwing 44 pitches for High-A Bradenton.

With the rehab start, Morton, who was previously expected to be back in mid-June, will rejoin the Pirates by the middle of May at the latest.

Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, who was placed on the disabled list with a lat strain earlier this week, has no set timetable to resume throwing, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"We want to make sure he’s pain free, has a good range of motion and base of strength," trainer Paul Lessard told the Enquirer. "He’s feeling good. It could be a couple of days. It could be a couple more."

Prospect Tony Cingrani was recalled to start in Cueto's rotation spot Thursday against the Marlins.

With news that the Mets are considering bringing him up to upgrade their rotation, Zack Wheeler could be the prospect owners consider stashing. But on Thursday’s broadcast of Fantasy Baseball Today, Nando Di Fino said he’d stash Chris Archer over Wheeler.

“Wheeler’s awesome, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “It’s just I think Archer, who’s already seen some major-league action, will probably get a bump up before Wheeler does.”

Al Melchior didn’t agree that Archer’s path to the majors was easier than Wheeler’s. Check out the rest of the clips from Thursday’s show and tune in to the live broadcast for advice Monday through Friday at noon ET.

The Marlins' Ricky Nolasco is often mentioned as the starting pitcher most likely to be dealt this season, but the Marlins might have to rethink their asking price, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

The Marlins are hoping for a major haul if they deal the free-agent-to-be Nolasco, but Heyman reports the price tag could be dropping because of Nolasco's hefty salary and decline in production. One scout said Nolasco's fastball topped out at 94 mph Wednesday against the Nationals, but his other pitches were less than stellar. The scout said the Marlins can market Nolasco as a serviceable starter, but not much more than that.

"He's decent for a club that needs a starter," the scout said. "There are worse No. 5 starters in the big leagues right now, but he's not the pitcher he used to be.''

The Marlins announced Thursday they transferred starting pitcher Nate Eovaldi (shoulder) from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Eovaldi has yet to make a start after being placed on the DL just before the beginning of the season.

Mets manager Terry Collins said during his weekly radio spot on WFAN the Mets might have to consider promoting top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler if their rotation problems past Jonathon Niese and Matt Harvey continue, per the New York Daily News.

The Mets' starting rotation has a 4.18 ERA.

"If this continues, we’ve gotta start visiting that pretty soon," Collins said.

General manager Sandy Alderson hasn't ruled out promoting Wheeler, but he said the decision would not be made based on the struggles of Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner and Aaron Laffey.

"It was always a case that it would be Zack’s sufficiency and the major-league team’s need," Alderson said. "If those two things merge, the need and the performance converge, then it is a possibility. That could happen sooner or it could happen later."

Wheeler is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA through three starts for Triple-A Las Vegas. He has totaled 17 strikeouts in 14 innings, including eight in his last start Sunday.

"We are looking for excellency from him and consistency," Alderson said. "The last start was a good one. We want to see how he does in his next one and over the next several starts."

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw had a hard time keeping the ball in the park in Wednesday's series finale against the Padres. He allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits -- including three homers -- over 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 loss.

It was the worst outing of his career against the division foe.

The left-hander made it through the first three frames scoreless and became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts when he whiffed Yonder Alonso in the second. But he got tagged with a three-spot in the fourth before surrendering a solo home run to Chris Denorfia in the fifth. Kershaw was pulled after giving up back-to-back hits in the sixth, including a solo bomb to Kyle Blanks.

Kershaw, who threw 109 pitches, struck out five and walked four while taking his second loss.

His next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Mets. In his lone start against New York last season, Kershaw allowed three runs (one earned) over seven innings in a win.