MLB Player News

Herz (4-8) took the loss Wednesday versus the Mets, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings.

Herz cruised through three innings, but he was pulled after allowing the first eight batters to reach in the fourth. He had already given up four runs at the time of his exit, and Jacob Barnes let all three inherited runners cross the plate to put more damage on Herz's line. This was the southpaw's worst outing of the year, though he was able to avoid giving up a home run for the fifth time in six appearances. He's now at a 4.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 103:33 K:BB through 83.2 innings over 18 starts. His next projected start will likely be his last one of the campaign, which is tentatively set to be at home versus the Royals.

Quintana (10-9) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four over seven shutout innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Nationals.

Quintana has won four straight starts and has excelled over his last five outings. In that longer span, he has allowed just two runs (one earned) across 32 innings with a 20:9 K:BB. All six of Quintana's scoreless outings this year have come since the start of July. He lowered his ERA to 3.74 with a 1.24 WHIP and 126:61 K:BB through 166 innings over 30 starts this year.

Birdsong (4-5) earned the win Wednesday against Baltimore, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks across 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

Birdsong fell just shy of his second quality start of 2024, as he got pulled in favor of Erik Miller after giving up a single to Colton Cowser in the sixth inning. Miller immediately yielded a double to Ryan O'Hearn, plating Cowser as Birdsong's third earned run. In his last three starts, Birdsong has a 3.29 ERA with an 11:8 K:BB across 13.2 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Diamondbacks in Arizona his next time out.

Abbott (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

The side session was Abbott's second since he landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 23 with a left shoulder strain. Abbott is expected to face hitters in live batting practice this weekend, and if all goes well, he could return from the IL next week to make one final appearance before the end of the regular season. Given that he'll have missed more than a month and won't have the benefit of making a minor-league appearance beforehand if he's activated, Abbott is expected to be limited to a relief role.

Gomber (5-11) took the loss Wednesday as the Rockies were downed 9-4 by the Diamondbacks, coughing up six runs (five earned) on six hits and a walk over two innings. He struck out one.

Three of the hits off Gomber left the yard, including two by Corbin Carroll, as the southpaw stumbled through his shortest outing of the season. Gomber had been on a roll, working at least six innings in six straight trips to the mound with a 3.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 27:8 K:BB over 39 innings, but that hot streak came to crashing halt in Coors Field. He's scheduled to make one more start this year, facing the Cardinals at home next week.

Rodriguez (3-3) picked up the win Wednesday, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over 6.1 innings in a 9-4 victory over the Rockies. He struck out 11.

The veteran southpaw navigated Coors Field to set a new season high in strikeouts, and the strikeout total was his best in that category since he fanned a dozen Phillies almost exactly five years ago, on Sept. 14, 2019. Rodriguez picked up his first win since Aug. 20 along with his first quality start of the year, and the 6.1 innings also represented his longest outing of the season. He didn't make his 2024 debut until Aug. 7 due to shoulder issues that cropped up in spring training, and while his 5.09 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 36:14 K:BB through 40.2 innings aren't particularly impressive, he could be rounding into form just in time to help Arizona lock up a playoff spot. Rodriguez lines up to make his next start at home early next week against the Giants.

Montgomery is listed as the Diamondbacks' probable starting pitcher for Sunday's game in Milwaukee, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Montgomery picked up his first start since Aug. 21 on Tuesday, joining the rotation as a replacement for the injured Ryne Nelson (shoulder). Though he had been pitching out of the bullpen for nearly a month, Montgomery still took on close to a typical starter's workload (4.2 innings and 79 pitches) while giving up three earned runs on six hits and two walks. Montgomery will likely shift back to the bullpen during the playoffs if the Diamondbacks should clinch a postseason spot, but he'll pick up at least one more start while Nelson is on the shelf.

Steele came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the A's, allowing two hits and three walks over 2.2 scoreless innings. He struck out one.

Activated from the IL earlier in the day after completing his recovery from elbow tendinitis, Steele wasn't fully stretched out and tossed 57 pitches (37 strikes) before being lifted. The 29-year-old lefty has had trouble staying healthy this season, but through 130.2 innings he's delivered a strong 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 132:37 K:BB. With the Cubs teetering on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs, they could shuffle their rotation as their focus turns to 2025, but Steele is currently scheduled to make his next start on the road early next week against the Phillies.

Williams (elbow) is scheduled to be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Friday against the Cubs, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The right-hander has been sidelined since late May due to a flexor strain, but he's ready to rejoin the Nationals after making two rehab starts with Double-A Harrisburg. Williams threw 73 pitches in the most recent outing, so any workload limitations shouldn't be significant. He was off to the best start of his career prior to the injury with a 2.22 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 47:16 K:BB across 56.2 innings.

The Pirates called Woodford up from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The right-hander was sent outright to Indianapolis in late August after being designated for assignment by Pittsburgh, but he'll rejoin the big club for a spot start Wednesday in St. Louis. Woodford has an 8.01 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 21:9 K:BB across 30.1 frames in the majors this season, so he doesn't offer much streaming appeal.