MLB Player News

Snell pitched 6.1 scoreless innings against Atlanta on Monday, allowing two hits and walking three batters while striking out 11.

Snell's excellence was on par with that of opposing starter Chris Sale, who fired seven scoreless frames with 12 punchouts. Snell didn't go quite as deep into the contest as Sale due to his 114 pitches, but he nonetheless recorded his sixth straight quality start after failing to accomplish that feat over his initial seven contests of the campaign. Snell struggled to begin his tenure with San Francisco and then missed over a month from early June to early July due to a groin strain. Since returning from that injury, the southpaw has been dominant, posting a 0.99 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and 60:14 K:BB over 45.1 frames.

Sale allowed three hits and struck out 12 batters over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against San Francisco on Monday.

Sale and Giants starter Blake Snell locked into a southpaw pitching duel that included a combined 23 strikeouts over 13.1 scoreless frames. Sale's strikeout total was a season high and marked his second consecutive contest with double-digit punchouts. The veteran lefty extended his streak of starts allowing two or fewer earned runs to 11, and he's racked up a 95:20 K:BB over 67 innings during that span. Sale has built a strong case to this point for NL Cy Young honors -- he leads qualified starters in the circuit in ERA (2.61) and ranks second in both WHIP (0.97) and punchouts (177) while tying for the major-league lead with 13 victories.

Pfaadt (7-6) earned the win over Colorado on Monday, allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out 11 batters over seven innings.

Pfaadt's control was on point in the victory, as he threw 73 of 94 pitches for strikes and didn't walk any batters. The right-hander also induced 19 swings-and-misses en route to 11 strikeouts, matching the career-best mark he previously set against Seattle on April 28. Pfaadt hasn't taken a loss in nine straight starts, and he's posted a 3.33 ERA along with a 51:7 K:BB over 54 frames during that span.

Musgrove gave up two hits and issued one walk while striking out one batter over 4.1 scoreless innings in a no-decision against Pittsburgh on Monday.

Musgrove's first big-league start since May 26 went well, as the veteran hurler allowed just four baserunners (on two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch) while throwing 43 of 63 pitches for strikes. The right-hander made only one rehab appearance (Aug. 4 with Single-A Lake Elsinore) during which he tossed just 43 pitches, which explains why he was held to a limited workload Monday. Musgrove may be kept under some level of a pitch count for another start or two, but he figures to have more of a leash his time on the mound, which is tentatively slated to take place in Colorado.

Imanaga did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing seven runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk over five innings against the Guardians. He struck out three.

Imanaga allowed two homers, the fifth time in 22 starts he's given up multiple long balls this season. However, the three-run blast off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel did not impact Imanaga's earned run line as it came following an error that had extended the fourth inning. Imanaga followed up by allowing three runs in the fifth, this time all earned, and a night that began with a promising three-run lead ended with him leaving with a four-run deficit. The five innings represented the Japanese rookie's shortest outing since allowing 10 runs over three innings on June 21 and extended a streak that has seen him allow three or fewer earned runs in seven of his last eight outings. He'll carry a 3.16 ERA and 1.08 WHIP into his next start, tentatively slated to take place in the friendly confines against the Blue Jays.

Peralta dropped to 7-7 on the season in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Dodgers, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks across six innings. He struck out four.

For the third time in four starts, Peralta was tagged for multiple home runs. On Monday, Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani each belted two-run homers, accounting for all four runs allowed by Peralta. The 28-year-old righty has a 4.11 ERA this season -- his worst since converting to a starter in 2021 -- through 131.1 innings. After facing Atlanta twice and the Dodgers once for his last three starts, Peralta is lined up for another tough matchup as the Guardians travel to Milwaukee this weekend.

Kershaw (1-2) picked up the win Monday against Milwaukee, allowing one run on three hits and two walks across 5.2 innings. He struck out six.

Though Kershaw was pulled after 83 pitches and hasn't surpassed 85 pitches since being activated from the injured list July 25, he went deeper than five innings for the first time. The veteran left-hander's lone run allowed came after he was removed, when Joe Kelly surrendered a home run to William Contreras that plated inherited runner Jackson Chourio. Kershaw has struck out five or more hitters in three of four starts this season and has yielded one run in back-to-back appearances. He's tentatively scheduled to close out a two-start week Saturday at St. Louis.

Gray (11-7) took the loss Monday, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks over five innings against the Reds. He struck out nine.

Gray allowed six earned runs for the second time this season with five of those runs coming by way of two home runs off the bat of Spencer Steer. The other run allowed also came via the long ball as Elly De La Cruz followed Steer's two-run blast in the third with a solo dinger of his own. It was the third time this season Gray has allowed at least three homers in the same game. The outing lifted his ERA to 3.93 with a 1.08 WHIP over 130.2 innings while the nine strikeouts lifted his season total to 162, good for 10th best in all of baseball. His next start is slated to take place over the weekend when the Dodgers make the trip to St. Louis.

Abbott (10-9) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over 6.2 innings against the Cardinals. He struck out six.

Abbott rebounded from allowing three homers in his last start to shut down the Cardinals, with a Nolan Arenado run-scoring single in the third representing the lone blemish against him. Abbott was on track to complete seven innings while allowing one run or fewer for the fifth time this season, but a two-out error by Elly De La Cruz extended the inning and Abbott was pulled after tossing 93 pitches. The 25-year-old lefty has now tossed a career-high 133 innings while holding a 3.59 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 110 strikeouts. He's next scheduled for a home matchup against the Royals.

The Pirates placed Gonzales on the 60-day injured list Monday with a left forearm strain, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The Pirates found out earlier in the day that Gonzales would require a trip to the IL, and after reviewing the extent of the injury, the club has elected to shut him down for the rest of the season. He'll finish the 2024 campaign with a 4.54 ERA and 1.60 WHIP with 23 strikeouts over 33.2 innings of work. Jake Woodford will move from the bullpen to fill Gonzales' spot in the rotation Monday in San Diego, while Pittsburgh selected the contract of Ryder Ryan from Triple-A Indianapolis to replace Gonzales on the 40-man roster.