MLB Player News

The Giants will promote Birdsong from Single-A San Jose to start Tuesday's game against the Nationals in Washington.

Though the Giants sent him to San Jose following his most recent start July 27, the big club had always intended to bring him back when a fifth starter was needed. The Giants' recent trade of Alex Cobb (hip/shoulder) further cements the rookie into the rotation, a distinction Birdsong earned after turning in a 2.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 38:15 K:BB in 30.1 innings through his first six big-league starts. Birdsong projects as a strong source of strikeouts while he's holding down a rotation spot, but a high walk rate could make him less of an asset in the WHIP category while also limiting his ability to work deep into his outings.

King (calf) played catch Friday and Saturday and is expected to be available to make a start in the Padres' series in Pittsburgh that runs Tuesday through Thursday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

King wasn't able to make his scheduled start Sunday against the Rockies due to lingering soreness in his left calf, but the right-hander looks as though he'll avoid missing a full turn through the rotation. San Diego has yet to name any of its starters for the three-game series with the Pirates, so King could be cleared to take the hill as soon as Tuesday, which would put him in line for a two-start week.

Fried (7-6) took the loss Sunday against Miami, allowing five earned runs on four hits and five walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out six.

Fried (elbow) made his first start since July 11 and showed clear signs of rust, issuing five free passes and yielding five earned runs to a mediocre Marlins offense. The 30-year-old still owns a strong 3.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 101:39 K:BB across 111 innings this season, but it could take him a few outings to find his groove, especially with a road start in Coors Field looming next weekend.

Bellozo is scheduled to make his next turn through the rotation Wednesday versus the Reds in Miami, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Called up from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday to help fill the opening in the rotation created by the Marlins trading Trevor Rogers to the Orioles earlier in the week, Bellozo got the job done in his start against Atlanta. He took a no-decision in the Marlins' 5-3 loss, covering five innings and striking out five while allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks. Bellozo has covered exactly five frames in each of his three starts with Miami this season and has posted a 4.20 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while striking out a batter per inning.

Cabrera (2-3) picked up the win Sunday against Atlanta, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight in five scoreless innings.

Cabrera did not allow an earned run for the first time this season, striking out eight batters to earn his first win since April 21. The 26-year-old has righted the ship over his past four starts, logging a 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 22:13 K:BB across 20 innings. Cabrera owns an impressive 11.9 K/9, but his ugly 5.96 ERA and 1.49 WHIP make him a highly volatile fantasy option. He is currently scheduled to face the Padres next weekend.

Spiers (4-3) took the loss Sunday against the Giants, allowing three earned runs on five hits and zero walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

All three of Spiers' earned runs came via the long ball -- a two-run shot by Matt Chapman in the fourth inning and a solo home run by LaMonte Wade in the sixth. Spiers hasn't been as sharp lately, allowing three or more earned runs in five of his past seven starts. Even still, the rookie has held his own this season, pitching to a 3.59 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 50:11 K:BB across 57.2 innings. He is currently scheduled for a road start in his Milwaukee his next time out.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Jones (lat) is expected to begin a rehab assignment "soon," Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The right-hander threw live batting practice Saturday, and he's now on the cusp of being cleared for game action. Jones is likely to require multiple starts in the minors before rejoining Pittsburgh's rotation, and he should be able to return from the 15-day injured list before the end of August if he can avoid any setbacks.

Ray (2-1) picked up the win Sunday against the Reds, allowing two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine in five innings.

Ray bounced back from a shaky start his last time out, fanning nine batters and allowing just three hits to earn his second win in three starts. Ray's two earned runs came on back-to-back home runs by Jeimer Candelario and Santiago Espinal in the second inning, and Ray has now surrendered five home runs over his past two starts. As he shakes off the rust and becomes more consistent, Ray's sky-high 3.14 HR/9 should normalize towards his career mark of 1.39. The southpaw now owns a 4.40 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB in 14.1 innings. Ray is currently scheduled to take on the Tigers next weekend.

Peterson did not factor into the decision in a loss to the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings while striking out four.

Peterson struggled a bit in the opening frame, issuing a walk to Zach Neto before giving up back-to-back singles with two outs, leading to a run coming across for the Angels. However, the lefty was able to pull himself together from that point on, allowing just one more run over his six innings of work while producing three 1-2-3 innings on the night. Peterson has now gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts and is yet to allow more than four runs in any outing this season. Saturday also marked the first time in his last five outings that he didn't walk multiple batters.

Flaherty improved to 8-5 on the season Saturday in the Dodgers' 10-0 win over the Athletics while striking out seven over six shutout innings. He scattered five hits and one walk.

Flaherty generated 16 whiffs in his Dodgers debut and generally stayed out of trouble after allowing back-to-back singles to begin the first inning, as he conceded just three more base hits and a walk the rest of the way. Dating back to his time in Detroit, Flaherty has yet to throw fewer than five innings in any start this season. Though he had already picked up seven wins in his 18 outings with Detroit, Flaherty's win potential should only increase moving forward in his future starts while he's backed by a superior Dodgers lineup.