MLB Player News

Ray (1-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Athletics, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings.

Ray was unable to replicate his excellent season debut in what looked like an easier matchup on paper. All four runs he gave up came from homers; Daz Cameron and Lawrence Butler hit solo shots before Brent Rooker ended Ray's night with a two-run blast in the fifth. Ray has had some problems in years past with allowing walks and home runs, though it's difficult to gauge where he is exactly with his command and control through just two starts. One encouraging stat is that his fastball velocity is averaging 94.7 mph, which is higher than his career average. The 32-year-old now owns a 4.82 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 9.1 innings and will look to bounce back against the Nationals to begin next week.

Nelson (8-6) got the win over the Nationals on Tuesday, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out nine over seven scoreless innings.

Nelson was staked an 11-0 lead by the end of the third inning but never let up one bit. Both his nine strikeouts and seven innings pitched tied season highs and it was his second outing of the season of at least five scoreless frames. He gave up one run or fewer of four of his six starts in July, leading to a 2.41 ERA and .211 BAA. He also went at least five innings in every start, which is something he's wasn't able to do earlier in the season. The 26-year-old now owns a 4.53 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 79:26 K:BB in 105.1 innings and will look to keep rolling against the Pirates to begin next week.

Corbin (2-11) took the loss Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits while striking out three over three innings.

As Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com notes, Corbin's 11 runs allowed in a single outing are the most in franchise history. Corbin only gave up one home run, which came in the opening frame on a two-run blast by Eugenio Suarez. The Diamondbacks would go on to mount on seven more runs in the second and another four in the third before Corbin's night was all said and done. Arizona had 13 hits in its first 19 at-bats against Corbin. The veteran southpaw had come into Tuesday having posted back-to-back quality outings. Now, Corbin will take a 5.88 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 89:39 K:BB in 121 innings into a projected meeting with the Giants to begin next week.

Marquez (elbow) is set to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Marquez has been on the injured list since July 19 and Wednesday will mark his first activity since. He is hoping to be activated when first eligible, though manager Bud Black did not commit to that.

Jones (lat) threw a 38-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

This marked Jones' second bullpen session since landing on the injured list, and he threw all pitches in his arsenal. He'll throw a live bullpen session during the team's upcoming homestand and could head out for a rehab assignment shortly thereafter.

Quantrill allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings in a no-decision Tuesday versus the Angels.

The Rockies led 6-2 after the second inning, but Quantrill let the Angels pull ahead by the end of the fourth. He was able to avoid a loss, but this was arguably his worst start of the season. He failed to complete five innings in two of his five starts in July, allowing 20 runs (19 earned) over 22.2 innings. For the season, he's posted a 4.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 90:45 K:BB through 118 innings over 22 starts. Quantrill is projected to make his next start at San Diego this weekend.

Woodford will start Wednesday's game versus the Astros, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Woodford had started seven games for Triple-A Indianapolis after joining the Pirates on a minor-league deal in June, putting up a 2.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 37:5 K:BB over 35.1 innings. His excellent performance earned him a promotion to the big-league roster Tuesday, and he's now set to make his first start in the big leagues since June 6. The 27-year-old righty gave up 10 runs in 8.1 frames across his two starts with the White Sox, but his recent hot streak may translate into major-league success with Pittsburgh. It's unclear if the Pirates have any plans to include Woodford in the rotation beyond Wednesday.

Falter (5-7) allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out three without walking a batter over 5.1 innings to earn the win over the Astros on Tuesday.

Falter missed most of July while recovering from left triceps tendinitis. He was good in his return, though he allowed a home run to Yainer Diaz. Falter threw 47 of his 66 pitches for strikes, so it may take him another couple of starts to get fully stretched out. The southpaw now has a 3.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 64:28 K:BB through 95.2 innings over 18 starts this season. His next outing is projected to be at home versus the Padres.

Nola allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.2 innings in a no-decision Tuesday against the Yankees. He struck out four.

Nola allowed at least one baserunner in each of the first six innings Tuesday, though he'd manage to hold the Yankees to a lone first-inning run before Jazz Chisholm led off the sixth with a solo homer. It's just the second time in Nola's last eight starts that he's failed to make it through six innings. Overall, he's 11-4 on the year with a 3.43 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 130:34 K:BB across 22 starts (136.1 innings). Nola's currently lined up to face the Dodgers on the road in his next outing early next week.

Elder (2-4) earned the win over the Brewers on Tuesday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven over 6.1 innings.

Elder did much better in this outing than he did in a July 20 spot start versus the Cardinals, in which he allowed six runs over five innings. The right-hander has been inconsistent at the major-league level, allowing six or more runs in three of his nine starts this season. He has a 5.67 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB through 46 innings. The chances of Elder getting another start during this stint in the majors will likely depend on if Reynaldo Lopez (forearm) is able to pitch versus the Marlins this weekend.