MLB Player News

Imanaga (6-3) earned the win in Sunday's game against the Yankees, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out six.

The only blemish on the Chicago southpaw's performance was a solo homer conceded to Giancarlo Stanton in the second. Otherwise, Imanaga looked masterful on the road versus a New York team that entered this game ranked third in total runs scored. The Japanese star notched his first outing with five or more Ks since returning from a hamstring injury June 26. Imanaga has produced a 2.65 ERA, 0.93 and 48:16 K:BB across 68 total frames. The 31-year-old will likely draw his next start in the team's weekend series after the All-Star break against the Red Sox at home.

Warren (6-5) suffered the loss Sunday against the Cubs, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over 5.1 innings with one strikeout.

Warren held his own across 88 pitches against a Chicago lineup that entered this contest ranked second in total runs scored. All of the damage against the New York right-hander's line came via the long ball. Warren gave up a solo shot to Michael Busch in the second, while the second run he yielded happened when reliever Ian Hamilton allowed a two-run blast in the sixth, permitting a runner stranded by Warren to score. Even with an eight-run disaster against Toronto on July 2 in the mix, Warren has been a viable fantasy arm since the beginning of June, pitching to a 3.94 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 43:20 K:BB across 43.1 innings. Through 95.1 total frames, the 26-year-old sports a 4.63 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 112:44 K:BB while having conceded nine homers.

Pivetta allowed an unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out eight over 6.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Phillies on Sunday.

Pivetta had a sloppy first inning, but he limited the damage to one run in that frame. After some shaky pitching in early June, Pivetta has settled back in with just two runs allowed (one earned) across his last 25.1 innings over four starts, a span in which he's added a 31:5 K:BB. Overall, the right-hander is at a 2.88 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 122:29 K:BB through 109.1 innings over 19 starts, which are easily the best marks of his career.

Stephen was promoted to Double-A New Hampshire on Sunday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Stephen will take a step up to Double-A after producing a 1.49 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 49 strikeouts over 48.1 innings in nine starts with High-A Vancouver this year. The 22-year-old has already climbed from Single-A Dunedin to Double-A this year, and he'll set his sights on taking another step to Triple-A Buffalo by the end of the season.

Sanchez (8-2) allowed one run on six hits and three walks while striking out six over 7.1 innings to earn the win over the Padres on Sunday.

Sanchez has rattled off eight straight quality starts since the beginning of June, and impressively, he hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of them. Over that span, he has a 1.63 ERA across 55.1 innings. The 28-year-old southpaw concludes the first half with a 2.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 122:32 K:BB through 115 innings across 19 starts. His next start is projected to be during the Phillies' second series after the All-Star break, which is at home versus the Red Sox.

Ray allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Sunday.

Ray was close to taking a hard-luck loss, but Luis Matos' game-tying homer in the ninth inning spared him. Ray was strong, only allowing an RBI double to Freddie Freeman and a solo home run to Miguel Rojas in terms of damage, but the southpaw wasn't quite as sharp as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched seven scoreless frames. Since the start of June, Ray has allowed just 19 runs (16 earned) over 48.2 innings, good for a 2.96 ERA. That's a little worse than his overall mark this year -- he's at a 2.65 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 128:44 K:BB through 119 innings over 20 starts. Ray was named an All-Star this year but won't pitch in Tuesday's game since he started Sunday.

Woods Richardson did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 2-1 loss against the Pirates, allowing one run on six hits and one walk over 4.2 innings while striking out three.

The lone blemish on Woods Richardson's line came on a solo homer by Tommy Pham in the second inning, but he rebounded with back-to-back perfect frames in the third and fourth before being lifted shy of 80 pitches for the third straight start. The 24-year-old has been excellent lately, allowing one earned run or fewer in five of his last six starts while posting a 1.47 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 30.2 innings over that stretch. The right-hander will look to continue his impressive run after the All-Star break.

Yamamoto allowed three hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Sunday.

Yamamoto was chased in the first inning of his last start versus the Brewers on Monday, so this was a fantastic bounce-back effort. After a dominant first two-plus months of the season, Yamamoto has been less of a sure thing, posting a 3.57 ERA over his last eight starts (40.1 innings), a span that includes three starts of four or more runs allowed. Altogether, he's at a 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 116:36 K:BB through 104.1 innings over 19 starts. He won't participate in the All-Star Game in Atlanta on Tuesday since he pitched Sunday, but he'll be ready to go whenever his turn comes up as the Dodgers host three-game series versus the Brewers and Twins coming out of the break.

Soriano (6-7) allowed five runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Diamondbacks.

Soriano got through three innings with little trouble, but Arizona put together a four-run rally in the fourth, aided by an error. Over his last nine starts, Soriano has been operating on extremes -- he's given up five-plus runs four times, but his other five starts in that span have seen him surrender one run or fewer. That inconsistency is frustrating for fantasy managers, but the right-hander has been one of the Angels' more effective starters in the first half, posting a 3.90 ERA despite a 1.45 WHIP and 98:55 K:BB through 113 innings over 20 starts.

Povich (hip) struck out three over three perfect innings in a rehab start for High-A Aberdeen on Sunday.

Povich needed just 30 pitches to retire all nine hitters that he faced. The 25-year-old left-hander suffered a setback in his recovery from hip inflammation during his June 26 rehab appearance with Triple-A Norfolk, but he's back on track for a return from the injured list sometime shortly after the All-Star break. With southpaw Trevor Rogers working to a 1.53 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 32:10 K:BB through six major-league starts this season and with Charlie Morton pitching better of late after a rough start to the campaign, the Orioles may not have a rotation spot available for the young southpaw once he's activated.