MLB Player News

Kershaw (9-2) allowed one run on two hits and struck out six without walking a batter over five innings to earn the win Tuesday versus the Reds.

Kershaw threw just 72 pitches (49 strikes), but he was effective despite the lighter workload. He left the game with a 2-1 lead, and the Dodgers rallied to strengthen their advantage in the sixth. The southpaw has won five straight starts, allowing a total of six runs across 28.2 innings in that span. For the season, he's at a 3.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 58:21 K:BB through 88.1 innings over 17 starts. Don't expect Kershaw to regularly exceed 90 pitches, but he has done a good job of being efficient this season to put himself in position to collect wins. He's projected to make his next start at Pittsburgh.

Boyd (12-7) allowed five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight over 5.1 innings to take the loss Tuesday versus the Giants.

Boyd's spotty performances continued Tuesday, as he's now given up four or more runs in three of his last six starts. He also allowed multiple home runs in this outing, doing so for the first time since May 17 versus the White Sox. Boyd is now at a 2.82 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 137:36 K:BB through 153.1 innings over 26 starts. The southpaw hasn't had a workload this heavy since 2019, so it's possible he's wearing down a bit late in the campaign. He'll try to get back on track in his next start, which is projected to be in Colorado this weekend.

Brown (10-6) took the loss Tuesday, allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings against the Rockies. He struck out seven without issuing a walk.

The right-hander's outing was undone in the third inning when a costly error by Jeremy Pena opened the door for a four-run frame (all unearned). Despite taking the loss and being charged with six total runs, Brown has now strung together six straight starts allowing two earned runs or fewer. On the year, the 26-year-old owns a stellar 2.37 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across 155.2 innings in 26 starts.

Gordon (5-5) earned the win Tuesday, allowing a run on six hits and three walks over six innings in a 6-1 win over the Astros. He struck out five.

The right-hander turned in a steady outing Tuesday, giving up just a run on a solo homer to Jesus Sanchez in the second inning. Gordon has now delivered back-to-back starts of six innings with only one earned run allowed in each, a stark turnaround from the 7.98 ERA and 1.80 WHIP he posted over his first eight starts of the season.

Verlander (2-10) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings to earn the win over the Cubs on Tuesday.

Verlander's performance has swung wildly in August, as he's allowed 15 runs (14 earned) over 27.1 innings across his five starts this month. Tuesday's outing was his first win of the month, as he was able to effectively mitigate the traffic on the basepaths. Verlander is now at a 4.55 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 104:39 K:BB over 116.2 innings over 23 starts this season. The 42-year-old is projected for a home start versus the Orioles this weekend.

Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner said Tuesday that Birdsell is scheduled to undergo season-ending right elbow surgery later this week, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The exact nature of the procedure and and a timeline for his recovery won't be revealed until the surgery is completed. A shoulder/lat injury had delayed Birdsell's season debut until the second June, and once he was healthy enough to join Triple-A Iowa, he produced a 3.38 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across 18.2 innings over four appearances before getting placed on the 7-day injured list Aug. 8 due to the elbow issue.

The Rockies announced Tuesday that Senzatela will work out of the bullpen moving forward, Christian Saez of TheDNVR.com reports.

Senzatela has struggled immensely as a starter this season, posting a career-worst 7.15 ERA through 112 innings. Even more alarming is the fact that his ERA jumps up to 7.38 while pitching away from Coors Field. The 30-year-old will now move into a long-relief role in an effort to get him back on track, or at the very least, minimize the amount of damage he's able to give up in a single outing. It's unclear who will take Senzatela's place in the rotation, which is due to come up again Thursday against the Astros.

The Angels will recall Kochanowicz from Triple-A Salt Lake to start Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Kochanowicz has given up nine runs (eight earned) in just 10 innings since being sent down to Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 11, but he'll be called upon nonetheless to start Wednesday's series finale. The 24-year-old has given up at least five earned runs in three of his last four starts in the majors, so fantasy managers who are looking for streaming options will likely be better off staying away from him.

Woods Richardson (illness) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Woods Richardson has missed most of the month while recovering from a procedure to remove a parasite from his digestive tract. He's made enough progress in his recovery to make two rehab appearances in the minors, with the right-hander giving up four runs (three earned) over 5.1 innings while striking out eight batters and walking two. Though the Twins saw enough from Woods Richardson to welcome him back into the rotation, he'll likely be on a limited workload after covering 3.1 innings and 64 pitches his last time out for Triple-A St. Paul this past Thursday.

Bassitt did not factor in the decision during Tuesday's loss to Minnesota, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings.

Bassitt worked through five shutout innings before yielding a two-run homer to Luke Keaschall in the sixth. Bassitt was in line for his first win since July 23 before Toronto's bullpen fumbled the lead. He's struggled with his command and control lately; Bassitt has walked multiple batters in five straight outings, registering a 27:14 K:BB over 27 frames during that span. In six starts since his last win, he's produced a 5.22 ERA, raising his season mark to 4.14 over 150 innings. Bassitt is lined up to start in Cincinnati next week.