MLB Player News

Littell (4-7) picked up the win in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Reds, scattering three hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out five.

The 28-year-old right-hander was masterful over 96 pitches (60 strikes), as Cincinnati managed to get only two runners into scoring position against him. The quality start was the eighth of the year for Littell, but only his second in his last eight trips to the mound, a stretch in which he has a 5.22 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. With the Rays in sell mode at the trade deadline and Littell headed for his final year of arbitration in 2025, Saturday's performance can only have boosted his market value. If he doesn't get dealt, he's scheduled to make his next start for Tampa Bay on the road next weekend in Houston.

Abbott (9-7) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks over four-plus innings as the Reds were downed 4-0 by the Rays. He struck out two.

The southpaw fired 60 of 88 pitches for strikes but was getting too much of the plate, as six of the eight hits off him went for extra bases including back-to-back homers in the fifth inning by Alex Jackson and Yandy Diaz. Abbott has been erratic in July -- three of his five trips to the mound resulted in quality starts in which he allowed just one total run, but he got torched for nine runs in 7.1 innings in the other two outings. He'll take a 3.38 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 89:45 K:BB through 117 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Giants.

Megill (2-5) took the loss Saturday as the Mets fell 4-0 to Atlanta, giving up four runs on five hits -- including three home runs -- and two walks over six-plus innings. He struck out four.

Making his first big-league start since June 29, Megill looked like he was headed for a pitchers' duel with rookie Spencer Schwellenbach until Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson clubbed back-to-back solo shots in the fourth inning. Eddie Rosario would then help chase Megill from the game with a third solo blast to lead off the seventh. With Kodai Senga (calf) lost for the season and Christian Scott (elbow) lacking a clear return date, Megill will likely get an extended run in the rotation unless the Mets bring in help at the trade deadline. The right-hander hasn't made a strong case for the job however, posting a 5.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP through nine MLB starts this season.

Schwellenbach (4-5) picked up the win Saturday, scattering two hits over seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Mets. He struck out 11 without walking a batter.

The rookie right-hander was simply dominant, setting a new career high in Ks and becoming just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to have a double-digit strikeout game in the first 10 appearances of their career. Schwellenbach is emerging as an ace for Atlanta -- in four July outings, he's posted a stunning 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 28:1 K:BB over 26 innings, not bad for someone who didn't even begin pitching until his final season of college ball in 2021. He lines up to make his next start at home next week against a Marlins team that has already shipped out Jazz Chisholm and could be further depleted by the trade deadline.

Garcia (elbow) will throw a sim game either Tuesday or Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Garcia threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and will now be set to face hitters. General manager Dana Brown also stated Friday that he believes Garcia will return to game action this season, though it could come as a reliever.

Verlander (neck) threw more than 50 pitches in his bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.

The exact number of pitches wasn't reported, but this was a step forward from his last session July 20 when he threw 40 pitches. It's expected that Verlander will return from the injured list in the upcoming week, though the team's exact plans are unclear.

Gibson (7-4) allowed two runs on six hits and three walks while failing to record a strikeout over five innings, taking the loss Saturday versus the Nationals.

Gibson has posted a 17:9 K:BB over 20.2 innings across his last four starts, allowing 10 runs in that span. That's just a little worse than his 3.97 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 102:46 K:BB for the year, marks he's achieved in 113.1 innings across 20 starts. The veteran right-hander is projected to make his next start on the road versus the Cubs.

Irvin (8-8) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five over 5.1 innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Saturday.

The two runs on his line came on a Willson Contreras home run in the sixth inning, but the Nationals had already established a large lead. Irvin has allowed four runs over 12.1 innings across two starts since the All-Star break after struggling in his last two outings prior to the intermission. He's now at a 3.44 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 111:30 K:BB through 128.1 innings over 22 starts this season. Irvin's next outing is projected to be at home versus the Brewers.

Wrobleski allowed two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 5.2 innings in a no-decision against Houston on Saturday.

Wrobleski cruised through five frames, holding the Astros scoreless on two hits. He then allowed consecutive singles to begin the sixth but rebounded to retire the next pair of batters before Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts decided to pull the southpaw after a modest 82 pitches. That decision didn't work out well for the Dodgers, as Evan Phillips came in and surrendered four consecutive singles, allowing both inherited runners plus two more to score. Wrobleski later lost the opportunity for his first big-league victory when Houston put up two runs in the eighth frame. Despite the disappointing outcome for the rookie, his start was promising overall, as he tossed a career-high 5.2 frames and came within one out of a quality start. With James Paxton's recent release, Wrobleski has a good chance of sticking in the rotation even when Walker Buehler (hip) returns from the injured list.

Blanco allowed four runs on three hits and three walks while striking out nine batters over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against the Dodgers on Saturday.

Blanco gave up at least one run in three of the five frames in which he pitched, though the final two runs charged to his ledger came after he departed in the fifth inning. While the right-hander's final line was mostly unimpressive, he did manage to rack up a season-high nine punchouts while inducing 18 swinging strikes. Saturday marked the first time in 10 starts that Blanco failed to complete five innings, though he's now given up four runs in each of his past two appearances.