MLB Player News

Scherzer didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Houston, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts across four innings.

Scherzer didn't complete five innings for the first time since being activated from the injured list June 23 and threw only 71 pitches after tossing 95 pitches in his previous start. Though he didn't go deep into the contest, Scherzer was very effective, with the lone run against him coming in the third on a solo home run by Jake Meyers. The 39-year-old has logged a 2.96 ERA and a 23:4 K:BB across 27.1 innings heading into the All-Star break.

Blanco (9-4) took the loss Sunday against the Rangers, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts across six innings.

All the damage against Blanco came in the first inning, when Josh Smith launched a two-run home run. However, the Astros managed to score only one run until the ninth inning, sticking Blanco with the loss despite logging a quality start. The 30-year-old has been outstanding this season, owning a 2.56 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 109.0 innings at the All-Star break. Before 2024, Blanco had a career 4.78 ERA in 58.1 innings and had primarily been utilized out of the bullpen, making him one of baseball's biggest breakouts so far.

Keller didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over three innings. He struck out three.

The Pirates opted not to bring Keller out for the fourth inning, providing the 28-year-old with additional rest ahead of the All-Star Break. Keller has thrown 114.1 innings in the first half of the campaign and is on pace to shatter his career highs in starts and innings pitched, so it's possible the Pirates monitor Keller's workload during the back half of 2024. Still, Keller should be a strong fantasy option when on the mound, as he has posted a 3.46 ERA with 105 strikeouts this season while cruising to a 10-5 record.

Ross (back) is scheduled to make the third start of his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Nashville, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Ross's upcoming start with Nashville could be his last before he returns from the 60-day injured list. He built up to 3.2 innings and 46 pitches in his latest start with Nashville on Wednesday, so Ross will likely be targeted for around 60-to-75 pitches in his upcoming outing. After designating Dallas Keuchel for assignment Sunday, Milwaukee has an opening in its rotation that would next need to be filled July 24 versus the Cubs. If Friday's rehab start goes well, Ross could be part of the Brewers' plans for the July 24 game as a starter or bulk reliever.

Lively (8-5) yielded two runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings Sunday, striking out seven and taking a loss against the Rays.

Lively turned in a strong performance aside from serving up solo homers to Jose Siri and Brandon Lowe. The Rays threw a combined shutout and stuck Lively with the tough-luck loss. His seven punchouts matched a season best, and he's now hit that mark four times in 2024. Lively will begin the second half with a strong 3.58 ERA and 78:25 K:BB through 16 starts. In eight outings since the start of June, he's registered a 4.40 ERA.

Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Sunday that Hall (knee/forearm) will continue to get stretched out for starting duty once he resumes his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Hall has had his rehab assignment at Nashville shut down on two occasions, with the latest being the result of a bruised left forearm suffered when he was struck by a line drive Tuesday. Though Hall avoided structural damage to his pitching arm, he remains shut down from throwing but should be able to resume ramping up within a few days. Hall could still be a week or more away from resuming his assignment, however, which makes it unlikely that he'll be ready to return from the 60-day injured list before the end of July. Hall had previously covered between two and three innings in his last four rehab starts with Nashville while maxing out at 62 pitches.

Pepiot (6-5) yielded two hits over six scoreless frames Sunday, striking out four and earning a win over the Guardians.

Pepiot gave up a pair of singles and plunked one batter but never faced much of a threat Sunday. He generated 12 swinging strikes, with six coming via the fastball. Pepiot has been fairly inconsistent in the first half of 2024 but owns a solid 3.92 ERA with a 94:31 K:BB through 17 appearances. Over his last four outings, he's registered a 1.71 ERA but has turned in just one quality start.

Lodolo yielded two runs on three hits and four walks over 4.2 innings in a no-decision Sunday. He struck out four during the loss to Miami.

Lodolo kept the Marlins off the board through four innings before Jonah Bride knocked a two-run single in the fifth. Lodolo has failed to complete five frames in three straight outings since his win in Pittsburgh on June 18. During that three-start span, he's produced a lackluster 11:9 K:BB over 13 innings. Lodolo finishes his first half with a strong 3.33 ERA and 81:24 K:BB through 78.1 frames.

Paddack allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out six over five innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Sunday.

Paddack put in another decent effort, but he couldn't match Blake Snell's seven innings of one-hit ball. Paddack has allowed four runs (three earned) over 10 innings across two starts since he returned from a bout of arm fatigue. The right-hander has a 4.99 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 79:21 K:BB over 88.1 innings through 17 starts this season. While his results aren't great, Paddack's spot in the rotation doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger since he's stabilized his pitching following his injured-list stint.

The Phillies promoted Aldegheri from High-A Jersey Shore to Double-A Reading on Tuesday.

He made his Double-A debut three days later, taking the loss in a start against Akron after striking out eight over five innings while allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks. The 22-year-old lefty joined the Reading rotation after dazzling over his 13 starts at the High-A level, where he turned in a 3.18 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while striking out 94 batters over 68 innings.