MLB Player News

Mikolas (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the Diamondbacks, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings.

Mikolas tossed four scoreless frames before the Diamondbacks rallied in the fifth and chased him out of the inning. He would allow a sacrifice fly to Jace Peterson and an RBI double to Jake McCarthy before walking consecutive hitters and exiting the game with the bases loaded. The bullpen did him no favors, allowing all three inherited runners to score. Mikolas didn't fool many in this one, registering just five whiffs on 75 pitches. It's been mixed results for Mikolas early on, as he'll take a 5.82 ERA and 1.43 WHIP into his next start, which projects to be against the division-leading Brewers next weekend.

Gallen (3-0) threw six shutout innings in a win over the Cardinals on Sunday, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Gallen continued his excellent start to the season with his second scoreless outing in his last three starts. The Cardinals were able to scatter four hits against him and their only threat came in the second with bases loaded and one out, but Gallen was able to escape without any harm by striking out Brandon Crawford and getting Mike Siani to ground out. Five of his seven strikeouts came from his knuckle curve, as he registered 11 whiffs on the afternoon. He's allowed one run or fewer in three-of-four starts so far and boasts an excellent 1.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 26:7 K:BB in 22 innings. He'll look to keep things rolling his next time out on the road against the Giants.

Castillo (0-4) took the loss Sunday against the Cubs, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits in six innings. He struck out nine.

Castillo had his best outing of the early season but failed to get much run support to put him in line for a win. The Cubs scored on in the opening frame before Michael Busch connected on a no-doubter to right field in the fourth to give them a 3-0 cushion. Still, it was the first time Castillo managed to reach six innings this year and issue zero free passes while striking out a season-high nine batters, as he seems to be trending in the right direction. He'll be in search of his first win his next time out, which currently projects to be on the road against the Rockies.

Wood did not factor into the decision, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks over 4.1 innings during Sunday's 7-6 win over the Nationals. He struck out four.

Wood needed 100 pitches to collect 13 outs, allowing 11 baserunners and four runs in the process. A Lane Thomas homer in the fifth left him on the hook for a three-run deficit, but the Oakland bats came to life in the sixth, providing six runs and rendering Wood with merely a no-decision. This is the fourth straight outing to start the season that Wood has failed to make it past five innings, and he now holds an 8.10 ERA and 2.10 WHIP over 16.2 innings through four starts. Those numbers are poor enough to label his hold on a spot in the starting rotation tenuous at best, even with a team like Oakland that could benefit from his veteran presence. His next start is tentatively scheduled to take place next weekend in Cleveland for a matchup with the Guardians.

Williams did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk over 5.1 innings during Sunday's loss to Oakland. He struck out seven.

Williams held a 6-1 lead entering the bottom of the sixth but allowed two of three runners faced in the inning to reach prior to being pulled. He then sat by as he watched the bullpen allow both inherited runners to score plus as additional four more that provided the winning one-run margin for the Athletics. The ninth-year veteran has gotten off to a very solid start for the Nationals, winning his first two starts prior to putting his team in position again on Sunday. The competition will ramp up in his next start, currently scheduled to take place next weekend during a home series against the Astros.

Luzardo pitched five innings, surrendering five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four batters in Sunday's 9-7 loss to Atlanta. He did not factor into the decision.

Luzardo ran into trouble early Sunday, first allowing a run on sacrifice fly by Adam Duvall in the top of the second inning before giving up two runs in each of the third and fourth frames. The left-hander has now surrendered 12 runs over 9.2 innings in his last two starts, watching his ERA grow from 4.35 to 7.65 over 20 innings in four outings in 2024. Luzardo will look to get back on track in his next projected start Friday on the road versus the Cubs.

Eovaldi (1-1) allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings to take the loss Sunday against the Astros. He struck out three.

Eovaldi had allowed just three runs over 18.2 innings over his first three starts, but the Astros lit him up for five over six innings Sunday. Eovaldi allowed a leadoff homer to Jose Altuve, then allowed a second solo shot to Altuve with one out in the third. The additional three runs were scored in the fourth as Eovaldi allowed five extra-base hits among his eight hits allowed. Despite the poor effort, Eovaldi's ERA remains solid at 2.92 as he heads into his next start, tentatively slated for next weekend on the road in a showdown against Atlanta.

Javier (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks to earn the win Sunday over the Rangers. He struck out five.

Javier needed just 89 pitches to complete seven innings, throwing 62 for strikes to earn the win in his longest outing of the season. Javier's command had been a bit shaky going into Sunday's outing, walking eight batters over 10.1 innings during his previous two starts. However, he's provided a much-needed boost to the short-handed Astros rotation, allowing just four earned runs for a 1.54 ERA over his first four starts spanning 23.1 innings. He'll have a chance to improve upon those numbers even further in his next start as he's tentatively slated for a weekend matchup against the Nationals in Washington.

Morton pitched 5.2 innings Sunday, allowing six runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight batters in a 9-7 win over Miami. He did not factor into the decision.

Morton pitched three innings of one-run ball before he surrendered five more runs over the next 2.2 innings. The right-hander has now put together back-to-back disappointing outings, giving up 10 runs on 12 hits and six walks over 11.1 innings. The 40-year-old has pitched exactly 5.2 innings in each of his first three outings in 2024, a mark that he'll look to surpass when he returns to the mound for his next projected start Saturday at home versus the Rangers.

Alexander (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings Sunday, striking out four and earning a win over the Giants.

After Shawn Armstrong threw two frames, Alexander took the mound in the third inning. Alexander allowed one run through his first four innings before coughing up a solo homer in the seventh. It was his longest outing of 2024 and the first time he's allowed fewer than four runs. He lowered his ERA to 6.46 with a 12:5 K:BB through 15.1 frames. Alexander will likely continue working behind an opener or as a back-end starter.