MLB Player News

Liberatore (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Liberatore didn't pitch well in two rehab starts with Triple-A Memphis, allowing six runs while walking 10 over 6.2 innings. He brought his pitch count up to 83 in his last outing Sunday, and the Cardinals have decided he's ready to join the big club, despite his poor results in the minors. St. Louis presumably wants to stick Liberatore back in its rotation, though it's unclear when he might make his next start.

Rodriguez (5-3) earned the win over the Angels on Monday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Rodriguez wasn't as dominant as he was his last time out, when he allowed just one hit over six scoreless frames against the White Sox, but he did demonstrate an impressive arsenal with 17 whiffs and seven punchouts. The right-hander has racked up five consecutive quality starts, posting a 2.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 28:8 K:BB over 31 innings during that stretch. Rodriguez struggled mightily early this season, but he's turned things around dramatically following a nearly two-month stint in the minors. Since returning to the Orioles' rotation July 17, he's posted a 2.85 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 48:16 K:BB across 53.2 frames.

Hill (7-14) took the loss against Philadelphia on Monday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 1.1 innings.

Hill was in trouble from the get-go, allowing four of the first five batters he faced to reach base and yielding three first-inning runs on a bases-clearing double by Alec Bohm. The veteran hurler was allowed to return to the mound for the second, but things got even worse for him, as he surrendered four straight hits -- including a pair of homers -- to lead off the frame. Hill was pulled with a 6-1 deficit after just 1.1 innings, marking his shortest start of the season. Since joining the Padres on Aug. 1, the southpaw has struggled immensely, posting a 10.71 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB over 19.1 frames while losing four times in six decisions. His rotation spot may be in jeopardy despite the fact that Yu Darvish (elbow) was recently placed on the IL.

Walker (15-5) completed five innings Monday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four batters to earn the win over San Diego.

Walker wasn't very effective in the outing, but he took advantage of a big early lead to take home the victory. The right-hander hasn't been going deep of late -- he's fallen short of six innings in each of his past four starts, posting a 5.23 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 20.2 frames during that span but taking just one loss. Walker ranks third in the majors with 15 wins on the campaign, though his 4.15 ERA and 1.32 WHIP aren't anywhere near the marks of the league leaders.

Burnes (9-8) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Burnes began well, retiring nine of 11 batters through three scoreless frames. However, he served up a game-tying two-run homer to Jack Suwinski in the fourth and yielded two more runs in the fifth. That was enough to saddle him with the loss in a game during which Milwaukee managed just two runs. Burnes extended his streak of starts without a win to eight contests, though he hasn't been all that bad during that span with a 3.99 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB over 49.2 frames. He's still above .500 with a 9-8 record on the campaign, though his 3.63 ERA is well below the standard he set over the previous three seasons, when his worst ERA was 2.94.

Ortiz (4-4) earned the win over Milwaukee on Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four batters over six innings.

Ortiz worked as the Pirates' primary pitcher in relief in his last outing before returning to a traditional starter role Monday. The right-hander fell behind 2-0 in the second inning but didn't allow any other runs and moved into position for the win when Pittsburgh tallied four runs over the fifth and sixth frames. Ortiz ended up tossing 84 pitches over six innings, marking the third time he's pitched at least that many frames in an outing this season. The 24-year-old has posted a mediocre 4.90 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over 68 innings on the campaign, but he's yielded just three runs over 11 frames during his past two appearances, which should be enough to help him continue to hold down a spot in the rotation.

Giolito dropped to 7-12 on the season after yielding nine earned runs on seven hits and three walks over three innings while striking out three in Monday's 20-6 loss to the Twins.

Giolito was making his Guardians debut after the team snagged him off waivers from the Angels. Things went off the rails quickly, as he coughed up three home runs, including Royce Lewis' grand slam in the second inning. Since being traded by the White Sox, Giolito has produced a brutal 8.58 ERA in seven starts between the Angels and Guardians. His season ERA has jumped to 4.88 across 156.2 frames. Giolito is currently projected to face his former team, the Angels, on the road this weekend.

Lopez struck out three and improved to 10-7 on the season in Monday's 20-6 win over the Guardians after giving up one earned run on eight hits and three walks over six innings.

It wasn't Lopez's cleanest outing but he limited the damage to just one run in the third inning while Minnesota's offense hung 20 runs on the Guardians. After three straight scoreless starts, he's given up nine runs on 26 hits over his last 17 innings. Still, over his last nine appearances, Lopez has produced a 2.33 ERA across 54 frames. His next start is lined up to be at home against the Mets.

Kelly (11-6) allowed one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings Monday, striking out 12 and earning a win over the Rockies.

Kelly was electric yet again and produced double-digit strikeouts for the third time in his last five outings. He rebounded nicely after being tagged for seven runs by the Dodgers in his last start. Despite that hiccup, he now owns a 3.21 ERA with a strong 61:16 K:BB over his last nine starts. The only downside is that Kelly once again left the start earlier than expected due to cramping. He'll carry a 3.22 ERA into his next start, which is currently projected to be against the Cubs in Chicago.

Bello (11-8) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over six innings Monday, striking out seven and earning a win over the Rays.

Bello stumbled out of the gate, yielding three runs in the first frame, but settled in for a quality start and a win. He tied his season best by forcing 16 whiffs and his seven strikeouts were the most he's produced since Aug. 1. Over his last four outings, the 24-year-old righty has registered a 2.66 ERA, dropping his season mark to 3.61 through 137 frames. Bello's next outing is projected for a home matchup against the Orioles.