MLB Player News

Williamson did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one hit and one walk over three scoreless innings in a 5-4 win over the Nationals. He struck out four.

Williamson made it through just one inning before the game was delayed nearly two hours due to rain. Despite the long break, the right-hander still returned to the mound to complete another two innings and actually struck out the first two batters he faced following the delay. Williamson has now allowed three earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts and has not surrendered a home run in any of his last three.

Kelly (calf) threw a 45-pitch bullpen session Thursday in which he simulated three innings of work, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo was encouraged by the session, telling reporters Kelly "feels great" and is "in a really good spot." The right-hander was scheduled to undergo a follow-up ultrasound exam Thursday to ensure the blood clot in his calf is no longer an issue. As for scheduling his return, Kelly's stint on the injury list expires during the All-Star break. The earliest he could return is July 14, but Lovullo suggested holding Kelly back until a series in Atlanta that begins July 18, as the manager believes a rehab start in the minors might be needed. Since the minors are on break next week and don't resume until the 14th, that would be the earliest date for a rehab start.

Lyles allowed one run on six hits and no walks while striking out five batters over five innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Thursday.

Lyles was scratched from his scheduled start last Friday due to an illness but was well enough by Thursday to take the mound against the Guardians. The right-hander put together one of his best starts of the campaign, finishing with no walks for just the third time and allowing only one run, which came on a solo shot by Andres Gimenez in the second inning. Lyles has completed at least five frames in each of his past eight starts, though he hasn't been all that impressive over that span with a 5.60 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB over 45 innings.

Bibee allowed one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four batters over five innings in a no-decision against Kansas City on Thursday.

Bibee tossed only 50 of 91 pitches for a strike and tied a season high with four walks. However, he managed to mostly work around trouble, allowing just a first-inning run. The rookie's performance was in line with how he's looked lately; he's walked multiple hitters in six straight appearances, compiling 17 free passes over 30.2 frames during that span, but has picked up four wins and posted a respectable 3.52 ERA. Narrow the timeframe to Bibee's past three games and he's recorded a 1.08 ERA and 20 punchouts over 16.2 innings despite walking 10 batters. The strikeouts and ability to maneuver around trouble are promising, though it's fair to wonder if the control issues will eventually catch up to him.

Eovaldi allowed four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out three batters over 5.1 innings in a no-decision against Boston on Thursday.

Eovaldi was in trouble from the outset, allowing the first two batters he faced to reach base in a one-run first inning. He didn't record a 1-2-3 frame until the fifth, and he was lifted with one out in the sixth to finish with his shortest start since May 29. Eovaldi had a 2.24 ERA at the end of a scoreless six-inning appearance against Seattle on June 4, but that mark has risen to 2.83 over the course of his past six starts. Not coincidentally, the right-hander's control has faltered during that stretch -- he's issued 17 free passes over his past 37.1 innings after walking just 14 batters across his initial 80.1 frames of the campaign.

Crawford allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three batters over four innings in a no-decision against the Rangers on Thursday.

Crawford began with a 1-2-3 first inning, but he gave up three hits in each of the second and fourth frames, resulting in all three of the runs scored against him. The right-hander had gone at least five innings in each of his previous three starts but was given the hook after four frames Thursday. Since moving back into a starting role June 3, Crawford has been mostly unexceptional, posting a 4.70 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 28:7 K:BB over 30.2 innings.

Kikuchi allowed four runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out four batters over five innings in a no-decision against the White Sox in Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader.

Kikuchi displayed solid control (he threw 53 of 76 pitches for a strike) and racked up 14 whiffs, but he lasted just five frames. A third-inning two-run homer by Eloy Jimenez accounted for half the overall damage against the southpaw, who has given up nine runs over 9.1 innings through two starts in July. That follows what had looked to be a breakout month of June during which Kikuchi posted a 2.28 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 33:6 K:BB across 27.2 frames.

Lynn did not factor in the decision in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against Toronto, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out 11 batters over seven scoreless innings.

Lynn and Toronto starter Jose Berrios dueled head-to-head for seven innings, with each pitcher allowing just one hit and no runs. Lynn was the more dominant of the pair, racking up an astounding 25 swinging strikes and tallying 11 punchouts. However, his ability to miss bats also played a part in driving up his pitch count to 102, and he had to exit with a no-decision to show for his efforts. Lynn has taken his fantasy managers on a roller-coaster ride this season -- he's tallied 10 or more strikeouts on four occasions (including a 16-punchout effort June 18) but has also given up five-plus runs six different times. Even with Thursday's sterling start, his overall ERA sits at an ugly 6.03, though that comes with the fifth-most strikeouts in the league (127).

Berrios pitched seven scoreless innings against the White Sox in Game 1 of a doubleheader Thursday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out six batters in a no-decision.

The opening contest of the twin bill began as a pitcher's duel, with both Berrios and Chicago starter Lance Lynn tossing seven scoreless frames. Both hurlers had to settle for a no-decision, as the game remained scoreless until a wild 11th frame during which the teams combined for eight runs. Though Berrios was unable to nab a win, this was arguably his best start of the campaign -- he has held an opponent scoreless over at least seven frames on two other occasions but had not yielded fewer than three hits in either of those outings. The right-hander has hit an occasional bump in the road this season but has been solid overall, posting a 3.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 101:29 K:BB across 108 innings.

Urias (6-5) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out eight over six innings to earn the win Thursday over the Pirates.

Urias gave up five runs over three innings in his return from a hamstring injury, but he was much sharper in his second start back. The southpaw threw 59 of 88 pitches for strikes to pick up a quality start. He's now at a 4.76 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 63:14 K:BB through 64.1 innings over 12 starts this season. He's had a couple of rough patches in the first half, so he'll be looking for a longer stretch of consistently good pitching after the All-Star break.