MLB Player News

Maeda (2-5) picked up the win in Tuesday's 9-3 victory over the Royals, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out nine.

The veteran right-hander produced his best start of the year, generating 31 called or swinging strikes over 87 pitches en route to his first quality start and a season high in strikeouts. Maeda also topped out at 92.2 mph with his fastball, a marked improvement on his velocity from April, when he made his initial return from Tommy John surgery. Since rejoining the rotation in late June after recovering from a triceps strain, he has a 1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB in 17 innings over three starts.

Dunning (8-1) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over six innings in a 6-2 victory over the Red Sox. He struck out four.

Texas gave the right-hander a 3-1 lead in the top of the second inning and he never looked back, tossing 61 of 89 pitches for strikes before exiting. Dunning has reeled off four straight quality starts and won four straight decisions since the beginning of June, posting a 3.29 ERA and 23:11 K:BB in his last six outings (38.1 innings). He lines up to take the mound for the Rangers' final game before the All-Star break on the road against the Nationals.

Kershaw said Monday that his shoulder injury is "trending upward" and that he feels "confident" that he'll be ready to pitch after the All-Star break, per SportsNet LA.

Kershaw also suggested that he'd have liked to skip just one start and make the next one, though he indicated an understanding of the Dodgers' decision to place him on the 15-day IL instead. The veteran southpaw described the shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him as "frustrating" and "disappointing" before explaining that he's feeling better and expressing optimism about a short recovery period. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also said Monday that he is "very confident" Kershaw will be ready to return when first eligible immediately following the break, so it appears likely that the future Hall of Fame hurler will end up missing just two starts.

Sheehan allowed five runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings, taking a no-decision Tuesday versus the Pirates.

Sheehan had allowed just five total runs over his first 17 major-league innings. He gave up a two-run double in the first inning and then ran into more trouble in the fourth before he was relieved by Caleb Ferguson. Sheehan has showed promise so far, posting a 4.35 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB through 20.2 innings over four starts. He'll likely have extra time to reset from this poor outing, as he's not likely to pitch again before the All-Star break.

Gilbert (6-5) earned the win Tuesday, allowing five hits and striking out seven in a complete-game shutout against the Giants.

Gilbert bounced back from an eight-hit, four-run outing against the Nationals in his last start with his best performance of the season. His complete-game shutout was the first of his career and marked his first scoreless start of 2023. He was incredibly efficient, handing out no free passes and retiring the final 11 batters consecutively to end the game at 105 pitches. The start knocked Gilbert's ERA down to 3.82 after he entered the contest at 4.19 and moved his K:BB to 100:19 through 17 starts (101.1 innings). Gilbert's expected to make his next appearance this weekend in a road matchup with the Astros, who've averaged 7.0 runs per game over their last six.

Ortiz allowed six runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out three over 3.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Ortiz allowed a career-high three home runs, two of which came off the bat of James Outman. It was the worst start of Ortiz's young career, but the Pirates ultimately rallied late for the win. The right-hander is now at a 4.86 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 34:26 K:BB through 53.2 innings over 11 outings (10 starts) this season. He is tentatively projected for a road start in Arizona over the weekend.

Nola (8-5) earned the win Tuesday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk over 7.1 innings in a 3-1 win over the Rays. He struck out 12.

Nola came out on the winning end of a pitcher's duel, besting Zach Eflin, who gave up two runs and struck out nine across seven innings, to claim his eighth win of the campaign. Nola tied his season high in strikeouts and carried a shutout into the eighth inning but surrendered a solo homer to Wander Franco and was pulled. The 30-year-old has been battling some severe inconsistencies across his last six starts, allowing one or fewer earned runs in three starts but surrendering at least four runs in the other three. The primary cause of his struggles has been the long ball, as Nola has surrendered 18 homers through 18 appearances, tied for the eighth most in baseball. However, he's lined up to make his next start against the Marlins, which rank 24th in home runs per game.

Eflin (9-4) took the loss Tuesday, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings against the Phillies. He struck out nine.

Despite falling to his fourth loss of 2023, Eflin logged his fourth consecutive quality start while also striking out seven or more batters for the third straight time Tuesday. The start continued what could be a career year for Eflin, as the 29-year-old boasts what would be his best ERA (3.24), BB/9 (1.39) and HR/9 (0.9) of his eight-year career while also ranking third in MLB in K/BB (6.67) this season. Eflin is tentatively scheduled to make his next start at home against Atlanta right before the All-Star Break.

Giolito allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings in a no-decision versus the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Giolito pitched well outside of the fourth inning, when he allowed four of his six baserunners and both runs. Luis Robert's sixth-inning homer put Giolito in line for the win, but Joe Kelly surrendered the lead in the eighth. Giolito has limited opponents to two earned runs or less in five of his last six starts. He's at a 3.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 112:31 K:BB through 105.1 innings over 18 outings this year. The right-hander could make one more start in the first half, which would be over the weekend at home against the Cardinals.

Bassitt allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings in a no-decision versus the White Sox on Tuesday.

Bassitt unraveled in the sixth inning, allowing a three-run home run to Luis Robert that temporarily cost Toronto the lead. It was a second straight quality start for Bassitt, who had an uneven June with a 4.59 ERA over six starts (33.1 innings). The right-hander is at a 4.09 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 98:36 K:BB through 105.2 innings over 18 starts this season. He's tentatively projected for one more start in the first half, which would come over the weekend in Detroit.