MLB Player News

Wacha allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings in a no-decision in Monday's 7-4 extra-inning loss to the Giants. He didn't strike out any batters in the 93-pitch start.

Wacha was far from overpowering in the outing -- he notched just three whiffs and didn't strike out any batters -- but he still managed his fourth straight quality start. The right-hander kept the Giants off the scoreboard for four frames before giving up a solo homer in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Wacha improved his ERA to 2.90 with the performance, and that mark is a remarkable 1.14 since the start of May. The veteran has also posted a 0.81 WHIP and 46:16 K:BB over 55.1 innings across nine starts during that span.

Brown dropped to 6-4 in Monday's 11-1 loss to the Mets after allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings.

Brown got an extra day of rest between starts, but that didn't seem to be to his advantage as he surrendered a season-high six runs. Most of the damage against the right-hander came in the third inning, when New York pounded him for five runs on five hits, including two homers. Brown had recorded two straight quality starts -- including a scoreless seven-inning outing -- coming into the contest, so Monday's rough appearance may end up being just a blip on the radar. He still owns a respectable 3.78 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 14 starts on the season.

Burnes dropped to 5-5 in Monday's 9-1 loss to Arizona, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Nearly all of the damage against Burnes came in the first inning, when he gave up six runs on five hits. The scoring tally in that frame matched the total Burnes had yielded over 20 innings in his previous three starts combined. To his credit, the right-hander hung around for four more frames and gave up just one more run, but Milwaukee's offense never came close to making the game interesting. Burnes had registered four straight quality starts coming into the contest, but he's had an uncharacteristic number of blow-ups this season, giving up five or more earned runs on four different occasions. His 3.96 ERA is on track to be his worst since 2019.

Kelly moved to 9-3 in Monday's 9-1 win over Milwaukee, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over seven innings.

In another excellent outing, Kelly notched his fifth straight quality start and gave up just three hits for the second straight appearance. The right-hander has rattled off eight victories since his last loss and is tied for second in the majors with nine victories on the campaign. Kelly has also upped his strikeout rate considerably this season, tallying 96 punchouts over 90 frames. Coming into 2023, he had never averaged more than a strikeout per inning.

Lopez (3-4) took the loss against Boston on Monday, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out nine batters over 5.2 innings.

Lopez got through five innings surrendering a tolerable three runs before allowing two of the four batters he faced in the sixth to reach base. Both came around to score after his departure, causing the right-hander to be tagged with the loss. Lopez did do some good things in the contest, inducing 16 swinging strikes and punching out nine batters for the second straight game, and he ranks third in the majors with 110 strikeouts on the campaign. However, his 4.40 ERA projects to be his worst mark since 2019.

Paxton (3-1) earned the win over Minnesota on Monday, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over 6.1 innings.

Paxton breezed through four scoreless frames before a Christian Vazquez homer against him in the fifth netted Minnesota three runs. Paxton bounced back to retire the final five batters he faced and ended up with his third straight quality start and third overall victory. After missing all of last season and posting an ERA well over 6.00 over six starts between 2020 and 2021, the southpaw has revived his career this year, registering a 3.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 51:11 K:BB across 38.1 frames covering seven starts. His next start is tentatively lined up to come on the road against the White Sox.

Olson allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits across six innings and did not factor into the decision Monday against the Royals. He walked one and struck out eight.

This was Reese's first quality start at the MLB level in three tries and his longest outing during his brief tenure with the Tigers. The righty showed a promising uptick with the career-high eight strikeouts, as he came into the contest with 11 across 13.1 innings and just five total over his last two outings, which spanned 8.1 innings. Olson is still sitting with a subpar 5.59 ERA overall, though his performance Monday lends some optimism moving forward. He should stick in Detroit's rotation for now with several starters on the injured list.

Bido (0-1) yielded three runs on five hits and two walks over six innings Monday, striking out seven and taking a loss against the Cubs.

The Cubs tagged Bido with three runs in the second inning of what was otherwise a strong start. He was handed his first career loss as the Pirates were shut out by Drew Smyly and the Cubs. Bido has compiled a 13:5 K:BB across 10 frames in his first two MLB starts. The right-handed rookie is currently scheduled to take the mound in Miami this weekend.

Smyly (7-4) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win Monday against the Pirates. He allowed three hits and five walks while striking out four.

The Cubs scored three runs in the second inning and that was more than enough for Smyly in the eventual 8-0 victory. The lefty struggled with control, issuing a season high in walks, and needed 94 pitches to cover five innings, but he was otherwise strong as he lowered his season ERA to 3.38. Smyly is now tied for second on the team in wins, one behind Marcus Stroman. The veteran will look to build on this in his next outing, which will likely come early next week against the Phillies, as the Cubs have two off days this week that will push the whole rotation back.

Heaney improved to 5-4 in Monday's 5-2 win over the White Sox, yielding two runs on five hits over 5.2 innings while striking out six.

Heaney worked five shutout innings before serving up back-to-back solo homers to Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert in the sixth. Heaney had allowed just two homers over his previous six starts but still managed to pick up his first victory since May 27. He's given up three or fewer earned runs in eight straight appearances, dropping his season ERA from 5.52 to 3.98 in the process. Heaney will carry a 76:31 K:BB into his next start, which is currently projected to be a road matchup with the Yankees this weekend.