MLB Player News

Elder didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three.

The young right-hander continues to give Atlanta some stability at the back of its injury-wracked rotation. Elder has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five starts, and through 46.1 innings this season he sports a 1.94 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 39:14 K:BB. He'll look to get back in the win column in his next outing, likely to come at home next weekend against the Mariners.

Ryan (6-1) picked up the win in Saturday's 11-1 rout of the Cubs, scattering four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out 10.

The right-hander didn't let a runner get past second base and tied his season high in strikeouts in another dominant performance, generating 36 called or swinging strikes among his 102 pitches. Ryan has reeled off six straight quality starts and seven in eight outings to begin the season, and he'll take a 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 57:7 K:BB through 50 innings into his next start, likely to come on the road next weekend against the Angels.

Wesneski (2-2) took the loss Saturday, surrendering seven runs on seven hits -- including four home runs -- and a walk over five innings as the Cubs were routed 11-1 by the Twins. He struck out five.

Alex Kirilloff's solo shot in the first inning set the tone for the Cubs' disastrous afternoon, as Wesneski served up multiple long balls for the first time since his opening start of the season. The right-hander has now been tagged for 10 homers in 39.1 innings, fueling a 5.03 ERA that doesn't match his otherwise decent 1.32 WHIP and 28:9 K:BB. He didn't have significant trouble keeping the ball in the park in the minors, so it's possible his luck will shift for the better as the campaign progresses, but his lack of dominance gives Wesneski little margin for error. His next outing will likely come on the road next weekend in Philadelphia.

Gray said a mechanical tweak to his slider, designed to give the pitch a "sharper break," is the main reason for a scoreless streak that reached 14.2 innings Saturday, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Gray tinkered with the new slider mechanics in spring training but ditched it for the sweeper version of the pitch that acts more like a curveball. The right-hander brought back the "sharper" slider against the Mariners his last time out, and the velocity numbers reflect the change. The pitch averaged 87 mph Saturday, nearly three mph faster than its season average.

Bielak did not factor in the decision against the White Sox on Saturday, allowing one run on eight hits and no walks while striking out four batters over five innings.

Bielak allowed at least one hit in each of his five frames, but the only run he surrendered came on a Luis Robert homer in the fourth inning. Bielak helped his case by not issuing any walks after yielding five free passes across 8.2 frames over his first two big-league outings of the season. The right-hander is in the rotation as a result of long-term injuries to Jose Urquidy (shoulder), Lance McCullers (forearm) and Luis Garcia (elbow), and he pitched well enough Saturday to likely see additional starts. Bielak's next turn is tentatively slated to be a favorable home matchup against Oakland.

Cease did not factor in the decision against Houston on Saturday, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.

Cease was in dire need of a strong performance after allowing 20 earned runs over 18 innings across his previous four starts. The right-hander got back on track against the Astros, yielding just four hits -- all singles -- while notching his first scoreless outing of the campaign. Cease wasn't able to end a five-start winless streak because Chicago scored just once while he was in the game; however, this was an enormously positive appearance for him and the White Sox considering his struggles of late. Cease began the campaign pitching well, so his ERA still sits at a non-catastrophic 4.86 despite the recent rough patch.

Greinke did not factor in the decision against Milwaukee on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out five batters over five innings.

Greinke put together a solid outing, with the only two runs against him coming on a third-inning Christian Yelich homer. However, the bottom-10 Kansas City offense failed to give him much run support, keeping the veteran stuck on one win on the campaign. Greinke made a bit of history in the outing, striking out Joey Wiemer in the fifth to become the fifth pitcher in MLB history to punch out 1,000 different batters over the course of a career. Greinke's accomplishment is largely a testament to his longevity -- he has fanned less than a batter per inning over the course of his 20-year MLB tenure -- though he has slightly improved his K/9 to 6.2 this season from 4.8 last year.

Quantrill did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over six innings against the Angels. He struck out two.

Quantrill came back to earth after throwing seven innings of one-hit baseball in his last start, giving up three runs and earning yet another quality start. The Angels got to Quantrill early, with Mickey Moniak slugging a solo homer to lead off the first inning before a two-run, one-hit, two-walk third frame brought the advantage to 3-0 in favor of LAA. Though Quantrill is known for his ability to limit damage and generate ground balls, his 1.53 K/BB rate this season makes it difficult for the 28-year-old to climb the fantasy ranks. Quantrill is in line for a meeting with the Mets next week, who strike out the third-fewest times per game in MLB (7.53).

Houser allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out two batters over four-plus innings in a no-decision against Kansas City on Saturday.

Houser was somewhat fortunate to have escaped the outing with just three runs on his ledger, as he allowed multiple baserunners in each of his four full frames. The right-hander remained in the contest to begin the fifth but was yanked after surrendering a leadoff solo homer to Salvador Perez. Houser didn't fool many batters with just five swinging strikes, and he needed 88 pitches to get just 12 outs. He'll likely remain in the rotation for the time being, though he's failed to impress through his first two starts, allowing five runs and 15 hits over 8.2 frames.

Detmers did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over five innings against the Guardians. He struck out three.

Detmers seemed primed to pick up his first win of 2023, exiting the game with a 3-2 lead that reached 6-2 by the bottom of the eighth. However, a six-run offensive barrage by the Guardians quickly ruined any hopes of a Detmers win, as Cleveland took a two-run advantage and held the Angels off the board in the top of the ninth. Detmers fell victim to a Guardians team that strikes out the second-fewest times per game, fanning just three batters after recording at least six punchouts in five of his first six starts. Though the 23-year-old has found success in the strikeout column, he has yet to find ways to keep runners from scoring with a 4.89 ERA through 35.0 innings. Detmers is slated to toe the rubber again Friday against the Twins, who strike out the third-most in MLB.