MLB Player News

Brubaker did not factor in the decision against Arizona on Thursday, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six batters over five innings.

Brubaker allowed a pair of runs in the fourth inning but was otherwise impressive, allowing only one hit and one walk over his other four frames. The right-hander racked up 13 swinging strikes and finished with six punchouts for the second straight game, but he lost his chance at a victory when the Pirates' bullpen gave up seven runs in the seventh inning. Brubaker has had some poor outings this season, but he's given up three or fewer earned runs while pitching at least five frames in 14 of his 22 starts.

Kelly completed five innings against Pittsburgh on Thursday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six batters. He did not factor in the decision.

This appeared to be a great opportunity for Kelly to extend his streak of seven consecutive quality starts, but he needed 99 pitches to get through five innings and wasn't allowed to go out for the sixth. The right-hander gave up three runs in the fourth frame and departed in line for the loss before a big Arizona seventh inning took him off the hook. Kelly hasn't taken a loss since late June, and he's posted a 1.86 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 44:12 K:BB over 53.1 innings across his past eight starts.

Kershaw (back) threw a baseball at "really light intensity" Wednesday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

The activity was minimal -- Kershaw made only a handful of throws -- but it was nonetheless a positive sign that the All-Star hurler is feeling better after receiving an epidural shot Friday for his ailing back. An MRI last week didn't show anything concerning, so it appears that Kershaw could return by the end of the month. However, the Dodgers are 16 games up in the NL West, so they have no reason to rush their ace back into action. It's likely that they'll take a conservative approach to Kershaw's recovery to ensure that he's fully healthy before returning.

Greinke (4-7) allowed nine hits and no walks while striking out five across 6.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the White Sox.

Greinke didn't allow any free passes or extra-base hits, which allowed him to hold his opponent scoreless for the third time in his last six starts. He's maintained a 3.00 ERA with a 23:7 K:BB in that span. For the season, Greinke has a 4.29 ERA in 98.2 frames.

Cease (12-5) allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out eight across six innings to take the loss Thursday against the Royals.

Cease took a tough-luck loss, as the only run he allowed came on a solo home run by Vinnie Pasquantino. Cease dominated the Royals lineup otherwise, racking up 19 swinging strikes across 94 total pitches. He's now allowed one or fewer earned runs in 14 consecutive starts, helping him maintain a stellar 1.96 ERA across 128.2 frames for the season.

Gibson (7-5) allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three across six innings to take the loss Thursday against the Marlins.

Gibson allowed only one run through 5.2 innings, though he fell apart late in the outing after surrendering two singles and a double -- he also threw a wild pitch -- to take his fifth loss of the season. The effort marked his third consecutive quality start, though he's also allowed five or more earned runs in three of his last eight starts. Gibson now owns a 4.29 ERA and 91:34 K:BB across 121.2 frames on the campaign.

Cabrera (3-1) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six across 5.2 scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Phillies.

Cabrera took his second turn through the rotation since being activated from the injured list Aug. 5. He generated seven groundball outs and 11 swinging strikes across 91 pitches to shut down the Phillies' offense. Cabrera has been impressive in his pair of starts since returning, throwing 10.2 scoreless frames with a 14:5 K:BB. For the season, he has a 2.05 ERA across just 26.1 innings.

Rodriguez (personal) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six across five scoreless innings Thursday in a rehab outing with Triple-A Toledo, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez stretched out to 53 pitches after he covered three frames in his first rehab appearance with Single-A Lakeland last weekend. The left-hander may make one additional rehab appearance, but he should be back in the Detroit rotation by the end of August, barring any setbacks.

Marquez allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings in an 8-6 victory over St. Louis. He did not factor into the decision.

Marquez faced one over the minimum through the first three innings, erasing one of the two hits allowed with a double play. In the fourth, Nolan Gorman put a 1-2 pitch in the seats to lead off and Corey Dickerson drove in a run on a single. The rest of the way, Marquez pitched around trouble and kept the Cardinals off the board. The 27-year-old appears to have figured something out of late and has a 3.11 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 27:9 K:BB in 37.2 innings over his last six starts. His next outing will likely be in the middle of next week in a rematch at St. Louis.

Valdez (11-4) earned the win Thursday over Texas, striking out eight in seven scoreless innings while allowing four hits, a walk and a hit batsman.

All four hits against Valdez were singles, and he managed to pitch around trouble in the third and seventh innings to hold the Rangers scoreless. At one point, he retired 11 straight batters. The 28-year-old has now thrown a quality start in 19 straight appearances. He's posted a 2.73 ERA and allowed just seven homers in 142 innings this year. His next start will likely be in the middle of next week against the White Sox.