MLB Player News

Syndergaard (6-8) allowed four earned runs on 11 hits and no walks while striking out two across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Nationals.

Of the 11 hits Syndergaard surrendered, only one went for extra bases. That allowed him to avoid a disastrous start in his debut with the Phillies, though he was forced to regularly work out of jams and managed only seven swinging strikes on 79 total pitches against a depleted Nationals lineup. Despite racking up only 66 strikeouts across 85 frames for the season, Syndergaard has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 12 of his 16 starts, which has resulted in a 4.02 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.

Cueto (4-5) took the loss during Thursday's 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Rangers, allowing three runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts in eight innings.

Cueto kept the ball in the zone all game with 76 of 106 pitches going for strikes and issued zero walks for the third time in 15 turns, though the 11 hits are the most the 36-year-old has surrendered. Still, he induced an impressive 12 swinging strikes and was only done in by a rough seventh inning that featured two runs and four singles with two failing to leave the infield. Despite the loss, Cueto still features a 2.91 ERA and 1.19 WHIP and lines up to face off against Kansas City midweek.

Ragans didn't factor into the decision during Thursday's 3-2 win against the White Sox, allowing an unearned run on three hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings.

Making his MLB debut, Ragans stranded the bases loaded in the first inning and kept the damage manageable in the next four frames, with one run coming across due to an Adolis Garcia error in the third. The 2016 first-round pick tossed 55 of 93 pitches for strikes but was able to record only seven called strikes, with Chicago fouling off 43.6 percent off his offerings in the strike zone. The other concerning factor was four walks in five frames, though he issued a reasonable 2.9 BB/9 across 94.2 innings in the minors this season. Ragans will be in for a tough test with a matchup against Houston on the dockett next week.

Musgrove (8-5) allowed six earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out six across 4.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Rockies.

Musgrove gave up four earned runs -- including a three-run homer to Ryan McMahon -- in the fifth inning and turned in his shortest outing of the campaign. Some regression was inevitable, but Musgrove has now allowed four or more earned runs in three of his last four starts -- translating to a 7.29 ERA. Despite the bumpy stretch, Musgrove has a 3.00 ERA and 120:28 K:BB across 120 frames on the season.

Junk (1-1) allowed six earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two across 2.1 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Athletics.

Junk got through two innings without any trouble, but he allowed six of the first seven batters he faced to reach base to begin the third frame to sour his outing quickly. He could remain in the rotation moving forward if the team opts for a six-man rotation, even after the Angles recently promoted Touki Toussaint and acquired Tucker Davidson at the trade deadline. Junk has pitched primarily at Triple-A Salt Late this season and has maintained an impressive 3.88 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 40:11 K:BB across 48.2 innings at the level.

Blackburn (7-6) allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Angels.

Blackburn allowed a home run in each of the first four innings, yet he still managed to earn his seventh win of the season. He has had a significant problem with the long ball across his last eight starts, serving up 12 homers in only 39.2 innings. Unsurprisingly, he has an 8.04 ERA in that span. Overall, Blackburn has a 4.28 ERA with an 89:30 K:BB across 111.1 frames on the season.

Stroman allowed three runs on five hits across 6.2 innings and did not factor into the decision in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Cardinals. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

Stroman pitched well outside of the two home runs he allowed, continuing his solid run since returning from the injured list in early July. Over his past five starts, the righty has logged 27 innings while allowing just five earned runs. Stroman had a slow start to the season before missing a month with right shoulder inflammation, but he's now been able to whittle his ERA down to an even 4.00. He'll look to keep it up in his next scheduled start Tuesday against a Nationals squad that is now without sluggers Juan Soto and Josh Bell.

Bubic didn't factor into the decision during Thursday's 7-3 victory over Boston, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with six strikeout in six innings.

Bubic was down 2-0 three batters into the game but rebounded to permit only two baserunners the rest of the way -- retiring nine straight at one point. The 24-year-old fired 62 of 89 pitches for strikes, with 10 of the swinging variety, and has now submitted quality starts in each of his last four turns, pitching to a 2.42 ERA across 26 innings during the stretch against strong AL East competition in the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays. The impressive performance of late has lowered Bubic's ERA from 6.63 to 5.27, while a 4.69 xFIP suggests more starts like Thursday's could be in store. He's currently scheduled to take the mound again midweek against the White Sox.

Gray allowed a hit and five walks while striking out five in five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Blue Jays on Thursday.

Gray was a bit generous with the free passes -- he's walked three or more batters only three times in 16 starts this year. The Blue Jays weren't able to capitalize against the right-hander, but he was denied a chance at the win after reliever Emilio Pagan was tagged for three runs in the sixth inning. Gray has allowed just two runs across 16 innings in three starts since the All-Star break. For the season, he owns a 3.19 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 74:24 K:BB across 79 frames. He'll need to show better control in his next start, which is tentatively projected to be a road start versus the Dodgers next week.

Manoah (12-5) allowed two runs on two hits, four walks and a hit batter while striking out five across six innings to earn the win Thursday over the Twins.

Manoah matched his season high with the four walks, but he was able to keep the ball in the yard for just the second time in his last eight starts. The Blue Jays' offense made sure he left with a lead by rallying for three runs in the sixth inning. The 24-year-old right-hander has quality starts in four of his last five outings, and he owns a sharp 2.45 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 119:30 K:BB across 132 innings in 21 starts overall. Manoah is on track for a road start in Baltimore next week.