MLB Player News

Kopech (2-2) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out eight across six scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Kopech dominated the vaunted Los Angeles lineup, with the only hit he surrendered being a single to Will Smith. He posted a season-best eight strikeouts on the strength of 13 swinging strikes across 98 total pitches. Importantly, Kopech also displayed improved control, as he managed to walk fewer than two batters in a start for only the second time this season. He's maintained a 1.94 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 51:24 K:BB across 51 innings on the campaign.

Taillon did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk over four innings against the Twins. He struck out three.

Taillon was not very efficient Tuesday, allowing nine hits in four innings while throwing 63 of 87 pitches for strikes. Although he allowed four earned runs, only one was a home run, which he allowed to Jorge Polanco in the fourth inning before being pulled. Tuesday's outing was the righty's shortest of the season and follows three quality starts in a row. He will carry a 2.73 ERA into his next start.

Houck (4-3) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over two scoreless inning to pick up the extra-inning win over the Angels on Tuesday.

After giving up a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth inning, Houck bore down to shepherd the game into an extra frame. He induced a pop fly, a swinging strikeout and then got Jo Adell looking at a filthy slider. It was his sixth straight scoreless appearance. After serving as a piggyback starter for Rich Hill, Houck has made four consecutive relief appearances of two innings or fewer, as manager Alex Cora is giving him a new role. "That's what we're looking for," Cora said about Houck's two scoreless innings to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. "We're going to use him in high-leverage situations. We'll try to avoid the 4-inning, 3-inning stints. The maximum he'll go is two (innings). Kind of like the way we used Garrett (Whitlock) last year. He's been throwing the ball great for us... His stuff is really good late in games." Houck may be a stabilizing presence in a bullpen that desperately needs one, and his role could eventually expand to include save opportunities.

Flaherty (shoulder) is scheduled to make his second rehab start Friday with Triple-A Memphis, the Associated Press reports.

Flaherty will be returning to the mound on four days' rest and looking to up his pitch count after he struck out three over three perfect innings in his 2022 debut Sunday with Double-A Springfield. Since Flaherty needed only 30 pitches to record his nine outs, he'll likely need at least two more rehab outings to get stretched out to around 70-to-80 pitches. Barring any setbacks in his recovery from the shoulder issue, Flaherty tentatively lines up to return from the 60-day injured list at some point in the second half of June.

Cabrera (2-0) picked up the win in Tuesday's 12-2 rout of the Nationals, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander wasn't dominant, but he took a shutout into the sixth inning before Luis Garcia tagged him for a solo shot. Cabrera has been fairly impressive in two starts since joining the Marlins' rotation, and while his six walks in 12 innings needs some work, it's balanced out by 13 whiffs and only three hits allowed.

Adon (1-10) took the loss Tuesday as the Nationals were routed 12-2 by the Marlins, getting hammered for eight runs on seven hits and two walks over three-plus innings. He struck out two.

After coughing up five runs in the second inning, Adon got the hook in the fourth after a three-run blast by Miami's backup catcher Nick Fortes. The 23-year-old right-hander is the first pitcher in the majors to reach 10 losses, a dubious achievement that owes as much to the struggles of the team around him as his own ineffectiveness. With Stephen Strasburg (neck) set to rejoin the rotation this week, the Nats could mercifully pull the plug on Adon's stint as a starter -- an assignment in which he's produced a 6.95 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 44:35 K:BB through 55.2 innings.

Quantrill (3-3) picked up the win in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rangers, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander was in control through six innings before fading late and serving up a pair of solo shots in the seventh, but the Guardians' offense had supplied him with plenty of cushion in an eventual 6-3 win. The quality start was Quantrill's fourth straight and seventh of the season, and he'll take a 3.56 ERA and 1.20 WHIP into his next outing despite a career-low 14.5 percent strikeout rate.

Irvin did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk over 5.1 innings against Atlanta. He struck out six.

Irvin pitched well Tuesday, leaving the game tied 2-2 after allowing a run in both the first and third innings. Even after limiting the damage to two early runs, Irvin did not get any offensive support beyond two first-inning runs, though he did avoid a loss. The six strikeouts were a season high for the lefty, who takes a 3.00 ERA into his next outing.

Wright (6-3) earned the win Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits and zero walks over eight innings against the Athletics. He struck out seven.

It was another dominant outing for Wright, who threw 74 of 105 pitches for strikes in Tuesday's win. This was his third quality start in a row, and his fourth in the last five games. The young righty has been a pleasant surprise this year for both the Braves and fantasy managers and will take a 2.39 ERA into his next outing.

Gray (1-3) took the loss in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Guardians, coughing up five runs on six hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out three.

Most of the damage came in a four-run third inning, but Gray was far from sharp overall as his four free passes were a new season high, while his three whiffs tied his season low. The right-hander has yet to string together two solid starts in a row, and he'll carry a 5.28 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 47:19 K:BB through 46 innings into his next outing.