MLB Player News

Hamels is expected to finalize a deal with the Dodgers on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Even after the Dodgers swung a blockbuster deal for Max Scherzer prior to last week's trade deadline, the team is still in need of additional starting depth while Clayton Kershaw (forearm), Tony Gonsolin (shoulder) and Danny Duffy (forearm) are on the injured list and while Trevor Bauer's status for the rest of the season is in limbo. Los Angeles looks prepared to turn to Hamels to fill the void, but given that he hasn't pitched in a competitive game in 2021, he'll likely need some time to ramp up for starting duty. After recurring shoulder problems torpedoed his 2020 season with Atlanta, the four-time All-Star is healthy again and reportedly impressed in his recent throwing showcases in front of several teams.

McCullers (9-2) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out nine over 6.2 scoreless innings to earn the win over the Dodgers on Tuesday.

In allowing just four singles, McCullers quieted Los Angeles' bats and the rancorous Dodger Stadium fans hellbent on voicing their displeasure at the Astros' 2017 World Series victory over the locals. He left with a 1-0 lead and then was picked up by the bullpen and Yordan Alvarez's two-run home run in the eighth inning. McCullers has won six of his last eight starts, posting a 3.17 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 48.1 innings. He's next projected to pitch Sunday against the Twins.

Kikuchi (7-6) picked up the win in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Rays, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five.

The southpaw fired 59 of 92 pitches for strikes en route to his 13th quality start of the season and first win in over a month. He kept the Rays off-balance most of the night, and after serving up a leadoff homer to Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the first inning, Kikuchi gave up no further extra-base hits. He'll carry a 3.89 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 129:40 K:BB through 120.1 innings into his next outing.

Walker (7-6) took the loss Tuesday, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.2 innings as the Mets were downed 5-4 by the Marlins. He struck out four.

Heading into the All-Star break, Walker held a sparkling 2.50 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Since then he's been in a tailspin, getting tagged for at least four runs in four straight starts and serving up multiple homers in three straight, including shots by Alex Jackson and Isan Diaz (combined four homers in the majors this year) on Tuesday. Walker's ERA now stands at 3.86, but the Mets' lack of rotation depth due to injuries will force the club to keep trotting him out to the mound every five days or so, hoping he can turn things around.

Mahle didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Twins, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out five.

A blown save by Heath Hembree cost Mahle his ninth win, but this was far from his sharpest performance. The right-hander appeared to be fading a little in the summer heat -- after striking out at least six batters in nine straight starts, Mahle only has a 12:7 K:BB through 16 innings over his last three outings. On the season, he sports a 3.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

Maeda didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Reds, giving up five runs on seven hits -- including three home runs -- and a walk over five innings. He struck out nine.

The right-hander appeared to have turned things around in July, posting a 2.15 ERA over five starts with a 36:6 K:BB through 29.1 innings, but Maeda began August by serving up multiple homers for the first time since June 20. The return of his strikeouts is encouraging however, and starts like this one should be the exception rather than the rule as long as he keeps generating whiffs. Maeda will carry a 4.65 ERA and 1.32 WHIP into his next outing.

Fried (8-7) earned the win over St. Louis on Tuesday, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven.

The southpaw didn't surrender any extra-base hits and allowed only one runner to reach second base. He kept his opponent off the scoreboard for just the second time this season and snapped a personal two-game losing streak. Fried has tossed at least five innings in each of his past 10 appearances dating back to June 6. His ERA still sits at an uninspiring 4.05, but he has mostly pitched well since starting the campaign by giving up 14 earned runs over his first 11 innings. Fried is expected to make his next start on the road against Washington this weekend.

Houser allowed one earned run on no hits and five walks while striking out four across 6.1 innings Tuesday against the Pirates. He did not factor into the decision.

Houser held the Pirates without a hit, but he struggled with his command and was pulled after 104 pitches. He generated 10 groundball outs, which helped him escape danger. Though Houser has not allowed an earned run across his last 13.1 frames, he has only eight strikeouts with six walks in that span. He'll need to improve on those marks -- particularly in tougher matchups -- to remain effective at run prevention. For the season, Houser has a 3.55 ERA with 80 strikeouts and 48 walks across 104 innings.

Cease (8-6) allowed one hit and two walks while striking out 11 across six innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Royals.

Cease surrendered only a single by Edward Olivares in the third inning. He racked up 21 swinging strikes en route to matching his season high in strikeouts, and he's now delivered double-digit whiffs five times this season. Across his last five outings, Cease has allowed 10 earned runs across 27.2 innings while striking out 38 and walking nine. For the season, he's sitting on a 3.92 ERA with 149 strikeouts across 114.2 frames.

Suarez (5-4) allowed three earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out six across 5.2 innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Rangers.

Suarez was given significant run support by the Angels' offense, allowing him to cruise to his fifth win of the season. Though he wasn't dominant, the majority of the damage against him came on a two-run home run by Andy Ibanez in Suarez's final inning of work. Entering the game, Suarez had issued nine walks while striking out 15 across his last 17 frames -- a span of four starts -- so his 6:1 K:BB in this outing is noteworthy. For the season, Suarez has a 3.60 ERA across 50 innings.