MLB Player News

Burke (4-10) took the loss against the Royals on Saturday, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out three across 3.2 innings.

Burke wasn't able to make it out of the fourth inning after running his pitch count up to 85 (54 strikes) while generating just five whiffs. It's the second game in a row in which he hasn't made it out of the fourth inning, and the 25-year-old right-hander has failed to make it through the fifth frame in four of his last five starts. Burke now sits at a 4.28 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 117.2 innings this season, with his 10 losses and 54 walks ranking third and sixth most, respectively, in the American League. He'll look to earn his first win since June 25 in his next start, tentatively slated for next weekend at home against the Twins.

Lorenzen did not factor into Saturday's decision against the White Sox, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out three across four scoreless innings.

Lorenzen was activated from the 15-day IL ahead of Saturday's start after fully recovering from a strained left oblique. Though he kept the White Sox off the board in his first outing since July 6, he ran his pitch count up to 82 (44 strikes), which necessitated his removal after four frames of work. Lorenzen should get a longer leash for his next start, which is slated for next week at home against the Rangers.

Matthews allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six batters over four innings in a no-decision against Detroit on Saturday.

Matthews was relatively fortunate to have just two runs scored against him, as he didn't pitch any clean innings and saw at least two batters reach in three of his four frames. It took him 92 pitches to get through those four innings, and he threw just 51 of those offerings for strikes while issuing a season-worst four walks. Matthews did flash impressive strikeout stuff with 15 whiffs and six punchouts, and he's posted a robust 11.8 K/9 on the campaign. Despite that, Matthews has struggled to a 5.06 ERA, and he's been unable to complete five innings in half of his 10 starts.

Mize (12-4) earned the victory over Minnesota on Saturday, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters over 6.1 innings.

Three of the four runs and half of the four hits Mize allowed came in the fifth inning, prior to which he retired 11 straight batters. That one tough frame wasn't bad enough to ruin a very impressive outing by the right-hander, however, as he tied a career high with 10 punchouts. Mize also registered his third straight victory, and with 12 wins on the campaign he's tied for fourth in the majors. Though he's had a few clunkers on the campaign, Mize's 3.63 ERA is on track for a career-best mark. He's lined up to face the Royals at home in his next outing.

Anderson (2-8) allowed four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one over four innings to take the loss versus the Athletics on Saturday.

Anderson essentially got skipped in the rotation when back stiffness forced him to miss his scheduled start Tuesday. He wasn't that sharp in his return to action -- he's now walked five batters in two of five starts since the All-Star break. In that span, he's surrendered 18 runs over 24.2 innings while adding just 16 strikeouts. Anderson is at a 4.77 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 98:52 K:BB through 126.1 innings over 24 starts. The southpaw is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Cubs.

Povich did not factor in the decision against Houston on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters over five relief innings.

Baltimore opted to deploy righty Rico Garcia as an opener before turning to the lefty Povich to begin the second frame. It was just the second time Povich has worked as a bulk reliever this season, and he handled the role fairly well, notching a season-high 10 strikeouts and tallying an impressive 18 whiffs despite giving up three runs. Povich handled a typical starter's workload with 91 pitches (60 strikes), so it seems likely that he'll remain synched up with the rest of the rotation regardless of whether he returns to a traditional starting role or is used behind an opener again. He's lined up for a rematch against the Astros his next time out.

Alexander completed six innings against Baltimore on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out six batters in a no-decision.

Alexander wasn't able to record a third straight scoreless outing, but he did notch his third consecutive quality start. His six punchouts also tied a season-high mark, and he didn't walk a batter for the first time among his six starts (he's also come out of the bullpen five times). Alexander has impressed in a starting role this season, registering a 2.86 ERA with a 28:11 K:BB across 34.2 innings. The Astros are close to getting starters Lance McCullers (finger) and Luis Garcia (elbow) back from injuries, and despite the recent run of success, it remains to be seen if Alexander will be able to keep a rotation spot when those hurlers return.

Cecconi (5-6) took the loss against Atlanta on Saturday, allowing eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings.

Cecconi got through a scoreless first inning but struggled thereafter. The biggest blow to his stat line came on a three-run homer by Michael Harris in the fifth. Cecconi failed to make it through five frames for the second straight start following a streak of six consecutive outings of six-plus innings. He's been particularly hurt by the long ball of late, serving up 11 homers across his past 52.2 frames. On the season, his 1.7 HR/9 is the eighth-worst figure among MLB hurlers who have thrown at least 80 innings.

Snell (3-1) allowed five hits and two walks while striking out three over six shutout innings to earn the win over the Padres on Saturday.

Snell has allowed zero runs over his last two outings, adding a 13:5 K:BB across 11 innings in that span. Control is often a concern for Snell, but he's been effective in managing the traffic on the basepaths since returning from a shoulder injury. Overall, he has a 1.80 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB over 25 innings through five starts this season. Snell is projected to make his next start in a rematch with the Padres in San Diego next week.

Cease (5-11) allowed five runs (three earned) on two hits and six walks while striking out two over 3.1 innings to take the loss Saturday versus the Dodgers.

Cease threw just 44 of 85 pitches for strikes. It wasn't all his fault, as a Jackson Merrill error in the second inning was responsible for two runs, but Cease's struggles to find the strike zone continue to be a concern at times. This is the second time in four starts he's walked five or more batters. On the year, he's at a 4.61 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 171:56 K:BB over 132.2 innings across 25 starts. Among qualified starting pitchers, Cease's 3.8 BB/9 is fourth worst in the majors, though his 11.6 K/9 is second-best. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Giants, which is a favorable matchup for him to get back on track.