MLB Player News

Kershaw (4-2) took the loss against Boston on Saturday, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two batters over 4.2 innings.

Kershaw's stuff isn't what it used to be, but he's mostly been able to remain effective this season, as he entered Saturday with a 3.27 ERA. However, the southpaw's lack of a put-away pitch hurt him against the Red Sox, especially in the second inning -- in that frame, he got to an 0-2 or 1-2 count to each of the first three batters he faced, but all three reached base against him as Boston scored three times. Kershaw tallied just two strikeouts overall, marking his fourth straight start with three or fewer punchouts, and his 5.9 K/9 is on pace to be the lowest of his career by a wide margin. That said, Kershaw still sits at a respectable 3.62 ERA on the campaign. He's lined up to face the Rays on the road his next time out.

Crochet (12-4) earned the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters over six innings.

Crochet endured a rough first frame, giving up two runs on a pair of solo homers. The southpaw bounced back quickly, however, keeping Los Angeles off the scoreboard for the remainder of his six frames. The All-Star hurler racked up an impressive 20 whiffs en route to 10 strikeouts, marking the fifth time this season he's recorded double-digit punchouts in an outing. Crochet now lead leads the majors with 175 Ks on the campaign, and he ranks fourth among qualified starters with a 2.23 ERA. He's also tied for the league lead with 12 wins while registering a 1.09 WHIP through 141.1 innings spanning 22 starts.

Rocker allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five batters over four innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on Saturday.

Rocker had a rocky first inning, walking two batters and allowing a pair of singles to yield a run, but he escaped what could have been a worse frame when Matt Olson was thrown out at home plate. Rocker gave up another run in the second before rebounding with a 1-2-3 third, but he was scored upon again in his fourth and final inning. Overall, the right-hander needed 95 pitches to retire 12 batters, and this was his shortest outing since he went 3.1 frames against Tampa Bay on June 4. Rocker had been pitching pretty well coming into Saturday, surrendering two or fewer runs while going at least five innings in five of his previous six starts, so his rotation spot is secure despite Saturday's clunker. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road in Seattle.

Anderson allowed two runs on six hits and struck out one without walking a batter over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Saturday.

Anderson exited the game at 88 pitches (62 strikes), as it appears the Angels didn't want him to face the heart of the Mariners' order a third time. This wasn't a poor performance for the southpaw, but he allowed solo home runs to Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena, making this Anderson's sixth start allowing multiple homers this year. It's also the third time he's avoided walking a batter, but he fell short of the five-inning mark for the fourth time in 10 outings since the start of June. Anderson has a mediocre 4.41 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 87:44 K:BB across 112.1 innings through 21 starts overall. He's tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the White Sox, though Anderson is in the last year of his contract and may be moved prior to Thursday's trade deadline.

Kirby (5-5) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out nine over six innings to earn the win Saturday over the Angels.

Kirby rebounded from allowing four runs in each of his last two starts. He allowed a solo home run to Taylor Ward in the second inning, which was just the second homer Kirby's given up over his last six outings. The three walks matched his season high, however. He nearly got into trouble with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning, but he was able to fan Logan O'Hoppe and Luis Rengifo to escape the jam before exiting at 106 pitches (65 strikes). Kirby now has a 4.50 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 68:16 K:BB through 66 innings across 12 starts this season. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Rangers.

Snell (shoulder) tossed 4.2 scoreless innings in a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, allowing four walks and giving up zero hits while striking out seven batters.

Snell was a bit wild in the outing, as he threw just 40 of 76 pitches for strikes while issuing four free passes. However, he was otherwise dominant, racking up seven punchouts without yielding a hit. Given that he was able to ramp up his pitch count within the range of a light starter's workload, it seems likely that Snell's next outing will come in the majors. If that's the case, his return to the Dodgers' rotation could come next weekend against his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Burke will not start Sunday's game against the Cubs, as Grant Taylor has been announced as the White Sox's opening pitcher for the contest, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

Burke had previously been deemed the probable starter, but the White Sox announced late Saturday that Taylor will begin the game on the mound for the series finale instead. It's not yet clear if Burke is dealing with any sort of issue, or if the White Sox simply prefer for him to pitch in bulk relief behind Taylor. That wouldn't be a decision without precedent, as Burke has worked three times as the primary pitcher behind an opener so far this season.

Quintana (7-4) took the loss against the Marlins on Saturday, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts over five innings.

Four of the five runs Quintana allowed came via the long ball, and he managed just three whiffs while throwing 58 of 99 pitches for strikes. Still, the veteran southpaw has now held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 15 starts this season. He'll take a 3.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 55:33 K:BB across 82.1 innings into a road matchup with the Nationals next weekend.

Brown will start Sunday's game versus the White Sox at Rate Field, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Brown returned from a nearly month-long stint in the minors July 21 and gave up seven runs (six earned) over four innings in long relief one day later against Kansas City. Despite that rough outing, the Cubs are giving the right-hander another opportunity to start, though it may not be a permanent move back into the rotation since Jameson Taillon (calf) is on track to return from the injured list in the first half of August. Brown has posted an impressive 10.3 K/9 across 83.1 innings spanning 17 appearances (14 starts) on the campaign, but the rest of his numbers have been mostly poor, including a 6.48 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 4-7 record.

Junk (5-2) earned the win against the Brewers on Saturday, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks with five strikeouts over five innings.

Junk allowed four doubles but just five hard-hit balls overall while generating an impressive 14 whiffs on 86 pitches. The 29-year-old has now surrendered seven earned runs in his past two starts after giving up just two through his first three July outings, though he'll still finish the month with a 2.79 ERA over 29 innings. He'll carry a 3.28 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 44:5 K:BB across 60.1 frames into a home matchup with the Yankees next weekend.