MLB Player News

Lauer (8-6) allowed four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six over five innings to earn the win over the Rockies on Tuesday.

Lauer didn't have a great performance at Coors Field, but he pitched better than opposing starter Ryan Feltner. With 12 runs allowed (11 earned) over his last 15.1 innings, Lauer's form has dropped off during August. He's at a 4.79 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 69:32 K:BB through 103.1 innings over 20 games (17 starts) between the Dodgers and Blue Jays this year. Lauer's place in the rotation looks safe considering Justin Wrobleski (forearm) landed on the injured list Sunday, leaving the Dodgers with five healthy starters on the roster. They appear likely to get by with a five-man rotation thanks to upcoming off days Thursday and Monday, and Lauer is projected to make his next start early next week in Atlanta.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Angels.

Smith has homered four times over his last nine games, going 9-for-29 (.310) in that span. He mostly had a July to forget, but the outfielder has gotten himself back on track with the uptick in power lately. For the season, he's hitting .223 with a .694 OPS, 17 homers, 46 RBI, 54 runs scored, 15 doubles, three triples and 10 stolen bases over 123 contests.

Javier (1-4) allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five over four innings to take the loss versus the Angels on Tuesday.

Javier was skipped the last time through the rotation. He has now lost three straight starts, allowing nine runs, including four home runs, over 15 innings in that span. He's at a 6.44 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 30:17 K:BB across 36.1 innings through 11 appearances (seven starts) on the year. Considering the Astros are on shaky ground -- they lead the AL West despite a 63-63 record -- Javier's spot in the rotation is far from secure. He's tentatively projected to make his next appearance at home versus the Athletics.

Gomez recorded a save Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing one hit while striking out one over a scoreless ninth inning.

Gomez was called upon to protect a three-run lead in the ninth inning and surrendered a leadoff double to Michael Harris before retiring the next three Atlanta batters to close out the victory. The right-hander is now a perfect 19-for-19 in save opportunities this season and has converted a save in five of his last six appearances. Through 10.2 innings in the second half, Gomez has surrendered four runs (three earned) with a 13:9 K:BB.

Meckler went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Astros.

Meckler is batting .273 (15-for-55) in August, though he's also struck out 13 times over 16 games this month. The outfielder has mostly worked in left field, though he can slide over to right field if Josh Lowe is sitting out. Meckler has provided fairly steady hitting this season, batting .290 with a .742 OPS, three home runs, five steals, 20 RBI and 26 runs scored across 222 plate appearances.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Astros.

Lowe has homered twice over his last four games, though those long balls are his only hits in that span. The outfielder sat out a couple of games last week, but he's since reclaimed a starting role in right field. Lowe is batting .202 with a .619 OPS, 10 homers, 26 RBI, 21 runs scored, six doubles and four stolen bases over 82 contests this season.

Joyce struck out two batters in a perfect inning to earn the save Tuesday in a 3-1 win over the Astros.

Joyce once again had no trouble closing out a victory, picking up his third save over the last week. Through six scoreless innings this season, he's allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out eight. The Angels haven't had Joyce pitch consecutive days yet, but it looks like he'll continue to see the majority of the save chances for the rest of the campaign.

Klassen (2-1) allowed one hit and three walks while striking out seven over seven scoreless innings to earn the win over the Astros on Tuesday.

Klassen put together a strong and efficient performance, getting through the seven frames on 86 pitches (54 strikes). He's allowed just three runs across 17 innings over three starts since he entered the Angels' rotation earlier in August. On the year, he's at a 3.74 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 21:18 K:BB through 21.2 innings. He's still walking too many batters generally, which invites the risk of regression. Klassen will look to keep his strong performances rolling on the road versus the Rangers over the weekend, assuming he stays in the rotation over Ryan Johnson when Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder) is activated from the 60-day injured list.

Mahle (4-10) took the loss Tuesday against the Twins, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three over 6.2 innings.

Mahle allowed a two-out double in the first inning before Josh Bell launched a two-run homer to open the scoring. The right-hander settled in nicely from there as he didn't surrender another run, recording 17 outs against the final 19 batters he faced. Unfortunately for Mahle, Atlanta provided just one run of support, saddling him with his 10th loss. He's delivered a quality start in each of his three outings since joining the team, allowing only three runs across 18.2 innings while striking out 19 during that span. Mahle owns a 4.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 108:40 K:BB across 113.1 innings this season. He will face a tougher test in his next scheduled start against the star-studded Dodgers.

Matthews (7-8) earned the win Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four over 5.2 innings.

Matthews kept Atlanta off the board through five innings before Drake Baldwin led off the sixth with a solo homer for the only run against him. The right-hander has now earned the win in three consecutive starts since rejoining the rotation. Matthews has been significantly better at limiting damage when pitching at Target Field this season, posting a 3.14 ERA at home compared to a 7.13 mark on the road. He'll carry a 5.12 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 81:31 K:BB across 96.2 innings into his next scheduled start Monday against the Athletics.