MLB Player News

The Cardinals selected Graceffo's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Graceffo has posted a 3.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 70:29 K:BB across 75 frames with Memphis this season. All 14 of his appearances have been starts, and while it's possible he'll get a look in the rotation eventually with the Cardinals, the plan for now is to break him in as a reliever. Graceffo will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.

Matz (back) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.

The Cardinals had to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Gordon Graceffo to be called up and opted to push Matz to the 60-day IL to create the opening. Considering Matz was put on the injured list May 3, his move to the 60-day injured list won't impact his timeline for return. The 33-year-old was shut down from throwing for two weeks June 22.

Tyler is slated to start Friday's game in Philadelphia.

He'll receive a second straight turn through the Miami rotation after he took a no-decision his last time out Sunday against the Mariners, covering four innings and striking out two while giving up two runs on three hits and three walks. With injuries having hit the Miami pitching staff hard, Tyler could be in store for additional starts beyond Friday, even if he continues to underwhelm.

Phillips was assigned to the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday.

Phillips has loud stuff, but his control and command have been major weaknesses throughout his career. He gave up 23 earned runs in 10.1 innings over his three most recent starts for Triple-A Louisville, and the assignment to the complex will presumably allow him to work on some mechanical stuff that's easier to address in a less competitive environment.

Abbott (7-6) picked up the win over the Cardinals on Thursday, allowing two runs on two hits and six walks over five innings while striking out two.

The only runs charged to Abbott on the night came on a two-run homer from Nolan Arenado in the bottom of the third, as the lefty managed to pitch his way out of trouble the rest of the time despite issuing a season-high six free passes. Abbott has now won four of his last five starts, though he finishes the month of June with 15 walks, compared to just six in May. On the positive side, he's also gone at least five innings in 11 consecutive starts and hasn't given up more than three runs in five straight.

Mikolas (6-7) was hit with the loss against the Reds on Thursday, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits and one walk over 4.1 inning. He struck out one.

Things got ugly in a hurry for Mikolas as the veteran gave up runs in each of the first five innings before finally being relieved by John King. The nine earned runs allowed easily marked a season high for the right-hander, as did the 12 hits he surrendered. Mikolas had gone at least six innings in six consecutive starts coming in, allowing three or fewer runs in five of those outings. Thursday also marked his first loss since May 31 against the Phillies.

Sale (10-3) suffered the loss Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings against the White Sox. He struck out 11.

Sale dominated his former team, with a first-inning homer by Luis Robert marking the only blemish to his stellar outing. However, the bats failed to provide any support for Sale, and Atlanta suffered its third shutout loss of the season with each occurring within the month of June. Following an inexplicable blip June 1 when he allowed eight runs to the hapless Athletics, Sale has rebounded over the last four games by allowing a total of six earned runs over 26 innings, giving him an ERA of 2.08 with a 0.85 WHIP and 36 strikeouts during that stretch. His next start is tentatively scheduled to take place in the middle of next week, when Atlanta plays host to the Giants.

Hicks did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batsman against the Cubs. He struck out seven.

Hicks' outing was marred by a rough third inning in which he hit a batter, allowed two steals and gave up a homer and triple among three hits during the three-run frame. Otherwise, Hicks faced just two batters over the minimum during the other four innings, recording at least seven strikeouts for the fourth time this season. He'll carry a strong 3.36 ERA into his next start, tentatively scheduled to take place next week when the Giants travel to Atlanta for a mid-week series.

Montgomery (6-5) was saddled with the loss Thursday, allowing eight runs (four earned) on nine hits and one walk over 2.2 innings against the Twins. He struck out one.

Montgomery's line could have been a lot worse if not for a catcher's interference call and a throwing error accounting for half of the eight total runs he allowed. Among the nine hits allowed were three infield singles, no homers and two extra-base hits for Montgomery, suggesting that this performance was marred by a bit of bad luck. After struggling to 14 earned runs allowed over six innings during consecutive starts on May 31 and June 5, Montgomery had righted the ship over the next three outings prior to Thursday, allowing just five earned runs over 16.2 innings and collecting the win in each. His next start won't get any easier as he's presently slated to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles during a mid-week series.

Wheeler allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters over 6.2 innings in a no-decision against Miami on Thursday.

Wheeler cruised through six scoreless frames before running into trouble in the seventh. In that inning, he retired the first two batters he faced before allowing back-to-back singles. The right-hander was then given the hook, and both runners came around to score following his departure. Wheeler nonetheless managed a quality start -- his seventh over his past eight outings. He's tied for first in the league with 13 quality starts on the season and has registered a 2.73 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 112:31 K:BB over 105.2 innings.