MLB Player News

The Nationals acquired Early (elbow) from the Red Sox on Saturday in exchange for infielder Curtis Mead, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Early is currently on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation, but he's been throwing for the past week and is expected to head out on a rehab assignment in the near future. Boston had a surplus of starting pitchers and chose to ship out Early to address the team's need for added thump to the lineup. In the 24-year-old Early, the Nationals get a young arm who can occupy a spot in the rotation for years to come. Across 21 career MLB regular-season starts, Early has a 3.24 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 122:38 K:BB spanning 111 innings.

Greene (2-2) allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.1 innings to take the loss versus the Cardinals on Saturday.

Greene has had a pair of quality starts and a pair of not-so-quality starts over his four outings since he returned from elbow surgery. The right-hander set a season low for strikeouts Saturday, and while he didn't give up a home run, the Cardinals had no trouble taking advantage of his mistakes. Greene is now at a 7.06 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB through 21.2 innings this season. He is projected to make his next start at home versus the Pirates.

Pallante (11-6) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven shutout innings to earn the win over the Reds on Saturday.

Pallante put together the best outing of his season, matching his previous highs for strikeouts and innings pitched in a game this year. He threw 57 of 90 pitches for strikes in the dominant performance and has now held the Reds to one run on four hits and two walks over 13 innings across two starts this season. Overall, Pallante sports a 3.77 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 83:32 K:BB through 112.1 innings over 20 starts. He is lined up to make his next start on the road in Toronto.

Skenes (9-9) took the loss against the Cubs on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Skenes was locked in a pitcher's duel with Shota Imanaga before allowing three runs in the fifth inning and being charged with two more after departing with one out in the sixth. It snapped a three-start winning streak during which Skenes yielded three earned runs or fewer, though he did generate 22 whiffs on 105 pitches while posting a season-high 11 punchouts Saturday. The 24-year-old owns a 3.65 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 149:28 K:BB across 120.2 innings this season and will aim to rebound in a road matchup with the Reds next week.

Imanaga (7-8) earned the win against the Pirates on Saturday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out four over six scoreless innings.

Imanaga outdueled Paul Skenes, keeping the Pirates off the board despite generating only six swinging strikes on 84 pitches. Per John Perrotto of MLB.com, Imanaga has allowed just one run over 38 career innings against the Pirates. The southpaw has now thrown back-to-back scoreless outings and has limited opponents to two earned runs or fewer in seven of his past eight starts dating back to June 10. He'll carry a 3.72 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 113:29 K:BB across 121 innings this season into a road matchup with the Cardinals next week.

Elder did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Orioles, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and four walks with eight strikeouts over five innings.

Elder allowed single runs in the third and fifth innings, recording eight strikeouts -- his best mark since May 10 -- while also tying a season high with four walks. After limping into the All-Star break having allowed 22 earned runs over four starts, the 27-year-old has now yielded just three earned runs through two outings to open the second half. He'll take a 3.96 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 98:37 K:BB across 113.2 innings into a home matchup with the Nationals next week.

Griffin (12-2) picked up the win in Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Diamondbacks, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out two.

The 30-year-old left-hander continues to impress in his first MLB action since 2022. Griffin has delivered 12 quality starts this season, including seven in his last eight outings -- a stretch in which he's produced a 1.56 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 44:7 K:BB over 52 innings. While his name has come up in trade rumors, it's hard to imagine Griffin getting dealt if the surprising Nationals intend to remain in playoff contention. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road next week in Atlanta.

Bratt (0-1) took the loss Saturday, surrendering five runs on seven hits and five walks over five innings as the Diamondbacks fell 5-3 to the Nationals. He struck out three.

The 23-year-old southpaw had trouble finding the plate in his fourth career MLB start, tossing 55 of 92 pitches for strikes. Even when Bratt did get the ball into the strike zone, he paid for it -- four of the seven hits off him went for extra bases, including a solo homer in the fifth inning by CJ Abrams. Through his first 15.2 innings for Arizona, Bratt carries a 6.32 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 10:11 K:BB, but with none of the team's injured starters expected back until August, he may stick in the rotation for another turn or two. He's set to make his next start on the road next weekend in Cleveland.

Ray (9-6) picked up the win Saturday, allowing six hits and two walks over six scoreless innings in a 9-2 victory over the Angels. He struck out five.

The veteran southpaw tossed 54 of 80 pitches for strikes en route to his eighth quality start of the season. Ray could be on the move at the trade deadline, and he's doing what he can to improve the return the Giants might get for him -- over his last seven starts he's held the opposition to one earned run or fewer six times, posting a 1.04 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 35:20 K:BB in 43.1 innings while serving up just one home run. Ray will look to stay locked in during his next outing, which currently lines up to come on the road next week in San Diego.

Perez (5-8) took the loss Saturday against San Diego, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out two.

It was a bit of a hard-luck loss for Perez, who delivered his fourth consecutive quality start. The hard-throwing right-hander opened the campaign with a 4.60 ERA through his first 11 outings but has been outstanding since coming off the injured list in late June, holding a 1.75 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 34:10 K:BB over his last six appearances (36 innings). Perez will bring a 3.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 106:38 K:BB across 98.2 frames overall into his next scheduled start against the last-place Mets, who will be without superstar Juan Soto (calf).