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Michael Grove RP | TB
Dodgers' Michael Grove: Strikes out six
Grove allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out six without walking a batter over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Blue Jays on Monday.
Grove was decent aside from the eight hits, throwing 48 of 68 pitches for strikes in the short start. It was just the second time all season he's avoided walking a batter. The right-hander is now at a 6.19 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 53:17 K:BB through 56.2 innings over 13 appearances (10 starts). Grove should stick in the rotation for another turn at home over the weekend versus the Reds. He may eventually lose his major-league roster spot with Noah Syndergaard (finger) and Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) working back from injuries.
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Graham Ashcraft RP | CIN
Reds' Graham Ashcraft: Solid again Monday
Ashcraft allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out eight batters over 5.1 innings in a no-decision against Milwaukee on Monday.
Ashcraft tied a season high with four walks in the outing, but he avoided issuing multiple free passes in any one frame. The right-hander balanced the mild wildness with a campaign-best eight strikeouts, and he fell just two outs shy of a fifth straight quality start. Though Ashcraft has had some major blow-ups this season -- a big factor in his poor overall 5.64 ERA -- he's been pitching well since the end of June, posting a 2.10 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 30 innings covering his past five starts.
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Colin Rea SP | CHC
Brewers' Colin Rea: Settles for no-decision
Rea notched a no-decision against Cincinnati on Monday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five batters over six innings.
The only runs Rea gave up in the contest came on Elly De La Cruz's monster two-run homer in the third inning. That was the only extra-base hit Rea yielded in his fourth quality start of the campaign. The right-hander faltered against the Reds in his final outing before the All-Star break, allowing five runs over 4.2 frames, but he's been solid in his first two starts of the second half, giving up just four earned runs across 11 innings. Rea's spot in the rotation has been partly a consequence of Wade Miley (elbow) and Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) spending time on the injured list, so it's not certain how the Brewers will adjust with both of the injured hurlers potentially returning within the next few weeks.
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Ryne Nelson SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson: Surrenders five runs
Nelson allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out one over six innings in a no-decision versus the Cardinals on Monday.
Nelson has had three good starts and two poor ones in July, with Monday's outing falling in the latter category. The right-hander was at least efficient, needing just 87 pitches (56 strikes) to get through six frames. He's now at a mediocre 4.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 74:33 K:BB through 112.1 innings over 21 starts this season, though he's shown little consistency from one outing to the next. He's projected for a home start versus the Mariners over the weekend.
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Adam Wainwright SP | STL
Cardinals' Adam Wainwright: Decent in return
Wainwright (shoulder) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over five innings in a no-decision versus the Diamondbacks on Monday.
Wainwright threw 76 pitches (47 strikes) in his return from a right shoulder strain. The 41-year-old did alright in a challenging matchup, most importantly by keeping the ball in the yard, something he did just once in his last five starts before landing on the injured list. At this point in his career, he's just a back-end starter that probably won't help much in fantasy. He carries a 7.31 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and 31:21 K:BB through 56.2 innings over 12 starts, with his next outing likely at home versus the Cubs over the weekend.
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Yu Darvish SP | SD
Padres' Yu Darvish: Hit hard Monday
Darvish (7-7) allowed seven runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings to take the loss Monday versus the Pirates.
Darvish was tagged for a season-high four homers Monday, which saw him fail to complete five frames for just the second time all season. He'd allowed just one run over 12 innings across his first two starts of the second half. The right-hander's poor start inflated his ERA to 4.80 with a 1.31 WHIP and 108:36 K:BB through 101.1 innings over 18 starts this season. Darvish is lined up for a tough home start versus the Rangers this weekend.
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Quinn Priester SP | MIL
Pirates' Quinn Priester: Collects first major-league win
Priester (1-1) allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over 5.1 innings to earn the win Monday over the Padres.
Priester allowed a pair of home runs to Ha-Seong Kim, which accounted for three of the four runs on his line. Aside from those missteps, Priester did reasonably well in his second big-league start, throwing 89 pitches (50 strikes). The 23-year-old right-hander has allowed 11 runs over 10.2 innings to begin his career, and a 6:5 K:BB isn't all that inspiring, but he may get a chance to learn on the fly. He's tentatively lined up for a weekend start versus the Phillies if the Pirates don't skip him in the rotation -- an option they could take given their off days Thursday and next Monday.
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Patrick Corbin SP | TOR
Nationals' Patrick Corbin: Yields six runs
Corbin (6-11) allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and two walks over 6.1 innings Monday, striking out five and taking a loss against Colorado.
Corbin turned in three shutout frames before the Rockies finally broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth. He's given up at least six runs in three of his last six outings, resulting in a 5.55 ERA during that stretch. The veteran southpaw saw his ERA climb back to 5.01 alongside an 85:36 K:BB through 120.1 frames. Corbin is currently lined up for a road matchup with the Mets this weekend.
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Cristopher Sanchez SP | PHI
Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez: Punches out eight in no-decision
Sanchez did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings during a 3-2 loss against the Orioles. He struck out eight.
Sanchez was excellent Monday, setting a career high with eight strikeouts while allowing just two runs on a pair of solo homers. Despite his 0-3 record, the 26-year-old left-hander has been solid for the Phillies of late, posting a 2.48 ERA over his last five starts. Sanchez now sports a 2.98 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP and 38:6 K:BB through eight starts (42.1 innings) this season. He's currently lined up to make his next start this weekend against the Pirates.
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Noah Syndergaard SP | CLE
Dodgers' Noah Syndergaard: Making next rehab start Thursday
Syndergaard (finger) is scheduled to make another rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.
Syndergaard's upcoming start will be his third in the minors, and manager Dave Roberts noted Thursday's outing will be the right-hander's final one of the rehab assignment. "That's when the rubber meets the road, and we have to make a decision," stated Roberts. If he comes out of the appearance feeling healthy, the Dodgers should activate Syndergaard from the 15-day injured list and would likely give him another chance in the starting rotation, especially with Emmet Sheehan (8.49 ERA over his last five starts) struggling at the back end.