MLB Player News

Luzardo (8-5) earned the win against the Phillies on Sunday after he allowed two runs on four hits and one walk over 6.1 innings. He struck out nine.

The left-hander blanked Philly until the fifth inning, when Edmundo Sosa launched a two-run home run. Luzardo otherwise pitched well and combined for 29 called and swinging strikes as he struck out at least eight batters for the fourth straight start. The 25-year-old posted a 3.32 ERA in 18 starts last year and nearly replicated those figures during the first half of this season with a 3.29 ERA through 19 outings.

Lively (4-5) allowed a run on four hits and two walks while striking out five over 5.2 innings but took the loss Sunday versus the Brewers.

Lively put in an excellent performance in his return from a pectoral strain. He threw 52 of 75 pitches for strikes and did well outside of surrendering the only run of the game in the first inning. The 31-year-old right-hander concludes the first half with a 3.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 50:15 K:BB through 10 appearances (eight starts) spanning 51.2 innings. The Reds will have an extended homestand following the All-Star break, which means Lively's first start of the second half is most likely to be against the Brewers or Giants.

Freeland was removed from Sunday's start against the Giants with an apparent right shoulder injury, Kelsey Wingert-Linch of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

The left-hander was pitching well in San Francisco on Sunday with just one run allowed through 6.1 frames, but he appeared to injure his non-throwing shoulder while attempting to field a bunt during the seventh inning. Freeland already wasn't scheduled to pitch during the first series of the second half next weekend against the Yankees, so it'll be at least eight full days until his next turn through the rotation. The 30-year-old's availability will remain up in the air until he's further evaluated.

Quintana (ribs) pitched with flu-like symptoms in his rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse, SNY reports.

This rehab start was supposed to come Friday, and Quintana was still under the weather with an extra day of rest, according to manager Buck Showalter. According to Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com, Quintana's average fastball velocity was 89.6 mph as he gave up five earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five in 4.1 innings. He did have 15 swinging strikes in the outing, and the decreased velocity (91.2 mph average in 2022) could be explained by his illness. It's unclear when Quintana will be inserted into the big-league rotation, but he is built up enough from a workload standpoint after going four or more frames in two of his last three outings.

Fried (forearm) covered 1.1 scoreless innings and struck out a batter while allowing one hit and two walks in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett.

After estimating that he threw around 30 pitches Tuesday in a live batting practice session, Fried bumped his workload up a bit in his first rehab start, tossing 35 pitches (18 strikes). According to Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fried averaged around 94 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball and topped out at 96 mph, with those readings sitting roughly in line with his velocity before he landed on the injured list May 9 with a left forearm strain. Fried will likely need two more rehab starts to build up his pitch count before potentially slotting back into the Atlanta rotation in the final week of July.

Woodruff (shoulder) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Sunday with no issues and is scheduled for another session Thursday, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

The right-hander recently had his throwing program delayed due to less-than-ideal progress in his recovery between sessions, but his return to the mound Sunday was a success. Woodruff will likely need a few more bullpen sessions before being cleared to face live batters and eventually progressing to a minor-league rehab assignment.

Lively (pectoral) was activated from the 15-day injured list for his start against the Brewers on Sunday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 31-year-old landed on the injured list with a pectoral strain after his last start June 20, and he'll rejoin Cincinnati's rotation for the final game before the All-Star break. Lively didn't embark on a rehab assignment, so he could have a limited workload in his first start back. The right-hander has been a solid back-end starter so far this season with a 4.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 45:13 K:BB across 46 innings.

Irvin (2-5) picked up the win Saturday, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings in an 8-3 victory over the Rangers. He struck out one.

The right-hander was far from dominant, but Washington's offense handed Irvin an 8-0 lead before Texas finally got on the board in the fourth inning. It's the 26-year-old rookie's first win in two months, but he's been giving the Nats reliable innings lately, posting a 3.69 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over six starts since the beginning of June despite a mediocre 19:11 K:BB through 31.2 frames. Irvin may face some workload concerns in the second half -- he's thrown 81 innings already in 2023 between Triple-A and the majors but tossed only 103.1 innings in the minors last year -- but he appears to be firming up his grip on a rotation spot.

Wood (4-3) picked up the win in Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Rockies, allowing three hits and a walk over five scoreless relief innings. He struck out three.

Ryan Walker lasted two innings as the opener and left with the score tied 2-2, but Wood was able to shut down the Colorado offense completely once he took the mound. The veteran southpaw tossed 47 of 72 pitches for strikes as he remained locked in an alternating pattern of great outings and poor ones -- he's flipped between winning and losing in every appearance since May 26, posting a 0.43 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in the four wins but a brutal 15.43 ERA and 2.68 WHIP in the three defeats. Wood has worked behind an opener in his last three trips to the mound, and the Giants might keep him in that bulk relief role until he shows some consistency.

Seabold (1-6) took the loss Saturday, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk over 3.2 innings as the Rockies were downed 5-3 by the Giants. He struck out three.

The right-hander needed 73 pitches (47 strikes) to record just 11 outs as he failed to complete four innings for the second time in his last four outings. Seabold is proving to be overmatched as a rotation option. losing four straight starts and posting a 12.96 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over that stretch, but Colorado doesn't have any clear alternatives to replace him after the All-Star break.