MLB Player News

Williamson (1-2) took the loss Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk over five innings against the Padres. He struck out five.

Williamson pitched fairly well against a surging Padres lineup, retiring eight of the first 10 batters he faced on the afternoon before surrendering an RBI double to Fernando Tatis in the top of the third. The right-hander was relieved by Buck Farmer in the sixth inning after giving up a leadoff single to Austin Nola, who would eventually come around to score on a three-run blast from Juan Soto. Williamson had allowed at least three runs in each of his last four starts coming in, so Saturday's effort, despite the loss, was still an encouraging sign for the 25-year-old.

Verlander (3-4) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk over seven innings in a 4-1 victory over the Giants. He struck out six.

The 40-year-old blanked San Francisco for six innings before a Pete Alonso error in the seventh cracked the door open a bit, but Verlander limited the damage and fanned Brandon Crawford to end the threat. The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner is rounding into form, compiling a 2.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 33:10 K:BB through 34 innings since the beginning of June, and Verlander is now three wins away from 250 for his career. He'll get one more turn through the rotation before the All-Star break, an outing which lines up for next weekend in San Diego.

Wacha (8-2) earned the win Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over five innings against the Reds while striking out four.

Wacha (shoulder) returned Saturday after being forced to skip his last start and managed to pitch his way out of trouble for most of the afternoon, despite allowing the leadoff man to reach base in four of his five innings of work. The right-hander has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 consecutive starts dating back to April 26 against the Cubs while winning six of his last seven decisions (spanning nine starts). He'll look to keep that momentum going next weekend when the Padres take on the Mets in San Diego.

DeSclafani (4-8) took the loss Saturday as the Giants were downed 4-1 by the Mets, giving up three solo home runs in three innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The homers were the only hits the veteran right-hander allowed and they all came in the third inning, as Francisco Alvarez, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor took DeSclafani deep to chase him from the game after only 55 pitches (34 strikes). After a strong start to the year, he has a 6.39 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 31:11 K:BB over his last eight outings and 38 innings, serving up eight homers along the way. DeSclafani will try to turn things around in his final start before the All-Star break, which is likely to come at home next weekend against the Rockies.

Wheeler (7-4) picked up the win Saturday in a 19-4 rout of the Nationals, giving up four runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The right-hander was far from sharp, tossing 55 of 85 pitches for strikes before exiting, but he got more than enough run support to allow him to win his fourth straight decision. Since his last loss May 22, Wheeler's posted a 3.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 48:8 K:BB through 41.1 innings, and he'll get one more turn through the rotation before the All-Star break, a start that lines up for next weekend in Miami.

Kelly (calf) threw a 31-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

This was the first time Kelly was on the mound since he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf last Tuesday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Kelly could rejoin the team's rotation soon after the All-Star break.

Flaherty (5-5) earned the win Saturday, allowing four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings against the Yankees. He struck out four.

Flaherty got himself back on track Saturday after allowing six runs in each of his last two starts. The right-hander fanned only four batters but produced 11 swinging strikes en route to his fifth win of the season. Flaherty has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his last six starts and was able to lower his ERA from 4.95 to 4.60 with his performance against the Yankees.

Stroman (9-6) took the loss against Cleveland on Saturday, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings.

Stroman exited his previous start after 3.1 innings due to a finger blister, but he had recovered enough by Saturday to take his turn in the rotation. The right-hander struck out four of the first six batters he faced and finished with seven punchouts, but the Guardians got to him for three singles in the sixth frame, with all three of those batters coming around to score (two after he departed). Stroman has given up 11 runs (eight earned) over his past nine innings across two starts, increasing his season ERA from 2.28 to 2.76.

Urias (5-5) took the loss against Kansas City on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two batters over three innings.

Urias' return from a stint on the injured list due to a hamstring injury didn't go well, though part of the issue was bad fortune. Of the four hits he allowed in the first inning, three were bloop singles that left the bat at less than 72 mph. Regardless, the Royals put up five runs in that frame, and Urias' struggles weren't limited to bloopers -- he also issued a walk and hit a batter with a pitch. The southpaw retired five of the final six batters he faced, but he was lifted after 66 pitches since he was on a pitch count following the layoff. Urias will look to bounce back and go deeper into his next start, which is projected to be a home outing against Pittsburgh.

Nelson (5-4) allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out six over 7.1 innings to earn the win Saturday over the Angels.

Nelson gave up a solo home run to Anthony Rendon, but the Diamondbacks were able to take the lead in the sixth inning. After plenty of ups and downs early on, Nelson has turned in a pair of impressive starts in his last two outings, limiting the Angels and Giants to a combined two runs, six hits and three walks over 14.1 innings. The 25-year-old trimmed his ERA to 4.67 with a 1.38 WHIP and 64:29 K:BB through 90.2 innings over 17 starts. It remains to be seen if he can sustain his recent success, which he'll attempt to do in a projected home start versus the Mets next week.