MLB Player News

Gray (6-8) took the loss Sunday against the Cardinals, allowing four runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out two in five innings.

The 10 hits allowed were a season high for Gray, and the two strikeouts matched his season low. He kept the Cardinals scoreless through three frames despite allowing two baserunners to reach in each inning before finally faltering in the fourth. Gray would go on to allow five base hits leading to three runs before surrendering a big fly to Nolan Gorman in the fifth. Gray's 3.59 ERA casts over the 1.47 WHIP and 4.85 FIP that come along with it, suggesting he's had some luck on his side this year. He averaged at least a strikeout per inning in each of his past two seasons but sits at just an 8.0 K/9 this year while his walk rate remains up from previous years. He'll look to right the ship against San Francisco this coming week.

Flaherty (7-5) got the win over the Nationals on Sunday after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out seven over six innings.

Flaherty served up a solo home run to Keibert Ruiz in the second but then went on to retire 12 of the next 13 batters before the Nationals eventually tacked on two more in the sixth. It was Flaherty's third straight quality start although it was also the fifth time in his last six outings he's issued multiple walks. The 27-year-old is working with a 4.29 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 96:51 K:BB in 98.2 innings this year. He tentatively lines up to face the Cubs on the road this upcoming week.

Henry (5-2) took the loss Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over 4.1 innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out five.

After going at least 5.2 innings in each of his last four starts, Henry was pulled after 4.1 innings (81 pitches) Sunday. He struggled with the Blue Jays' talented lineup, allowing more hits (seven) Sunday than he had given up (six) in his last two starts combined. The loss was Henry's second of the season and his first since May 11 (10 starts). Henry's taken significant steps forward in his second MLB season, owning a 3.89 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, but he still has room for improvement with strikeouts (6.4 K/9) and limiting power (1.4 HR/9).

Houser did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the Reds. He struck out five.

Though Jake Fraley tagged Houser for a two-run homer in the third inning, Houser managed to put together a decent showing Sunday, tying his season high in strikeouts and lasting at least five innings for a third straight start. While Houser owns a 3.79 ERA through 57 innings, his lack of strikeouts (6.2 K/9) and inability to go deep into games (six or more innings pitched three times in 10 starts) make him difficult to trust in most fantasy formats.

Anderson allowed three hits and two walks with one strikeout over five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Yankees on Sunday.

Anderson was pummeled for an 18.23 ERA over his last four starts before the All-Star break, but he was much better after some time off. The right-hander remains a risky fantasy option given his home park and shaky overall numbers. He's at a 6.26 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 38:19 K:BB through 54.2 innings this season. Anderson is lined up to next take the mound for a road start in Miami.

Lugo did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing five runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings against Philadelphia. He struck out five.

After logging a quality start in each of his last two appearances, Lugo was unable to find a third, giving up five runs and failing to get out of the sixth inning. All of the damage against Lugo came late, as he held the Phillies scoreless until the fifth and retired 12 of his first 13 batters. in his final 1.1 innings of work, Lugo surrendered two solo homers, a pair of doubles and two singles as Philadelphia put up five runs and reclaimed the lead. Despite Sunday's rocky outing, Lugo has been a reliable starting option, owning a 3.78 ERA and a 64:13 K:BB through 13 starts (69.0 innings). He's tentatively lined up to make his next start during a three-game road series against the Tigers.

Wheeler did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings in a 7-6 win over the Padres. He struck out seven.

Wheeler struggled with power in Sunday's no-decision, surrendering solo homers to Ha-Seong Kim and Xander Bogaerts while also giving up three doubles. The long balls marked his fourth consecutive start allowing a home run. Prior to his last four starts, Wheeler had given up only five homers in 2023. Though Wheeler owns a 4.04 ERA through 111.1 innings, he boasts an impressive 126:22 K:BB. He's tentatively scheduled to make his next start against the Guardians at Progressive Field.

Steele (9-3) allowed six runs on 10 hits across six innings to take the loss Sunday against the Red Sox. He had one walk and six strikeouts.

The primary damage came from two Boston home runs, including a Masataka Yoshida grand slam in the fifth inning. Steele has now allowed nine earned runs in his last two starts after allowing just three total runs in his previous four starts. The lefty is up to 97.1 innings this season following a career-high 119 innings last year. It's possible that fatigue becomes a factor for Steele, so the Cubs may decide to skip his turn in the rotation at some point or otherwise limit his workload. He's currently slated to start again Friday against the Cardinals.

Miller exited Sunday's game against the Mets due to right knee discomfort, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Miller got into a jam in the fifth inning and exited with a trainer after tossing 4.2 innings. He said after the game that he was "all good" and said that he wanted to pitch through the issue. Given his postgame comments, it seems unlikely that the right-hander will be forced to miss any turns through the rotation, but he'll presumably be monitored by the team's medical staff in the coming days. Prior to his departure, he allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out five.

Petty has a 1.53 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 35.1 innings so far at High-A Dayton, with 39 strikeouts over that stretch. He hasn't exceeded four innings in a start yet this season, by design, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The Reds acquired Petty in the Sonny Gray trade before the start of the 2022 season. His name might come up in the ensuing weeks before the MLB trade deadline if they decide to trade for pitching at the big league level.