MLB Player News

Wainwright did not factor in the decision against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

It was a strange outing for the veteran hurler -- though he didn't allow any runs, he needed 114 pitches to get through 5.1 innings, and he issued four walks while hitting two batters. It looked like Wainwright would manage a win when he departed with a five-run lead, but Los Angeles staged a late comeback that left him with a no-decision. The right-hander is 0-2 through three outings in July, though he's posted a 2.70 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 20 innings during that span.

Gonsolin pitched five innings against St. Louis on Wednesday, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision.

Gonsolin had been remarkably steady coming into the contest, allowing no more than two earned runs over each of his first 16 starts. The right-hander couldn't keep that going Wednesday, as the Cardinals tagged him for five runs over the third and fourth frames. Gonsolin was down 5-0 and staring at his first loss when he departed after the fifth inning, but Los Angeles staged a late comeback to keep his perfect 11-0 record intact. Gonsolin's next appearance will likely be on his home field during Tuesday's All-Star Game.

Musgrove allowed five runs on nine hits and a hit batsman and struck out four over five innings in a no-decision Wednesday versus the Rockies.

Musgrove kept the ball in the yard, but that was about the only perk to his shaky start. This was the third time that he's allowed five or more runs in an outing this year, and it was the first time he failed to complete six innings. The right-hander finishes the first half with a 2.42 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 102:23 K:BB in 104 innings across 16 starts. He'll represent the National League at next week's All-Star Game, which marks Musgrove's first trip to the Midsummer Classic.

Gallen allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five across 6.2 innings Wednesday against the Giants. He did not factor into the decision.

Gallen entered Wednesday's start having allowed 13 earned runs across his last 16 innings, but he managed to hold the Giants scoreless for six innings. His outing was spoiled a bit after he allowed three of the five hitters he faced in the seventh frame to reach base. Despite the late struggles, he left the game in line for a win and recorded 13 of his 20 outs via strikeout or groundout. Overall, Gallen has a 3.56 ERA and a 89:28 K:BB across 93.2 innings for the season.

Ashby allowed one earned run on six hits and three walks while striking out five across 4.1 innings Wednesday against the Twins. He did not factor into the decision.

Ashby limited the damage against him effectively, and he has now allowed only three earned runs across his last 9.1 innings in the span of two starts. However, in order to record 13 outs Wednesday, Ashby had to throw 101 pitches -- only 58 which went for strikes. Ashby has shown flashes of effectiveness as a starter this season, but he'll have to improve his control to get more consistent results, as he has walked more than three batters in six of 11 starts on the campaign. Overall, Ashby owns a 4.37 ERA with a 81:32 K:BB across 68 frames for the season.

Lopez pitched five innings, surrendering one run on one hit and four walks with three strikeouts in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning victory over the Pirates. He did not factor into the decision.

Lopez was effective Wednesday, limiting the Pirates to just one run that came home on a Ben Gamel RBI single in the top of the fifth frame. Lopez has now surrendered four runs over 16.1 innings in his last three starts after he gave up five runs to the Cardinals on June 27. The strong stretch has lowered his ERA to 2.86 over 104 innings in 18 starts this season. Lopez will head into the All-Star break with a 6-4 record, and he's tentatively expected to pitch again July 21 against the Rangers.

Brubaker pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits and two walks while striking out nine in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Marlins. He did not factor into the decision.

Brubaker was able to produce his best outing of the campaign Wednesday, blanking the Marlins over seven frames while registering nine strikeouts for the third time this season. The five total baserunners were his lowest total allowed since May 7 and the seven innings matched his longest outing of the year. Brubaker has now allowed three or fewer runs in six of his last seven outings, lowering his ERA from 4.70 to 4.02 over that stretch.

Wheeler (8-5) was tagged with the loss Wednesday after he pitched 4.2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four against the Blue Jays.

Wheeler simply didn't have his best stuff Wednesday, surrendering six runs for the first time since April 17. Most notably, the right-hander gave up two homers in the fourth frame, a solo blast by Vladimir Guerrero and a two-run shot by Teoscar Hernandez. Coming into the contest, he had registered three straight quality starts, but the poor outing saw his ERA jump from 2.46 to a still impressive 2.89 over 17 starts this season. Wheeler is not expected to make another start until after the All-Star break, tentatively lining up to face the Cubs on July 22.

Hendricks (shoulder) will be shut down for at least 2-to-3 weeks before he's cleared to play catch, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Hendricks has been on the injured list for a week due to a right shoulder strain, and he recently underwent an MRI that didn't reveal any structural damage. However, the right-hander will require more than the minimum of 15 days on the shelf since he won't be able to resume throwing until at least late July. A better timetable for Hendricks' return is unlikely to be revealed until he begins a throwing program.

The Cardinals optioned Liberatore to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Liberatore's demotion likely foreshadows Steven Matz's (shoulder) return to the rotation in the Cardinals' final game before the All-Star break Sunday against the Reds. St. Louis may have chosen to delay Matz's activation until the second half if Liberatore fared well in his most recent outing, but the Cardinals' decision to deploy the rookie behind an opener (Jordan Hicks) in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Dodgers didn't pay dividends. Liberatore took a no-decision after giving up three earned runs in 2.1 innings, inflating his ERA to 5.33 through his first seven outings in the big leagues.