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Humberto Mejia SP | NYM
Diamondbacks' Humberto Mejia: Slated to start Monday
Mejia will be called up to start Monday's game against the Pirates, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Mejia was promoted to Triple-A Reno in early June, and he recorded a 5.93 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 54.2 innings across 12 starts. He made three starts for the Marlins last year and will make a spot start during Monday's series opener in Pittsburgh.
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Freddy Peralta SP | TB
Brewers' Freddy Peralta: Plays catch Sunday
Peralta (shoulder) played catch Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Peralta's throwing session Sunday was the first time that he had thrown since he was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation Thursday. Manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that he's pleased with the right-hander's progress so far, and he's optimistic that Peralta will be able to return following a minimal stay on the 10-day IL.
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Zac Gallen SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Bullpen spoils strong start
Gallen took a no-decision Saturday in the Diamondbacks' 5-2 loss to the Rockies after tossing seven shutout innings. He scattered three hits and one walk while striking out nine.
Gallen outdueled Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (two runs allowed over seven innings) and departed with the lead, but the Arizona bullpen was unable to seal the deal and kept the right-hander out of the win column for a 13th consecutive start. On the bright side, the nine strikeouts established a new season high for Gallen, and for at least one start, he navigated the unfavorable confines of Coors Field and solved the home-run problems that had been troubling him of late. Gallen had yielded eight gopher balls across his last five starts.
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Kyle Freeland SP | COL
Rockies' Kyle Freeland: Whiffs season-high 10
Freeland took a no-decision in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks after striking out a season-high 10 over seven innings. He surrendered two runs on six hits and a walk in the 90-pitch start.
Freeland submitted one of the best outings of his season -- at Coors Field, no less -- but he had the misfortune of the Rockies' bats not waking up until the late innings. The southpaw departed with a 2-0 deficit before Colorado tied the score in the bottom of the eighth, then won the game on Elias Diaz's walkoff, three-run home run. Though Freeland was denied a fourth straight win, he continued to build his case for being one of the more underrated fantasy standouts of the season with another strong performance. Over his last 11 outings, Freeland has turned in seven quality starts while posting a 2.53 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 8.6 K/9.
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Aaron Nola SP | PHI
Phillies' Aaron Nola: Handed tough-luck no-decision
Nola took a no-decision in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Padres in 10 innings after giving up three runs (two earned) and striking out 11 in 8.2 frames. He scattered two hits and two walks during the 117-pitch outing.
Nola returned to the mound for the bottom of the ninth with a shot at securing his second complete game of the season, but he was unable to preserve the Phillies' 3-1 lead. After retiring two of the first three batters he faced in the inning, Nola served up a two-run, two-out home run to Jake Cronenworth to even the score before the Padres won the game in extras. Despite submitting a 3.32 FIP over his last five starts, Nola has no wins to show for it.
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Sandy Alcantara SP | MIA
Marlins' Sandy Alcantara: Excellent in tough loss
Alcantara (7-12) took the loss Sunday versus Cincinnati. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 11 in seven innings.
After giving up a 10-spot at Coors Field on Aug. 6, Alcantara has come back in dominant fashion. He's yielded just three runs across his last 22 innings while dialing up 25 strikeouts, but he has a 1-2 record to show for that impressive stretch of pitching. While Miami's offense isn't likely to provide a lot of help, Alcantara likely deserves a few more wins than the seven he's earned in 26 starts. He takes a 3.35 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 146:46 K:BB across 158.1 innings into his next start, projected for a rematch with Cincinnati next weekend.
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Michael Lorenzen RP | TOR
Reds' Michael Lorenzen: Logs third save
Lorenzen walked one in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Sunday's 3-1 win over Miami.
Lorenzen has now converted saves on consecutive days. The 29-year-old has yet to give up a run this season while scattering six hits and seven walks across 13.1 innings. He's added five holds in 12 appearances, so it's clear that manager David Bell trusts Lorenzen in the late innings, whether as a closer or a setup man.
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Vladimir Gutierrez SP | BOS
Reds' Vladimir Gutierrez: Fans eight in win
Gutierrez (9-4) allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out eight over seven innings to earn the win over Miami on Sunday.
The right-hander rattled off a sixth straight quality start, and his eight strikeouts were a season high. Gutierrez's lone mistake was an RBI double to Jesus Sanchez in the fourth inning. He's now made 16 starts with a 3.68 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 73:35 K:BB across 93 innings. The 25-year-old lines up to get a rematch with the Marlins in Miami next weekend.
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Johnny Cueto SP | LAA
Giants' Johnny Cueto: Tracking toward Wednesday return
Cueto (elbow) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Mets in New York, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Cueto will presumably throw a bullpen session Monday before the Giants sign off on him rejoining the rotation this week, but the 35-year-old right-hander looks on track to return from the IL just a few days beyond the minimum amount of time. The impending arrival of Cueto will help restore depth in the San Francisco rotation after Anthony DeSclafani (ankle) was moved to the IL on Sunday.
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Touki Toussaint RP | LAA
Braves' Touki Toussaint: Picks up third win
Toussaint (3-2) allowed a run on five hits and three walks while striking out five in 5.1 innings to earn the win over the Orioles on Sunday.
Although Toussaint gave up seven runs in his final start in July, he's been much more effective across four outings in August. He's lasted at least five innings in each of his last four starts and has picked up back-to-back wins. Since the start of August, the 25-year-old has recorded a 2.86 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 22 innings. Since Ian Anderson (shoulder) will likely return next weekend, it's not yet clear whether Toussaint will remain in the rotation.