MLB Player News

Fried (finger) was activated from the 10-day injured list prior to his start Saturday against the Phillies.

He missed two weeks with a blister issue but is set to resume his role in the rotation. Fried went through a bit of a rough stretch from May 28 through July 6, logging a 6.17 ERA and 1.80 WHIP over 42.1 innings in eight appearances, but he tossed five scoreless innings with five strikeouts against the Brewers in his most recent outing July 15.

Houser is a candidate to rejoin the starting rotation for the upcoming series against Oakland, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

If the Brewers aren't buyers before the deadline, either Freddy Peralta or Houser will resume a starting role due to recent injuries to Brandon Woodruff (oblique) and Jhoulys Chacin (lat). The 26-year-old earned the win after retiring five consecutive Cubs Friday. In three bullpen appearances since forfeiting his starting spot, Houser has allowed two runs on three hits while striking out four across five innings.

Lugo struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his first save of the season in a win over the Pirates.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway was reluctant to use Edwin Diaz (toe) after the closer was struck by a comebacker Thursday, and Lugo has no issues getting the job done in his place. Should Diaz be dealt at the trade deadline, Lugo could well be the next man up in the ninth for the club given Jeurys Familia's season-long struggles.

Martinez gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 10th save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Astros.

The right-hander has successfully converted all eight of his save chances in July, but his overall numbers aren't exactly elite -- Martinez has a 5.59 ERA, 1.86 WHIP and 9:5 K:BB through 9.2 innings on the month. Trade rumors continue to swirl around the Cardinals with their recent surge having moved them into first place in the NL Central, and it's possible the front office will add a more established closer at the deadline -- or even deal away Martinez and his rather large contract as part of a complete bullpen overhaul.

Flaherty didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-3 win over the Astros, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk over six innings while striking out nine.

That's now three quality starts in his last four trips to the mound for Flaherty, and the right-hander has a sharp 2.48 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 37:11 K:BB through 29 innings in July. Despite his recent success, though, victories remain elusive -- he's 0-3 over his last 12 starts, with his last win coming May 14. Flaherty will try to get back into the win column in his next outing Thursday, at home against the Cubs.

Lucchesi allowed one run on two hits and four walks while striking out eight over six innings Friday. He took a no-decision in the 2-1 loss to the Giants.

He matched Giants starter Jeff Samardzija nearly pitch-for-pitch in their respective six-inning efforts. Lucchesi improved his ratios to a 4.12 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 111.1 innings this season. He's struck out 107 batters and will carry a 7-5 record into his next scheduled start versus the Dodgers.

Wheeler (7-6) allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts across 5.1 innings while earning a victory against the Pirates on Friday.

Activated Friday morning from the IL, Wheeler showcased great control for not pitching in the bigs since July 7. He also continued to average more than a strikeout per inning, which he's done in each of his last four starts. Wheeler moved back above .500 with the win and owns a 4.71 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 137 strikeouts in 124.1 innings this season. He will pitch next at the White Sox on Thursday.

Soroka allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out five over 4.2 innings Friday night against the Phillies. He didn't factor into the decision.

Soroka dealt with plenty of traffic on the bases, but he gave up just one run on a single to right field in the fifth inning. He narrowly missed qualifying for the win, as he was pulled with two outs in the fifth after 88 pitches (60 strikes). Soroka sits with a 2.44 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 91:25 K:BB over 107 innings this season.

Hendricks logged five scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Brewers. He allowed two hits and two walks, while striking out five.

Hendricks was sharp through five innings, but the Cubs decided to pinch hit for the righty in the top of the sixth after scoring the first two runs of the game on a home run a batter earlier. However, the Chicago bullpen let Hendricks down, allowing a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to waste his chance at win No. 8. The 29-year-old will carry a strong 3.26 ERA into his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Ryu allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out four over 6.2 innings Friday night against the Nationals. He didn't factor into the decision.

Ryu didn't give up a run until the seventh inning, but the Dodgers offense failed to wake up until the eighth, robbing the southpaw of a chance for a victory. He dealt with plenty of traffic on the bases, but he managed to work himself out of trouble for the most part. Ryu owns a 1.74 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 116:15 K:BB over 129.2 innings heading into his next start.