MLB Player News

Maeda (2-0) picked up the win after allowing one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four over five innings Friday against Colorado.

Maeda surrendered his lone run of the day in the third inning despite dealing with runners on base throughout his outing. He was pulled after the fifth inning, likely due to his high pitch count. Maeda fired 55 of 91 pitches for strikes. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 3.09 ERA and 10 punchouts through his first two starts of 2019.

Anderson (0-2) took the loss against the Dodgers on Friday, giving up six earned runs on nine hits over four innings, striking out two and walking three as the Rockies fell 10-6.

Anderson was shelled for a second straight start, as he followed up a disastrous first outing of the season that saw him get lit up by the Marlins with another rough performance. The left-hander has now yielded 11 earned runs through nine innings and isn't fooling anybody, as opponents are hitting .429 against him. He was a risky streaming option anyway, with a 4.37 career ERA over 381.1 innings, but these early-season struggles leave him well off the radar until he demonstrates sustained signs of a turnaround.

Kershaw (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Kershaw threw 61 pitches over 4.1 innings in his first rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. According to Pedro Moura of The Athletic, the 31-year-old's fastball sat between 88 and 91 mph, a slight improvement upon the velocity he showed in spring training. Kershaw will likely be slated for one more rehab start next week before making his way back to the majors.

Gausman (shoulder) was activated off the 10-day injured list prior to Friday's start against the Marlins.

Gausman threw 90 pitches across six innings during a minor-league start last Saturday, paving the way for his 2019 debut. Shoulder issues delayed the 28-year-old's work in spring training, leading him to miss his first turn through the rotation for the Braves. Gausman put up the best numbers of his career after being traded to Atlanta last July with a 2.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 44:18 K:BB in 10 starts.

Martinez (shoulder) is throwing from 120 feet and could resume mound work next week, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Martinez has returned to St. Louis to continue his rehab work as he appears to be nearing the latter stages of throwing on flat ground. The 27-year-old still has no official timeline for his return, while the team is expected to decide in mid-April whether he will work in a starting or relief role.

Fried (1-0) picked up the win against the Cubs on Thursday, giving up just one hit over six strong innings, striking out striking out five and walking none in a 9-4 win for the Braves.

Fried drew the start Thursday after making two relief appearances to start the season, and was brilliant, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning as he and the Braves cruised to victory. Fried also posted a solid 2.94 ERA and 44 strikeouts over 33.2 innings in five starts and nine relief appearances last season. If he continues to pitch well, he could make a case to remain a starter even when Kevin Gausman (shoulder) and Mike Foltynewicz (elbow) make their returns from the injured list.

Darvish (0-1) allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks across four innings to take the loss Thursday against the Braves, He struck out two.

Darvish actually looked OK through four innings, but the wheels came off for the righty and his bullpen mates in the fifth. He started the frame by allowing a double and a walk before getting the hook with the Cubs down 1-0. Two Chicago relievers then combined to allow both inherited runners to score, along with three others. Darvish lasted longer than his first start of the season, in which he was pulled after 2.2 innings, but that's about the only silver lining here. The 32-year-old has walked 11 batters through 6.2 innings this season to go with an 8.10 ERA, and he looks like anything but a staff ace at this point. Darvish will look to get on track in his next start, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Mahle didn't factor into the decision against the Pirates on Thursday despite a strong outing that saw him give up five hits over six scoreless innings. He struck out five with no walks as the Reds fell 2-0.

It was a sterling outing from the right-hander, but he wasn't provided any run support and was forced to settle for the no-decision. It was an encouraging start, but Mahle posted a subpar 4.98 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in his 112 innings last year, so he'd need to string a few outings like this together in order to demonstrate he's moved past those struggles. Perhaps his biggest issue last season was conceding too many long balls, as opponents cranked 22 off him in his 23 starts.

Lyles didn't factor into the decision against the Reds on Thursday, scattering three hits over five innings while striking out two and walking three as the Pirates won 2-0.

Lyles posted a solid line after getting activated from the injured list ahead of this start, but was removed after tossing 80 pitches with the contest still scoreless, costing him a chance at grabbing the win. He posted a 4.11 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 87.2 innings between the Brewers and the Padres last season, and is currently slated to take the hill next against the Cubs on the road Thursday.

Kershaw (shoulder) threw 4.1 innings in his rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six and walking two while throwing 61 pitches, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Kershaw got off to a shaky start, allowing a home run and walking two against the first five batters he faced, but he was able to limit the damage to two earned, and hit the 60-pitch benchmark the team had set for him in his first rehab appearance. Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that he was leaning toward having Kershaw make one more start for Oklahoma City as he works his way toward rejoining the big club.