MLB Player News

Eflin (10-7) allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four over 6.1 innings Friday, picking up the victory over Miami.

Eflin looked sharp throughout this appearance, giving up just a solo blast in the sixth inning. Friday's outing marks his first quality start since Aug. 10 against the Padres. Eflin will carry a 4.26 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 111 strikeouts through 120.1 frames into his next appearance Wednesday against the Mets.

Gomber (5-1) allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out three across three innings to take the loss Thursday against the Dodgers.

Gomber struggled from the beginning, allowing four of the first five batters he faced to reach base, which resulted in three earned runs through just one frame. That set the tone for the rest of his outing, and he surrendered more than three earned runs in a start for the first time in six outings. The rookie will look to bounce back in his next start, likely to come Tuesday at Atlanta.

Kershaw (8-5) allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight across six innings to earn the win Thursday against the Cardinals.

Kershaw had little trouble working through the Cardinals' lineup until the fifth inning, when three of the four runs he allowed crossed the plate. The damage began with a Tyson Ross solo home run and continued as the next four batters Kershaw faced reached base. As a result, Kershaw didn't turn in a dominant outing, but he continues to rack up strikeouts, now whiffing one or more batters per inning in seven of his last nine starts.

Manager Bud Black said Freeland was removed from Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks with a calf cramp, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Black said the issue got progressively worse as the game went on, though he noted the issue is no cause for concern. Freeland wound up picking up the win (his 15th of the season) after allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six across 6.1 innings. It doesn't sound like Freeland will be forced to miss a turn through the rotation -- his next start is scheduled for Tuesday against the Dodgers -- though the Rockies will likely see how the southpaw feels in the coming days before clearing him.

Matz pitched 6.1 innings Thursday, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks in a 4-3 win over Miami during Game 1 of a doubleheader. He struck out four and allowed two home runs in the no-decision.

Miami jumped on Matz fairly early, with Peter O'Brien and Isaac Galloway hitting back-to-back solo homers in the second inning. O'Brien would also later tack on a run-scoring single. On the bright side, Matz did launch a homer himself, knotting things up at 2-2 in the second inning. The 27-year-old southpaw will take a 4.18 ERA into Philadelphia early next week.

Alcantara pitched seven innings Thursday, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks in a 4-3 loss to the Mets during Game 1 of a doubleheader. He struck out six and gave up a homer in the no-decision.

Aside from a two-run shot off the bat of Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz, the 23-year-old rookie kept the Mets in check all afternoon. He left the game in line for his third win in as many starts this season, but Kyle Barraclough coughed up a pair of homers in the ninth inning. Alcantara has allowed just three runs in 19 innings at the MLB level in 2018. He'll take the mound against Washington at home early next week.

Freeland left Thursday's start against Arizona in the seventh inning and was seen talking to team trainer Keith Dugger regarding his left calf, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

The Rockies have yet to announce whether Freeland was removed due to an injury, as it's entirely possible that he was pulled after getting into a little trouble in the seventh frame. On the day, he allowed three earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six. If he is dealing with a calf issue, he will likely undergo further testing Thursday night in order to determine whether he will make his next projected start Tuesday against the Dodgers.

Stripling is scheduled to start Sunday against the Cardinals, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Stripling will rejoin the starting rotation in place of Alex Wood, who was shifted to the bullpen after getting tagged for seven runs (six earned) across 3.2 innings in his last start (against the Reds). The 28-year-old right-hander has been stellar as a starter this season, posting a 2.94 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 108:12 K:BB across 18 outings (98 innings).

Wood will transition to a role out of the Dodgers' bullpen for the remainder of the 2018 season, Andy McCullough of The Los Angeles Times reports.

In his immediate absence, Ross Stripling will make another start Sunday versus the Cardinals. Wood's last outing came against Houston on Monday, so he should be available out of the bullpen within the next couple days. This move comes as a surprise considering Wood has been a solid performer for the team in 27 starts this season, though it was previously announced that he wouldn't take the mound this weekend following Monday's start. With a pair of off-days scheduled in the final few weeks of the 2018 campaign, the Dodgers will be able to manipulate their rotation with four starters while giving Stripling an outing or two instead of sticking with a traditional five-man staff, if manager Dave Roberts elects to move forward with that line of thinking. Per Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA, Wood will pitch one or two innings at a time in high-leverage spots. On the year, Wood has logged a 3.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with an 8.0 K/9.

Wheeler (11-7) got the win against the Marlins on Wednesday, tossing eight shutout innings while scattering just four hits, striking out seven batters and issuing no walks in a 13-0 victory.

There doesn't seem to be an end in sight for Wheeler's recent ridiculous run, as he's now 8-1 over his last 10 starts. This may have been his best outing yet over that stretch, as he completely befuddled the Marlins while easily cruising to his 11th win of the season, this time with plenty of support from his offense. Wheeler is one of the hottest pitchers in baseball at the moment, and his numbers on the season are now reflecting the extent of his recent dominance, as he's sporting a 3.23 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 175 strikeouts through 167.1 innings.