MLB Player News

Strasburg's fastball sat in the 92-93 mph range during the first inning of Monday's win over the Phillies and topped out at 95, a step back from his 95.2 mph average prior to suffering a nerve impingement in his neck, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

That's now two starts in a row in which Strasburg's heater hasn't had its usual pop. He was still able to be effective by relying on his off-speed pitches, particularly his changeup, but if his fastball continues to sit in the 92-94 mph range he could struggle to post the kind of ratios and strikeout percentage fantasy GMs have grown accustomed to seeing from the 30-year-old.

Davies needed just 85 pitches to throw a shutout with Low-A Wisconsin on Monday. He gave up seven hits while posting a 6:0 K:BB in the outing.

The level of competition was clearly far below Davies' capabilities, but the results were impressive nonetheless. Davies is expected to rejoin the big club this week, but it remains to be seen which role he will be used in next time he takes the mound.

Wainwright (elbow) fired four scoreless innings in Triple-A Memphis' win over Nashville on Monday, allowing three hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts.

It's just the latest installment in Wainwright's highly encouraging rehab assignment, one that's seen him generate five scoreless efforts at three different levels of the minors. Wainwright worked up to four innings for the first time in his rehab stint, throwing a total of 61 pitches. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that the Cardinals are still likely to deploy the veteran right-hander in relief once he's activated, even as he continues to get stretched out and get his fastball back up to the low 90s. Wainwright is likely to log at least one more outing with the Redbirds before rosters expand Saturday.

Gray allowed five runs on seven hits with no walks across 6.2 innings in Monday's no-decision against the Angels. He recorded one strikeout.

Most of the damage against Gray came via the long ball, including a three-run home run from Shohei Ohtani in the fourth inning and a solo shot from Mike Trout in the sixth. He threw 65 percent of his strikes and went without a walk in a start for the first time in over two months, but he somehow managed to tie his season low in punchouts. This bumpy outing came as a bit of a surprise for Gray, who'd delivered quality starts in six of his previous seven starts. He'll look to rebound in a favorable matchup this weekend against the Padres.

Corbin (10-5) allowed two runs on four hits and one walk across seven innings Monday while taking the loss against the Giants. He struck out nine.

Corbin allowed a two-run home run in the second inning before settling down and allowing just two baserunners the rest of the way. Unfortunately, his teammates couldn't muster any offensive support against Chris Stratton, sinking Corbin to his first loss in his last six starts. The left-hander still threw the ball quite well and has now posted a sparkling 41:3 K:BB over his last five outings. He'll look to continue his recent success this weekend against the Dodgers.

Syndergaard allowed four runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out six over six innings. He didn't factor into the decision Monday against Chicago.

Syndergaard exited his outing with a one-run deficit, although a solo home run would tie the game in the seventh, effectively letting him off the hook for the loss. The 25-year-old has gone 3-2 through six starts in August and owns a 4.74 ERA with 34 punchouts over 38 innings. After the game, he expressed some frustration with his recent performance, stating "I just kind of feel like every five days right now over the course of the season I'm just kind of wasting my ability to throw a baseball. My stuff's too good to go out there and go six innings and give up four runs with nine base hits," per Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record. Syndergaard will look to turn it around in his next appearance, which is slated for Sunday in San Francisco.

Eflin (9-5) allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out five across 5.1 innings as he took the loss Monday against the Nationals.

Eflin surrendered a run in the first inning, one in the second and two unearned runs in the fourth prior to being lifted in a 4-2 game. He tossed 68 of 102 pitches for strikes. Eflin has been hit hard in each of his previous two outings, as he's given up 18 hits and nine runs over 8.2 frames. The 24-year-old right-hander will search for a better result in his next start, as he lines up to face the Cubs on Sunday.

Strasburg (7-7) tossed six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five as he notched the win Monday against Philadelphia.

Strasburg surrendered two runs in the third inning, but he managed to turn in a quality start as he exited the ballgame with a three-run lead. The 30-year-old managed to turn his performance around after scuffling of late, as he'd struggled to an 0-3 record with 17 runs allowed over his previous four starts heading into the series opener. Strasburg is slated to pitch next against the Brewers on Sunday.

Sanchez (elbow) has been throwing live batting sessions with High-A Clearwater, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

Sanchez has been out since early June with elbow inflammation. Even though he's back on the mound, he's unlikely to return to game action before the end of the season, though he could be a candidate to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. The injury cost the 20-year-old the chance to progress up the levels this season, but he did post an excellent 2.51 ERA in eight starts prior to being shut down.

Smyly (elbow) tossed a simulated game Sunday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Smyly, who has been facing hitters for the better part of August, pitched exclusively against Victor Cartini and a rehabbing Kris Bryant (shoulder). The southpaw hasn't endured any reported setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery and could soon be ready to pitch in an uncontrolled setting, but it remains uncertain if he'll be activated from the 60-day disabled list before the season draws to a close. If Smyly does debut for the Cubs in 2018, it would likely be out of the bullpen, as he's running out of time to build up for a starter's workload.