MLB Player News

Wainwright will be sent back to St. Louis on Friday to have his sore arm reevaluated, Fox Sports Midwest reports.

Wainwright has not pitched to his usual standard since returning from the disabled list in early August, lasting a total of 11.0 innings in those three starts. Things appeared to come to a head Thursday as Wainwright was shelled for five earned runs on seven hits over just 3.0 innings before being pulled. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com adds a particularly concerning note that Wainwright failed to touch 90 miles per hour on the radar gun Thursday for the second consecutive start. Friday's visit with doctors in St. Louis should shed light on what exactly is ailing the veteran righty.

Taillon gave up four runs in 5.0 innings of work Thursday against the Cardinals, striking out seven with four hits and three walks before ending the game with a no-decision.

Taillon left with his team leading 5-4 and was on pace to get the win before his bullpen allowed two runs in the seventh and three runs in the ninth, relinquishing what would have been Taillon's eighth win of the year. It was his third straight game with seven or more strikeouts and sixth time he's accomplished that mark this season. His 22.8 percent strikeout rate is up slightly over the 20.3 percent mark he posted as a rookie.

Wainwright gave up five runs on seven hits and a walk in three innings Thursday against the Pirates, but escaped with a no-decision.

Wainwright left with his team trailing 5-1, but his record remained unharmed after he watched his offense score nine unanswered runs before winning the game 11-7. It was Wainwright's second straight outing with no strikeouts, a sign that age has caught up to the Cardinals' 35-year-old former ace.

Matz (2-7) failed to make it out of the fourth inning during his loss to the Yankees, giving up seven runs (six earned) on seven hits while striking out four in 3.1 innings.

The night started out rough for Matz, giving up a three-run homer in the first inning to Gary Sanchez before being pulled in the fourth after allowing four more runs to score. Matz, who was once thought to be one of many talented young arms in the Mets' organization, now has an ERA of 6.08 and is failing to live up to expectations.

Manager Dusty Baker stated that Strasburg (elbow) remains on track to return from the disabled list Saturday, MASN's Mark Zuckerman reports. "Right now, he is. But we'll let you know Saturday," said Baker.

Strasburg's last rehab start was Monday, which would put him in line to take the ball again Saturday provided that he doesn't encounter any setbacks with his elbow in the coming days. He was strong in that outing, allowing just one run over 5.0 innings, and it took him just 66 pitches to get through those frames. The move to activate Strasburg won't be made official until Saturday, but all signs are pointing to a weekend return for the talented righty.

Corbin (10-11) pitched 8.2 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts during Thursday's win over Houston. He allowed just four hits and a walk.

Corbin has struggled on the road this season with a 6.79 ERA away from Chase Field, so this gem was all the more impressive coming at Minute Maid Park. The lefty entered Thursday's outing in solid form over his previous 12 starts with a 3.65 ERA and 10.3 K/9, despite allowing a .372 BABIP. The strikeouts are especially valuable, and with Arizona pushing for a playoff berth, Corbin should continue to be a solid source of wins down the stretch. He projects to face the Mets at Citi Field in his next start.

Darvish allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk through six innings Wednesday against the White Sox. He struck out two and didn't factor into the decision.

Although he was able to notch a quality start, it wasn't Darvish's finest outing; he served up a season-high three homers while failing to strike out at least three batters for the first time in his career (125 starts). He left the game in line for a loss, but a ninth-inning rally from the Dodgers got him off the hook and maintained his undefeated record as a Dodger. He now boasts a 2.50 ERA and 22:4 K:BB in three starts (18 innings) for his new team, so look for him to turn in another quality outing when he faces off against a slumping Pittsburgh team Tuesday.

Gray (5-2) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks through six innings to earn the win over the Braves on Wednesday. He struck out six.

Gray didn't have to do much to get in the win column, as the Rockies put up 14 runs through the first five innings, but he still managed to toss his third quality start over his last four tries. He's been rock-solid since giving up eight runs to the Mets right after the All-Star break, registering a 3.72 ERA and 35:8 K:BB across six starts (36.1 innings). He'll look to keep things rolling when he toes the rubber next against the Royals on Tuesday.

Lynn allowed two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits and three walks while striking out three batters through six innings during Wednesday's loss to Boston. He didn't factor into the decision.

Lynn has outpitched his supporting statistics for most of the season, and despite an underwhelming 4.78 FIP, his 3.05 ERA and 1.17 WHIP are solid marks. He's also now allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his past nine starts. It's rare for a pitcher to outperform his peripheral numbers for a prolonged period, and Lynn's only fanned 13 batters over 24 innings through his past four starts, so statistical decline looms. Still, the veteran's also clearly locked in, and the Cardinals are building a late-season charge for a postseason berth. Lynn projects to face the Padres at Busch Stadium in his next start.

Walker (6-7) came away with the loss Wednesday in Houston after surrendering five runs (three earned) on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings.

Walker found out what makes the league's top offense so tough, as his nine hits allowed set a new season worst. The 25-year-old righty has struggled of late, surrendering three or more earned runs in four consecutive starts while pitching no more than six innings in any of those outings. One explanation for Walker's recent downturn could be fatigue, as he's now up to 115 innings pitched and has previously topped 135 only once at any level. If he fails to bounce back in Monday's road tilt with the Mets, it's time to start worrying.