MLB Player News

As long as we can agree that he won't maintain a 1.73 ERA and that, because he's not a strikeout pitcher, there are limits to his upside, I'm comfortable endorsing Kyle Hendricks in Fantasy. 

I've been slow to come around, but six starts are enough to convince me he excels in at least two of three measurements that determine a pitcher's FIP, an estimate of what ERA should be with luck removed from the equation: He doesn't walk anybody, and he keeps the ball in the park with his ground-ball tendencies.

He also pitches much deeper into games than you'd expect for a rookie, going at least seven innings in four of his six starts. That's a big deal in Head-to-Head points leagues especially and helps explain his 4-1 record despite pitching for a bad team.

So what is his upside exactly? Well, Doug Fister has become the standard for pitch-to-contact pitchers, but let's not assume a best-case scenario after only six starts. I'm thinking something along the lines of Mike Leake, which isn't the cleanest comparison since Leake allows a fair number of home runs, but I think their other ratios will be similar in the long run.

So if Leake is worth owning in your league, chances are so is Hendricks.

Cardinals starting pitcher Justin Masterson has not pitched particularly well in his first two starts since his acquisition from Cleveland, going 1-1 with an 11.25 ERA.

However, teammate Adam Wainwright has a good feeling Masterson will have a strong outing Wednesday at Miami.

"I saw his bullpen session and he looked like the old Masty," Wainwright told MLB Network Radio. "I think he'll be really good tonight vs. Marlins."

Struggling Cardinals right-hander Justin Masterson believes his recent work on mechanical issues with coaches will translate into more success on the mound, beginning Wednesday night in Miami.

He might need a strong outing to maintain a rotation spot for a team in the midst of a playoff push. He has yielded 10 runs on 14 hits and six walks in eight innings in two starts for St. Louis since the trade that dispatched him from Cleveland. He was knocked out after two innings in his last start and is 5-7 with a 5.94 ERA on the year.

"This is what we've been trying to do all year, and I'm feeling a little more confident about the ability to have success," Masterson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "It's a tough time in the season for it."

Masterson criticized the release on his sinker after his last start. He claimed it was flattening out because he was trying to force velocity and movement. Coming off a knee injury, he might have altered his approach.

Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole is finally nearing an end to his rehab from a lat injury that has prevented him from pitching for the Pirates since Independence Day. He is set to start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday before rejoining the team.

Cole is scheduled to throw about 90 pitches, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He completed six innings and threw 74 pitches in his last outing.

Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan has cleared waivers for the second time in August and outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

O'Sullivan has pitched twice for the Phillies this season and yielded nine runs in 11 2/3 innings.

Padres pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne was dominant in Tuesday's win, giving up five hits and two walks in seven scoreless innings while striking out eight in his team's 4-1 victory over the Rockies.

Despaigne (3-3) was coming off back-to-back mediocre outings but turned things around in a big way Wednesday, setting a season high for strikeouts and delivering his first scoreless performance since his debut in June. He owns a 2.72 ERA and 36:22 K:BB ratio in 56 1/3 innings. Despaigne is scheduled to face the Cardinals Sunday.

Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks turned in a strong performance Tuesday against the Brewers.

Hendricks tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings. He struck out five and walked one during the outing. Hendricks allowed six hits. Hendricks did a good job keeping the ball on the ground, posting nine ground ball outs. He ran into some trouble in his final inning, loading the bases before he was pulled from the game. Pedro Strop was able to induce an inning-ending double-play, keeping Hendricks from giving up any runs.

With the win, Hendricks improved to 4-1 on the year. He'll take on the Mets in his next start. 

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright was unable to pick up a win Tuesday against the Marlins.

Wainwright allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings of work. He struck out four and walked one. All of the damage against Wainwright came in the fourth inning. After giving up a leadoff double, Wainwright allowed an RBI single to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. A few batters later, Saltalamacchia was driven in on a two-run homer from Donovan Solano. Wainwright was solid over the next three innings, but the damage was already done.

The loss drops Wainwright to 14-7 on the year. His next start will come against the Padres. 

Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom will throw in five to six days, according to MetsBlog.

deGrom is dealing with a rotator cuff issue. He hopes to miss only two starts due to the injury. Through 16 starts, deGrom posted a 2.87 ERA. 

Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole will make another rehab start, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

Cole will make the start Saturday with the team's Triple-A club. Cole is attempting to return from a lat injury. He's been sidelined since July 4 due to the issue. There's a chance this will be Cole's final rehab game if all goes well.