MLB Player News

Cubs starting pitcher Jason Hammel was much improved in his start against the Yankees Tuesday, as he earned his fifth win of the season.

Hammel limited the Yankees to just one run, but fell one out shot of a quality start. He scattered four hits and a walk in his five-plus innings, and was chased after allowing a pair of two-out hits in the sixth inning, having thrown a season-low 92 pitches. Hammel struck out six batters in the outing.

Hammel is now 5-2 in nine starts, while posting a 2.91 ERA in 58 2/3 innings of work. His next start is set for Sunday in San Diego. 

Marlins pitcher Anthony DeSclafani's second start in the majors did not go nearly as well as the first, as he fell to the Phillies Tuesday.

DeSclafani struggled from the very start, allowing two runs in the first inning. He settled in from that point on, before the Phillies jumped on him for three runs between the fifth and sixth innings. He was ultimately tagged for five runs on six hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings of work, while striking out just two hitters.

DeSclafani impressed in his first start, but his lack of experience might have caught up with him quickly Tuesday. He has allowed seven runs in 11 1/3 innings of work, and will try to get back on track Sunday against the Brewers. 

Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran bounced back from his worst start of the season in a big way Tuesday against the Brewers, in a 5-0 win.

Teheran tossed his second complete game of the shutout of the season in the outing, limiting the Brewers to just six hits in his nine full innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two batters, while throwing a career-high 128 pitches.

Teheran lowered his ERA to 1.92 with the outing, and now has nine quality starts in 10 trips to the mound this season. He is now 3-3 after snapping a five-start winless streak, and will try to keep his good times going Sunday against the Rockies. 

Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto finally stumbled Tuesday, in a 9-4 loss to the Nationals.

Cueto, who had opened the season with nine starts of seven innings or more and two or fewer runs allowed, couldn't make it through the sixth inning this time around. He actually pitched well up to that point, limiting the Nationals to two unearned runs in the first five innings.

Cueto fell apart in the sixth, however, allowing six of the seven batters he faced to reach safely, including two on hit-by-pitches. All six batters came around to score, including two inherited by the reliever, as he allowed a season-high six earned runs.

Cueto was ultimately charged with eight runs -- six earned -- on six hits and no walks. He struck out six on 94 pitches en route to the loss, dropping him to 4-3 on the season. Cueto still carries a stellar 1.86 ERA into his next start, set for Monday against the Dodgers. 

Cubs pitching prospect Kyle Hendricks will not make his scheduled start at Triple-A Iowa Tuesday, due to an ankle injury. He is expected to make his next start, per the team.  

Hendricks is off to a great start for Iowa, posting a 3.06 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 50 innings. 

There's no denying Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler has been one of the more disappointing Fantasy options to start the season. His high walk rate has gotten him into plenty of trouble, and Wheeler is feeling the urgency to "turn it around," as he said after his latest loss Sunday against the Nationals.

While it's time to bench Wheeler in Fantasy, it's not time to give up on him entirely. You know he's too good of a talent, and it appears he's ready to work on what needs to be fixed.

Perhaps one of the more encouraging stats is that his FIP -- which is an estimate of what his ERA would be using the factors that a pitcher can influence directly, including strikeouts, walks, hit batters and home runs -- is 3.84, which is just over a point lower than his actual ERA (4.89), per FanGraphs.com. His BABIP is also .340, which is well above the league average for starters (.296).

As you would expect, there are plenty more numbers we could throw at you showing Wheeler is off the norm, but his rocky start is a good indication of that. Wheeler did have a high walk rate in the minors (4.0 BB/9), but he counteracted with a good strikeout rate and giving up less hits than he is now. Wheeler has the potential to get back to that level, which is why I'm more inclined to bench him than drop him.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg put together a quality start but failed to factor into the decision Monday night in his team's 4-3 defeat in extras. The right-hander permitted two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four over seven innings of work.

Over his last six starts covering 50 1/3 innings, Strasburg has allowed only nine earned runs. He'll look to keep rolling Saturday at Pittsburgh. In four starts away from home, he is 0-2 with a 5.09 ERA.

Pirates starting pitcher Gerrit Cole jumped back over .500 with a quality start in Game 2 of a doubleheader Sunday against the Yankees in New York. He surrendered three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five in six innings of a 5-3 victory.

Cole owns a 3.84 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in his first nine starts (58 2/3 innings). He will look to keep rolling Saturday at home against Washington. He is 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA in four starts at home this season.

Rockies starting pitcher Juan Nicasio was in line for the win until reliever LaTroy Hawkins served up a game-tying home run to Everth Cabrera in the ninth inning of Sunday's game against the Padres. He was forced to settle for a no-decision in an 8-6 win in extras.

Nicasio surrendered four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two in six innings pitched. He tossed 99 pitches, 60 for strikes. Over his last four starts covering 24 innings, Nicasio has allowed seven earned runs.

Nicasio will make his next start Saturday at Atlanta. He is 1-2 with a 4.96 ERA in three starts away from home this season.

Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler is feeling the pressure to turn his season around after dropping to 1-4 and pushing his winless streak to seven starts following Sunday's 6-3 loss at Washington.

"It's been a bunch of bad starts in a row here," Wheeler said, per ESPN. "I need to hurry up and turn it around and get back on the right track.

"Obviously, guys are starting to figure me out a little bit and see what I have and stuff. I was thinking after I came out I might be a little bit predictable right now -- fastball in fastball counts and stuff like that. Maybe I'll start thinking a little bit more, but not too much obviously -- not trying to trick guys, but keeping them off-balance a little bit more."