MLB Player News

Atlanta optioned Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The transaction comes one day after Elder was rocked for seven runs over just 3.2 frames in a loss to the Brewers. Elder has posted a 6.52 ERA and 1.63 WHIP through 49.2 innings in the majors this season.

Sanchez (8-7) got the win Tuesday against the Dodgers, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out two over six innings.

Sanchez blanked the Dodgers into the sixth inning, but Teoscar Hernandez led off the frame with a double and eventually came around to score. The southpaw has now struck out just two batters in three of his past four starts, though on the bright side Tuesday marked his first time going at least six innings and allowing one run or zero since he threw a shutout June 28. The 27-year-old now owns a 3.27 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 100:32 K:BB in 126.2 innings and lines up to face the Diamondbacks over the weekend.

Atlanta recalled Dodd from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Dodd will provide length in the bullpen after Bryce Elder had an abbreviated start Tuesday against the Brewers. The left-handed Dodd was up briefly with Atlanta last month but didn't make an appearance. He holds a 4.85 ERA and 82:28 K:BB over 91 innings this season at Gwinnett.

Kershaw (0-2) took the loss Tuesday against the Phillies, allowing one run on five hits and no walks while striking out five over 4.2 innings.

Kershaw bounced back from a rough start against the Padres with a much better showing against the Phillies. He blanked them into the fifth before Kyle Schwarber plated the game's first run and subsequently ended Kershaw's night. The future Hall of Famer has yet to reach five innings in any of his three starts thus far despite throwing 83 and 81 pitches his last two times out, but he mentioned after the game he thought Tuesday's outing was a good building block. Kershaw seems to be trending in the right direction in terms of building up his stamina and the strikeouts returned after he failed to punch anyone out against San Diego. Kershaw will take a 4.38 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB in 12.1 innings into his next start, which projects to come against the Brewers to begin next week.

Gray (11-6) picked up the win Tuesday, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk over seven innings in a 4-3 victory over the Rays. He struck out six.

The veteran right-hander needed 106 pitches (70 strikes) to deliver his 10th quality start of the season. Gray has lasted at least seven innings in seven of his last 10 trips to the mound, a stretch in which he's posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 71:10 K:BB through 64 innings. He lines up to make his next start on the road early next week in Cincinnati.

Rea (10-3) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing five hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings in a 10-0 rout of Atlanta. He struck out nine.

The nine Ks were a season high for Rea, who let only two runners into scoring position all night on a pair of Matt Olson doubles. The right-hander has already won a career-high 10 games this year, but his 3.38 ERA is nearly a full run better than his 4.25 FIP and 4.31 xFIP, so his ability to keep up that pace down the stretch remains in question. Rea lines up to make his next start at home this weekend against the Reds.

Freeland allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Mets on Tuesday.

Freeland was pulled after giving up a two-out RBI single to Brandon Nimmo in the fifth inning. Justin Lawrence got J.D. Martinez to ground out to keep the Rockies ahead 4-3, and they led the rest of the way, with Freeland an out short of getting the win. This was just the second time in six starts since the beginning of July that Freeland has allowed more than three runs. For the year, he still has an unenviable 5.65 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 55:17 K:BB over 63.2 innings across 12 starts. The southpaw is projected for a tough home start versus Atlanta this weekend.

Severino (7-5) allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and struck out five without walking a batter over five innings to take the loss Tuesday versus the Rockies.

It was a marginally better outing than his last start, in which he allowed six runs over three innings to the Twins. Severino also avoided walking a batter for the first time since June 23, but that wasn't enough to spare him from taking consecutive losses for the first time this season. He's now at a 4.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 101:44 K:BB through 128.2 innings over 22 starts this year. He's seen his highest workload since 2018, so there is some risk that he'll wear down over the remainder of the campaign. Severino's next start is projected to be at Seattle.

Imanaga (9-2) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out 10 over seven innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Twins.

After a couple of middling performances, Imanaga was in dominant form for this game, recording his second double-digit strikeout effort in his last four starts. The only damage on his line came in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Royce Lewis. Imanaga now has a 3.06 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 128:18 K:BB over 123.1 innings over 21 starts this season. He's projected for a tough road matchup versus the Guardians next week.

Atlanta will option Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Elder had a tough time keeping the Brewers off the scoreboard during his spot start Tuesday, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out six batters in 3.2 innings. He now owns a 6.52 ERA and 1.63 WHIP through 49.2 innings in the majors this year, and his demotion to Triple-A could allow Grant Holmes to stick around in Atlanta's rotation until Reynaldo Lopez (forearm) is able to return from the injured list.