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Aaron Nola SP | PHI
Phillies' Aaron Nola: Snaps lengthy win drought
Nola (4-9) earned the win Thursday against the Twins, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out nine over five innings.
Nola threw 58 of his 97 pitches for strikes and secured his first victory since May 26. His lone blemish was a solo homer by Luke Keaschall in the second inning, increasing his MLB-leading total to 30 home runs allowed this season. The right-hander finished on a strong note, recording three strikeouts in the fifth to escape a bases-loaded jam. Nola has now completed at least five innings in eight straight starts while piling up 51 strikeouts across 45 innings during that span. He'll carry a 5.33 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 138:46 K:BB across 130 innings into his next scheduled start Wednesday at home against Miami.
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Gavin Stone SP | LAD
Dodgers' Gavin Stone: Tosses three innings in rehab start
Stone (shoulder) pitched three innings, allowing one run on one hit and a walk while striking out five batters in a rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Stone was making his second start with Oklahoma City since beginning his minor-league rehab assignment Aug. 6. The 27-year-old has been sidelined since undergoing right shoulder surgery in October of 2024, but he's now nearing a return to action with the Dodgers. He was able to notch 32 strikes over 46 total pitches, and the team will likely look for Stone to ramp up his workload even more in his next rehab outing next week.
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Braxton Ashcraft SP | PIT
Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft: Strikes out 10 in complete game
Ashcraft (12-5) earned the win in a complete game Thursday against the Marlins, allowing a run on three hits and a walk. He struck out 10.
Ashcraft was dominant Thursday, as he held Miami scoreless for eight innings before Owen Caissie led off the ninth with a home run. It was an especially encouraging performance for the right-hander, who had stumbled to a 7.88 ERA across 24 innings in his previous five outings. Ashcraft's ERA now sits at 3.88 across 24 starts (141.1 innings) this season with a 1.11 WHIP and 155:33 K:BB. He's tentatively in line to face the Tigers at home his next time out.
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Blake Walston RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Blake Walston: Gearing up for relief role
Walston (elbow) struck out two and allowed one hit in a scoreless inning during a rehab appearance Wednesday with Triple-A Reno.
Walston had been a full-time starter throughout his minor-league career and started in two of his seven appearances during his debut season with the Diamondbacks in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery last spring. While the Diamondbacks may not have closed the door on developing the 25-year-old as a starter, it appears he'll be preparing for a multi-inning relief role for the remainder of the season once he returns from the 60-day injured list. He's been used out of the bullpen for each of his first three rehab appearances with Reno, covering four innings while striking out three and allowing one unearned run on two hits and no walks.
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Andrew Abbott SP | CIN
Reds' Andrew Abbott: Hit around in no-decision
Abbott took a no-decision against the White Sox on Thursday, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out three.
Four of the hits he allowed went for extra bases, and Abbott failed to settle down after giving up four runs in the first two innings. The left-hander was also unable to take advantage of the early 3-0 lead the Reds granted him, and he's now issued multiple walks in six consecutive starts. Abbott is set to bring a lackluster 4.13 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 102:64 K:BB over 133 innings into his next start versus the Cardinals in hitter-friendly Cincinnati.
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Trevor McDonald SP | SF
Giants' Trevor McDonald: Moves to 60-day IL
The Giants transferred McDonald (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
McDonald is set to miss the rest of the season and most of 2027 after undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery earlier this month, so the Giants will stash him away on the 60-day IL. The move frees up a 40-man spot for Shay Whitcomb, who was claimed off waivers from Houston on Thursday.
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Edward Cabrera SP | CHC
Cubs' Edward Cabrera: Dazzles in third rehab start
Cabrera (hamstring) struck out seven and allowed no hits and one walk over five innings Tuesday in a rehab start with Double-A Knoxville.
Cabrera now has three rehab starts under his belt and has been lights out between his last two outings at Knoxville and Triple-A Iowa, giving up just one unearned run on one hit while ringing up a 15:1 K:BB in nine innings. The right-hander built up to 64 pitches during Tuesday's outing, so the Cubs may want him to get a little bit more stretched out before re-entering the big-league rotation. Per MLB.com, manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that the Cubs are still weighing the next step for Cabrera, who would be operating with a restricted workload if he ends up making his next start in the majors.
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Hunter Greene SP | CIN
Reds' Hunter Greene: Undergoes second Tommy John surgery
Greene (elbow) will be out for 12-to-18 months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The Reds had previously disclosed that Greene would require another operation on his elbow, and he ended up needing a full Tommy John repair. The right-hander's first Tommy John surgery came back in 2019, and he also had a procedure on his elbow earlier this year to remove bone chips. Greene will be out through the end of the 2027 season.
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Brandon Williamson SP | CIN
Reds' Brandon Williamson: Rehab outing cut short
Williamson (shoulder) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out two over two innings Tuesday in a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville.
Williamson got up to 31 pitches before rain came and spelled an early end to his night. The Reds were targeting 60 pitches for the left-hander, who eventually completed two up-and-downs in the bullpen to reach 65 pitches, per MLB.com. Williamson is in line to make at least one more rehab appearance for Louisville on Sunday.
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Eric Lauer SP | LAD
Dodgers' Eric Lauer: Secures seventh win
Lauer (7-6) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out six over 6.1 innings to earn the win over the Royals on Wednesday.
Lauer was pummeled for six runs over four innings against the Cubs in his last start, but he bounced back with his third quality start in five outings since the beginning of July. The left-hander was able to contain the damage to the early frames, giving up one run in both the second and third innings before settling down in this 112-pitch (73 strikes) outing. For the year, Lauer has a 4.67 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 63:31 K:BB over 98.1 innings through 19 games (16 starts) between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays., but he's maintained a 3.48 ERA over his 62 innings with Los Angeles. His next start is projected to be at Colorado.