MLB Player News

Vasquez (2-5) took the loss Sunday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings.

Vasquez kept Atlanta off the scoreboard through three frames before eventually surrendering a run in the fourth and another in the fifth. He was pulled after five at just 73 pitches while registering six whiffs. Vasquez will head into the All-Star break on a bit of a nice groove. Over his last four starts, the righty has posted a 2.21 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB in 20.1 innings. On a larger scale, Vasquez hasn't been as sharp, as he owns a 4.57 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 43:15 K:BB in 63 innings.

Sale (13-3) earned the win over the Padres on Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four over five innings.

Sale let up a run in the opening frame but was able to limit the damage to just a run after allowing three base hits in the inning. He silenced the Padres from there to pick up his league-leading 13th win and his third consecutive victory. He becomes the first Atlanta pitcher since 2000 to head into the All-Star break with 13 wins. Sale has now allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last seven starts and heads into the break with a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 140:24 K:BB in 110 innings.

Cobb (hip/shoulder) is scheduled to make the fourth start of his rehab assignment Monday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, MLB.com reports.

Cobb had made each of his first three rehab starts with Single-A San Jose, but with all levels of minor-league baseball in the midst of their All-Star break except for rookie ball, he'll head to Arizona to continue his progression. In his latest rehab outing with San Jose this past Wednesday, Cobb built up to 55 pitches and four innings while striking out four batters and giving up three runs on five hits and one walk. Including his upcoming outing Monday, Cobb will likely need to make at least two more rehab starts before the Giants would consider bringing him back from the 60-day injured list. Cobb has been on the shelf all season while recovering from offseason hip surgery but was expected to return at some point in the first half before a bout with shoulder irritation in mid-April resulted in a shutdown period that pushed back his timeline for activation.

Ray (elbow) struck out nine batters and gave up one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings in his rehab start Sunday with Single-A San Jose.

Making his ninth and perhaps final minor-league rehab appearance as he works his way back from May 2023 Tommy John surgery, Ray submitted his lengthiest and best outing yet. He built up to 74 pitches (56 strikes) in the rehab start and now owns a 4.13 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 38:4 K:BB in 24 innings over stops with San Jose, Triple-A Sacramento and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. With Ray looking fully recovered from elbow surgery from both a workload and performance standpoint, he appears poised to return from the 60-day injured list to make his Giants debut coming out of the All-Star break. If the Giants opt to keep a five-man rotation intact rather than expanding to six, rookie Hayden Birdsong would seem to be most at risk of losing his starting spot once Ray is activated.

Mercado (1-2) took the loss Sunday, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks over four innings against Oakland. He struck out two.

Mercado tossed a couple of scoreless innings to start his outing, but things began to unravel in the fourth. Mercado allowed three two-run homers in total -- a fourth-inning blast by Brent Rooker, a fifth-inning long ball by Lawrence Butler, then a second dinger by Rooker in the sixth that ended Mercado's day. Following a promising beginning to his career that saw Mercado allow one run in five innings against the Cubs during his first career start, things have gone downhill, with the rookie right-hander having allowed 11 earned runs over his last two appearances spanning 5.2 innings.

Marquez didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Mets, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks across four innings. He struck out three.

Marquez made his first MLB start since April 26, 2023, after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He threw 70 pitches before being pulled. The 28-year-old managed to keep the Mets off the scoreboard until the fourth frame but was hit hard in the fourth. He allowed five of the first six batters he faced in the inning to reach safely, including a two-run home run to Pete Alonso. Marquez walked Francisco Lindor with the bases loaded for the Mets' third run but was able to avoid further damage by getting Brandon Nimmo to ground out with the bases loaded and end the inning. Marquez has previously been a reliable fantasy option, but fantasy managers should proceed with caution considering the right-hander's lengthy absence. The Rockies will play six consecutive games at Coors Field coming out of the All-Star break, though it's unclear when exactly Marquez will pitch.

Quintana (4-6) took the loss Sunday against the Rockies, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk across 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.

Quintana surrendered four home runs Sunday, the most he's allowed in a start in his career. Fortunately for the left-hander, three of the long balls occurred with no runners on base, with Ezequiel Tovar's two-run homer in the first inning being the only non-solo shot. The outing was Quintana's first real hiccup in a month, as he racked up a 0.89 ERA and 27 strikeouts across his last five starts (30.1 innings) and had thrown 14 consecutive scoreless innings leading up to Sunday's start. Quintana enters the All-Star break with a 3.91 ERA with a 71:33 K:BB across 96.2 innings.

Keller didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over three innings. He struck out three.

The Pirates opted not to bring Keller out for the fourth inning, providing the 28-year-old with additional rest ahead of the All-Star Break. Keller has thrown 114.1 innings in the first half of the campaign and is on pace to shatter his career highs in starts and innings pitched, so it's possible the Pirates monitor Keller's workload during the back half of 2024. Still, Keller should be a strong fantasy option when on the mound, as he has posted a 3.46 ERA with 105 strikeouts this season while cruising to a 10-5 record.

Ross (back) is scheduled to make the third start of his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Nashville, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Ross's upcoming start with Nashville could be his last before he returns from the 60-day injured list. He built up to 3.2 innings and 46 pitches in his latest start with Nashville on Wednesday, so Ross will likely be targeted for around 60-to-75 pitches in his upcoming outing. After designating Dallas Keuchel for assignment Sunday, Milwaukee has an opening in its rotation that would next need to be filled July 24 versus the Cubs. If Friday's rehab start goes well, Ross could be part of the Brewers' plans for the July 24 game as a starter or bulk reliever.

Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Sunday that Hall (knee/forearm) will continue to get stretched out for starting duty once he resumes his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Hall has had his rehab assignment at Nashville shut down on two occasions, with the latest being the result of a bruised left forearm suffered when he was struck by a line drive Tuesday. Though Hall avoided structural damage to his pitching arm, he remains shut down from throwing but should be able to resume ramping up within a few days. Hall could still be a week or more away from resuming his assignment, however, which makes it unlikely that he'll be ready to return from the 60-day injured list before the end of July. Hall had previously covered between two and three innings in his last four rehab starts with Nashville while maxing out at 62 pitches.