MLB Player News

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.

Singer was saddled with the loss Sunday, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk over 2.2 innings against the Red Sox. He struck out three.

Singer couldn't put things together Sunday, allowing separate two-run homers in each of the first and second innings, then loading the bases in the third prior to being pulled. It was the shortest outing of the season for Singer, who entered the contest having allowed only one earned run during each of his previous four starts. He enters the All-Star break ranked 10th in the majors with a 3.20 ERA to go along with a 1.23 WHIP and 99 strikeouts over 19 starts spanning 104 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.

Scherzer didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Houston, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts across four innings.

Scherzer didn't complete five innings for the first time since being activated from the injured list June 23 and threw only 71 pitches after tossing 95 pitches in his previous start. Though he didn't go deep into the contest, Scherzer was very effective, with the lone run against him coming in the third on a solo home run by Jake Meyers. The 39-year-old has logged a 2.96 ERA and a 23:4 K:BB across 27.1 innings heading into the All-Star break.

Blanco (9-4) took the loss Sunday against the Rangers, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts across six innings.

All the damage against Blanco came in the first inning, when Josh Smith launched a two-run home run. However, the Astros managed to score only one run until the ninth inning, sticking Blanco with the loss despite logging a quality start. The 30-year-old has been outstanding this season, owning a 2.56 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 109.0 innings at the All-Star break. Before 2024, Blanco had a career 4.78 ERA in 58.1 innings and had primarily been utilized out of the bullpen, making him one of baseball's biggest breakouts so far.

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.

Lively (8-5) yielded two runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings Sunday, striking out seven and taking a loss against the Rays.

Lively turned in a strong performance aside from serving up solo homers to Jose Siri and Brandon Lowe. The Rays threw a combined shutout and stuck Lively with the tough-luck loss. His seven punchouts matched a season best, and he's now hit that mark four times in 2024. Lively will begin the second half with a strong 3.58 ERA and 78:25 K:BB through 16 starts. In eight outings since the start of June, he's registered a 4.40 ERA.

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.