MLB Player News

Hicks did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batsman against the Cubs. He struck out seven.

Hicks' outing was marred by a rough third inning in which he hit a batter, allowed two steals and gave up a homer and triple among three hits during the three-run frame. Otherwise, Hicks faced just two batters over the minimum during the other four innings, recording at least seven strikeouts for the fourth time this season. He'll carry a strong 3.36 ERA into his next start, tentatively scheduled to take place next week when the Giants travel to Atlanta for a mid-week series.

Rodon (9-5) took the loss against Toronto on Thursday, allowing eight runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out eight batters over five innings.

Rodon was shellshocked in the first frame, giving up five runs before recording an out. He gave up three more runs in the second, all of which came on George Springer's second three-run homer of the game. Rodon at least managed to hang on for five innings to avoid depleting the Yankees' bullpen, but the damage was more than enough to result in his third straight loss. Rodon has allowed 20 earned runs across 13.2 frames during the losing streak, catapulting his season ERA up from 2.92 to 4.42.

Berrios (7-6) earned the win against the Yankees on Thursday, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out eight batters over seven innings.

Berrios had been struggling coming into Thursday, allowing nine runs over 11 frames across his past two starts. He rebounded nicely against New York, giving up just two runs on a fifth-inning homer by Trent Grisham. The right-handed hurler also registered a season-high eight strikeouts en route to his 12th quality start. Berrios has posted a mediocre 6.6 K/9 on the campaign but is nonetheless in the midst of a fine season with a 3.38 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 104 innings.

Montgomery (6-5) was saddled with the loss Thursday, allowing eight runs (four earned) on nine hits and one walk over 2.2 innings against the Twins. He struck out one.

Montgomery's line could have been a lot worse if not for a catcher's interference call and a throwing error accounting for half of the eight total runs he allowed. Among the nine hits allowed were three infield singles, no homers and two extra-base hits for Montgomery, suggesting that this performance was marred by a bit of bad luck. After struggling to 14 earned runs allowed over six innings during consecutive starts on May 31 and June 5, Montgomery had righted the ship over the next three outings prior to Thursday, allowing just five earned runs over 16.2 innings and collecting the win in each. His next start won't get any easier as he's presently slated to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles during a mid-week series.

Gray (3-4) took the loss against the Orioles on Thursday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out one batter over five innings.

Gray fell behind 3-0 after one inning and 6-0 after three, and by the time he exited after five frames Texas was down 8-1. The right hander notched just two whiffs among his 73 pitches and recorded a season-low one punchout. Gray pitched well in registering six scoreless innings his previous time on the mound, but he surrendered nine runs over three frames in the start before that, so he's difficult for fantasy managers to gauge right now. His ERA on the season is still a respectable 3.77, but for context, it was at 2.21 coming into June.

Burnes (9-3) earned the victory over Texas on Thursday, allowing one run on nine hits and no walks while striking out five batters over seven innings.

The Orioles were up 3-0 after one inning and 6-0 after three, so Burnes didn't face much pressure in the outing. The right-hander did tie a season-worst mark in allowing nine hits, but only one of those -- a fourth-inning Adolis Garcia solo homer -- went for extra bases. Burnes recorded a quality start after snapping a 10-game streak of such performances in his previous outing. He's tied for the MLB lead in that category with 13 on the campaign and has posted excellent numbers in his first season as an Oriole with a 2.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 99:24 K:BB over 106.2 innings.

Festa (1-0) allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Diamondbacks. He struck out two.

Festa's first career start began about as well as he could have possibly imagined. By the time he hit the mound in the fourth inning, he had faced just one batter over the minimum and was staked to an 11-run lead. Following a solo homer to open the fourth, Festa struck out the next two but followed up by allowing five consecutive singles and three additional earned runs. Festa then allowed one more run in the fifth as the Twins coasted to victory. It was an up-and-down debut, but Festa should continue to earn additional starting opportunities for the Twins if they continue to have a rotational need. His next chance is slated to come in the middle of next week when the Twins welcome the Tigers to Minnesota.

Wheeler allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters over 6.2 innings in a no-decision against Miami on Thursday.

Wheeler cruised through six scoreless frames before running into trouble in the seventh. In that inning, he retired the first two batters he faced before allowing back-to-back singles. The right-hander was then given the hook, and both runners came around to score following his departure. Wheeler nonetheless managed a quality start -- his seventh over his past eight outings. He's tied for first in the league with 13 quality starts on the season and has registered a 2.73 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 112:31 K:BB over 105.2 innings.

Rogers allowed three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four batters over six innings in a no-decision against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Rogers threw just 57 of 103 pitches for strikes and tied a season high with four free passes, but he still managed to record his third consecutive quality start. The southpaw doesn't have any wins in those outings, but he's posted a 3.26 ERA with a 12:5 K:BB over 19.1 innings during that stretch. Rogers' ERA on the season still sits at a much less alluring 4.87, though it's at 3.56 across five starts in June.

Imanaga allowed three runs on five hits across six innings but did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 5-3, 10-inning win over the Giants. He walked two and struck out three.

This was a nice bounceback effort for Imanaga, who allowed 10 runs in his last outing against the surging Mets. The righty had a sparkling 1.89 ERA before that implosion, but he's still sitting with a solid 3.07 mark across his first 15 starts at the MLB level. While it was unlikely that Imanaga would continue his early season dominance, he should still be a strong fantasy option moving forward. He's tentatively lined up to start again Wednesday against a challenging Philadelphia lineup.