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Brandon Pfaadt SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt: Goes seven innings in loss
Pfaadt (2-4) allowed four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five over seven innings to take the loss versus the Rangers on Tuesday.
Pfaadt covered at least six innings for the sixth start in a row, but this was the third time this year he's allowed at least four earned runs -- Josh Smith had an RBI single in the third inning and Corey Seager continued his power surge with a three-run home run in the fifth. Pfaadt is now at a 4.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 63:12 K:BB through 67 innings across 11 starts. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Mets.
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Andrew Heaney RP | LAD
Rangers' Andrew Heaney: Picks up win in relief
Heaney (1-6) earned the win in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Diamondbacks, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one over 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Heaney essentially piggybacked Nathan Eovaldi, who was returning from a four-week absence with a groin strain. Heaney's last two starts have both been under four innings, so it's possible the Rangers are preparing him for a bullpen role once their rotation is healthier. In the short term, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that Heaney could be deployed as a long reliever again later in the week due to the schedule giving the Rangers two off days this week. Texas hasn't released its projected starters for this weekend's series at Miami, so it's unclear when Heaney may pitch or start again.
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Nathan Eovaldi SP | TEX
Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi: Short start as expected
Eovaldi allowed two runs on five hits and struck out two without walking a batter over three innings while taking a no-decision in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks.
Eovaldi wasn't sent on a rehab assignment and was reportedly on a pitch count for his return from a groin strain. The right-hander ended up throwing 37 pitches (27 strikes) in his first start since May 2. Eovaldi is at a 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 46:19 K:BB through 44.1 innings over eight starts this season. Given his limited workload Tuesday, Eovaldi may need to be stretched out over the next couple of weeks. That may make it tough for him to qualify for the win in his next projected start. It's possible Eovaldi pitches again this weekend versus Miami, as Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that Andrew Heaney -- who threw 2.1 innings in relief Tuesday -- could be used as a long reliever while the Rangers' schedule doesn't require them to have five starters.
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Cole Ragans RP | KC
Royals' Cole Ragans: Limits damage in loss
Ragans (4-4) took the loss Tuesday against Minnesota, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk across five innings. He struck out seven.
Ragans stranded a runner in all five of his innings pitched and had a difficult time getting through a Twins lineup that featured seven righties and a pair of switch hitters. The southpaw relied heavily on his ability to miss bats, inducing 14 whiffs and generating seven or more strikeouts for the fifth time in his last six starts. Ragans will close out his two-start week with a home outing against the Padres on Sunday.
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Simeon Woods Richardson RP | TOR
Twins' Simeon Woods Richardson: Remains undefeated
Woods Richardson (2-0) earned the win Tuesday against the Royals, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.
Woods Richardson has yet to take a loss this season, but he hasn't been eligible for the victory in three of his eight appearances. On Tuesday, the right-hander held the Royals scoreless until the fifth frame, when he yielded a walk, a double and a single to the first three batters he faced as part of a two-run inning. While the 23-year-old hasn't gone deeper than six innings in any outing, he's done an excellent job keeping the ball in the park (0.5 HR/9) and holds a 2.70 ERA across 40.0 innings.
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Andrew Abbott SP | CIN
Reds' Andrew Abbott: Falls to St. Louis
Abbott (3-5) took the loss Tuesday against the Cardinals, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out three.
Abbott held St. Louis to three runs through six innings, as he pitched into the seventh for a third straight start. However, Abbott would allow the first three batters to reach in the frame, punctuated by a Nolan Gorman homer, en route to an eventual 7-1 loss. The 24-year-old left-hander had held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts prior to Tuesday. Abbott's ERA rose to 3.29 with a 1.13 WHIP and 46:17 K:BB over 63 innings this year. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled for early next week in Colorado.
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Kyle Gibson SP | BAL
Cardinals' Kyle Gibson: Sharp vs. Reds
Gibson (4-2) earned the win Tuesday over Cincinnati, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out six.
Gibson was excellent Tuesday, as he held the Reds to one hit until Will Benson ended his shutout bid with a homer in the sixth inning. The 36-year-old Gibson has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in eight of his last nine outings. He's lowered his ERA to 3.60 with a 1.22 WHIP and 52:25 K:BB across 11 starts (65 innings) this year. Gibson's currently in line for a road matchup with the Astros in his next outing early next week.
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Grayson Rodriguez SP | LAA
Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Punches out 10 in loss
Rodriguez (5-2) took the loss Tuesday against the Red Sox, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out 10.
Rodriguez got off to a rocky start Tuesday, allowing a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. The 24-year-old Rodriguez would settle in and hold Boston off the board over his final four frames while recording a career-high 10 strikeouts. However, the Orioles couldn't overcome the early deficit in the eventual 8-3 defeat. It's the first time since April 23 that Rodriguez has allowed more than two earned runs in a start -- he'd gone 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in his previous three outings. Overall, he sports a 3.53 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP and 61:21 K:BB across 51 innings this season. Rodriguez's next start is currently scheduled for early next week in Toronto.
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Brayan Bello RP | BOS
Red Sox's Brayan Bello: Improves to 6-2
Bello (6-2) earned the win Tuesday over the Orioles, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out seven.
Baltimore got to Bello early Tuesday by scoring three runs in the opening frame, before the right-hander settled in and blanked the Orioles over his subsequent four innings while allowing just one additional hit. It's the fifth win for Bello in his last six starts. His ERA sits at 4.18 through nine outings (47.1 innings) this year with a 1.18 WHIP and 44:15 K:BB. Bello's tentatively in line for a second start this week Sunday at home versus Detroit.
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Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Nearing throwing program
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Kelly (shoulder) is expected to begin a throwing program next week, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.
The right-hander has apparently been progressing well in his recovery from a right shoulder strain and is now on the cusp of resuming baseball work. Kelly will require some time to build his arm up before progressing to mound work and eventually a rehab assignment, so he shouldn't be expected to rejoin the Diamondbacks until sometime in July.