MLB Player News

Manoah (shoulder) struck out 12 batters over six innings in a rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Buffalo. He gave up one earned run on two hits and two walks.

The 12 strikeouts were a new career high for Manoah at the professional level, and the dominant outing offers hope that the right-hander may have finally turned the corner after struggling mightily since the start of the 2023 season with his control, command and velocity. Though Manoah was placed on the 15-day injured list in late March with right shoulder inflammation, the injury doesn't seem to be a concern at this stage, as the Blue Jays have just been waiting for him to perform at a level that warrants a return to the big-league rotation. He certainly looked big-league ready Tuesday, as he spotted 62 of his 92 pitches for strikes while sporting a sinker that maxed out at 95.9 mph, according to Sportsnet.ca. With No. 5 starter Yariel Rodriguez (spine) joining Bowden Francis (forearm) on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, the Blue Jays have an opening in the rotation for Sunday's game in Nationals, and Manoah looks like he could be called upon to fill the void. While Manoah would still profile as a risky streaming option if he gets the nod Sunday, his prior success in the majors before last season at the very least makes him an intriguing pickup if he's on the waiver wire.

Criswell (2-1) picked up the win in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the Giants, scattering two hits and a walk over five scoreless innings while striking out four.

The right-hander faced only one batter over the minimum thanks to two double plays, exiting after 79 pitches (46 strikes). Criswell has tossed 10 straight shutout innings since moving into the rotation, and while his 1.65 ERA and 0.98 WHIP aren't sustainable, the 27-year-old may be emerging as a solid starting option. He lines up to make his next start on the road this weekend in Minnesota.

Webb (3-2) took the loss Tuesday, giving up four runs on nine hits and three walks over 3.2 innings as the Giants fell 4-0 to the Red Sox. He struck out four.

After four straight starts in which he lasted at least seven innings and allowed two runs or less, Webb struggled to put away hitters and generated only four swinging strikes among his 91 pitches. Despite the stumble, the 27-year-old right-hander still sports a 2.98 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 30:10 K:BB through 42.1 innings, and he's served up just one homer so far in 2024. Webb faces a tough challenge in his next scheduled start, which lines up to come on the road this weekend in Philadelphia.

Montgomery is scheduled to start Wednesday's series finale against the Dodgers at Chase Field, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Montgomery had been in line to take the hill Tuesday, but the Diamondbacks ended up scratching him from the start after he had gone through a full warmup while a bee swarm near the netting at home plate forced a two-hour delay before the game finally got underway. The Diamondbacks opted for an impromptu bullpen game in the eventual 4-3 extra-inning win, and Montgomery and Arizona's other rotation members will all get pushed back one day in the pitching schedule as a result.

Knack did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's extra-inning loss to the Diamondbacks. He allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings.

Knack's only major blemish on the evening was a fourth-inning solo home run by Christian Walker. Otherwise, the 26-year-old held the Diamondbacks in check, though he only threw 64 pitches after a bee colony behind home plate caused an extended delay to the game and disrupted his warmup routine. Still, Knack has been impressive in his three starts thus far, posting a 2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11:5 K:BB in 16 innings. Manager Dave Roberts has not announced another start for Knack, as it's possible Walker Buehler (elbow) replaces him in the rotation next week after throwing five innings in his most recent minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Matz pitched through a lower-back injury during Tuesday's loss to the Tigers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Matz first dealt with soreness while jogging a few days before his start, but he responded well to treatments and didn't have an issue during his between-starts bullpen session, clearing the way for him to make his scheduled start. However, Matz's velocity was well down in the outing and he wound up allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over 3.1 innings, admitting after the start that he "wasn't able to finish like I normally do." The Cardinals weren't ready to say after the outing whether Matz might need a trip to the injured list, but it sounds like it could be a possibility. The lefty's next outing is tentatively lined up to come either Sunday versus the White Sox or Monday against the Mets.

Darvish (1-1) grabbed a win over the Reds on Tuesday, tossing five shutout innings while allowing just three hits in the outing. He struck three and did not walk a batter.

Darvish was finally able to pick up his first win of the season and help the Padres end a five-game losing streak. Tuesday was his first shutout effort since July 29 of last year. He was efficient, needing 70 pitches to get through five while inducing a bunch of weak contact. His strikeout numbers remain low in comparison to his career numbers, as he's now struck out three or fewer batters in three of his six starts so far. Still, Tuesday's outing was exactly what the Padres needed out of him, and he'll take a 3.45 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB into his next outing, which projects to be against the Cubs at the beginning of next week.

Martinez (0-2) took the loss Tuesday against the Padres, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings.

The Padres first got to Martinez in the third with a run and then would plate four more in the fifth with a bases loaded double by Manny Machado being the big hit in the inning. It hasn't been smooth sailing for Martinez to begin his tenure with the Reds, as he's given up at least three runs and six hits in all four of his starts thus far while managing to get to six innings once. The 33-year-old owns a 5.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 20:3 K:BB in 28 innings. If Frankie Montas (forearm) is able to return when first eligible next week then it's likely Martinez returns to a long relief role in the bullpen for the foreseeable future.

Castillo (3-4) earned the win over Atlanta on Tuesday, tossing seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and a walk. He struck out seven.

Castillo was dominant once again en route to his third consecutive win. He registered 20 whiffs with 10 of those coming from his fastball and did not give up an extra-base knock. It's safe to say that Castillo is rounding back into ace form. Over his last four starts, he's posted a 1.38 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 31:4 K:BB in 26 innings while allowing a .174 opponent batting average over that span. The 31-year-old will look to keep it rolling in a projected road start against the red-hot Twins next week.

Lopez (2-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven over five innings.

Lopez struck out the side to begin his night en route to tying his season-high in strikeouts. He pitched well overall, but there was not much he could do with Atlanta not scoring until the eighth inning. His one costly mistake came in the third after allowing a two-run blast to Jorge Polanco and the Mariners would tack on a third run in the fourth, which proved to be the deciding run in the game. Tuesday was the first time Lopez had failed to pitch at least six innings and surrender more than a run. He's now given up a home run in back-to-back outings. Still, the 30-year-old has been nothing short of spectacular through the first month, posting a 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 31:10 K:BB in 30 innings. He currently lines up for a meeting with the Red Sox early next week.