MLB Player News

Lugo (6-7) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out two batters over 4.1 innings.

Lugo surrendered just one long ball in the outing -- a third-inning solo shot by Yordan Alvarez -- but Houston racked up three doubles among its seven hits against him. Two of the two-baggers came in the fifth frame, resulting in three of the five runs the Astros piled on in that inning. Lugo had been on a roll coming into Saturday, allowing just two earned runs while posting a 23:6 K:BB over 24 frames covering his previous four starts. He'll look to bounce back in his next outing, tentatively slated to come in Oakland late next week.

Javier allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters over four innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Saturday.

Javier got through three frames without allowing a run before things fell apart in the fourth. In that inning, the right-hander surrendered four runs on three hits and a pair of walks, with a Jurickson Profar two-run homer being the big blow. Javier didn't return to the mound for the fifth, marking his second four-inning start over his past three contests. Walks have been an issue in both of those outings -- he issued six free passes Aug. 28 against Boston. Javier held a 2.90 ERA through his first 14 starts of the season, but that mark has jumped to 4.78 due to an ugly 7.27 ERA over his subsequent 13 appearances.

Eovaldi pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in a no-decision against Oakland on Saturday, allowing three hits while issuing two walks and striking out three batters.

Eovaldi struggled Tuesday in his first game back following a lengthy stay on the injured list, giving up four runs in 1.1 frames against Houston. He looked better Saturday, though he was limited to 2.1 innings and a modest 47 pitches. That was always the plan for the right-hander -- Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had indicated prior to the outing that Eovaldi was slated for 45-50 pitches due to the recency of his injury and the fact he was pitching on three days of rest. Eovaldi should work his way back up to a normal workload in time, and he is tentatively scheduled to make his next start in Toronto.

Spiers (0-1) took the loss against St. Louis on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out one batter over three-plus innings.

Spiers got his second big-league start after tossing four innings against the Cubs last Sunday, but he wasn't able to impress in the opportunity. The right-hander was handed a 3-1 lead through two frames but allowed the Cardinals to draw even on a two-run homer by Willson Contreras in the third. Spiers was allowed to return for the fourth, but he was pulled after giving up an inning-opening single to Tommy Edman. The rookie hurler was hurt by his wildness -- he walked three batters, and two of those came around to score. Spiers has given up seven runs on 10 hits while posting an 8:5 K:BB over seven frames across his two outings. With the Reds fighting for a playoff spot and likely welcoming a trio of starters (Hunter Greene, Brandon Williamson and Ben Lively) who have been on the COVID-19 IL back soon, Spiers may be headed back to the minors in short order.

Gausman (11-8) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over eight innings in a 5-1 victory over the Royals. He struck out 10.

An Edward Olivares solo shot in the fifth inning was the only blemish on his line, as Gausman delivered his 18th quality start of the season and his eighth outing with double-digit strikeouts. The right-hander's been a little more erratic in the second half, but he still sports a 3.83 ERA and 64:15 K:BB through 51.2 innings since the All-Star break. Gausman will likely take the mound next in a key wild-card battle next week during a home series against the Rangers.

Skubal (5-3) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday against the White Sox. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out nine.

Inefficiency is the only knock on Skubal's performance, as he needed 95 pitches to cover his five innings. It was an excellent start all the same. Skubal has posted a stellar 2.00 ERA over his last three starts, tallying 25 strikeouts in only 18 innings while lowering his season ERA to 3.47. He'll look to continue his good run in his next scheduled start, which is slated for Friday against the Angels.

Steele allowed just one run on six hits across seven innings but did not factor into the decision Saturday against the Diamondbacks. He had no walks and struck out six.

Steele dazzled, but the Cubs managed just one run while he was in there and only two for the whole game as they fell in 10 innings. The lefty was excellent nonetheless, and over his last five starts he has a 1.36 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 33 innings. For the season, Steele has a stellar 2.49 ERA, and he's firmly in the NL Cy Young race. He'll look to keep rolling and pick up his 17th win in his next scheduled start, which is penciled in for Friday against these same Diamondbacks.

Greinke (1-15) took the loss Saturday as the Royals fell 5-1 to the Blue Jays, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk over 3.2 relief innings. He struck out four.

Entering the game in the third inning after James McArthur had given Kansas City two scoreless innings as the opener, Greinke quickly dug a hole his offense couldn't climb out of. The veteran righty's only win of the season came May 3; since then, he's gone 0-10 with a 5.56 ERA and 59:13 K:BB through 90.2 innings. Greinke is two losses shy of tying his career-worst performance in that category, which he set as a fresh-faced 21-year-old in 2005 when he went 5-17. He's also 34 strikeouts shy of 3,000 for his career, but he would need a massive surge to reach that mark before the end of 2023.

Webb (10-12) earned the win Saturday over the Rockies, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out four over six scoreless innings.

Webb was sharp, throwing 61 of 93 pitches for strikes. It was his third straight quality start, and it snapped a six-start winless skid for the right-hander. Webb is now at a 3.40 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 177:29 K:BB through a career-high 193 innings over 30 starts this year. With the Giants on the outside looking in for a wild-card spot, Webb will likely be leaned on down the stretch. He's projected to make his next start at Colorado.

Anderson (0-5) allowed six runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 3.1 innings, taking the loss Saturday versus the Giants.

Anderson's second start back from shoulder inflammation went worse than his four-inning effort against Toronto last weekend. Thairo Estrada got to him for a two-run home run in the first inning and the Giants rallied for four more runs in the fourth. Anderson is now at a 6.49 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 50:24 K:BB through 68 innings between the Rockies and the Rays this year. He figures to stick in Colorado's rotation, if mostly by default. The right-hander is projected for a home rematch versus the Giants next week.