MLB Player News

Houser (elbow) threw a bullpen session Sunday without issue, MLB.com reports.

Houser landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 28 due to swelling in his right elbow, but he appears on track to be activated when first eligible Sept. 12. The 30-year-old has registered a 4.58 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 77:28 K:BB in 90.1 innings (17 starts, two relief appearances) when healthy this season for the Brewers.

Stripling (back) gave up one run on two hits while striking out a batter in a one-inning rehab start Friday with Triple-A Sacramento.

Before landing on the injured list in mid-August with a mid-back strain, Stripling had covered at least four innings in each of his seven outings with the Giants following the All-Star break. With that in mind, his light workload Friday was somewhat surprising, and it could be an indication that the Giants may not intend to bring him back as a traditional starter. San Francisco has been getting by with four regular starters of late in Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Kyle Harrison and Tristan Beck while deploying Sean Manaea as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen in lieu of a fifth starter.

Soroka was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Soroka will start Tuesday's game against the Cardinals. Soroka could receive an additional start this weekend versus the Pirates, as well, as Atlanta looks to fill the fifth spot in their rotation until Kyle Wright (shoulder) is ready to return from the 60-day injured list. Soroka has posted a 5.52 ERA and 23:11 K:BB over 29.1 innings in the majors this season. He's coming off a terrific August with Gwinnett, having put up a 2.77 ERA and 34:8 K;BB across 26 frames.

Medina (finger) didn't factor into the decision in the Athletics' 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Blue Jays on Monday, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.

Medina held Toronto off the board through his first four frames before he was tagged for three runs in the fifth, forcing him out of the game after throwing 70 pitches. The rookie right-hander was likely on a pitch count Monday, as he was making his first start since Aug. 18 in his return from the 15-day injured list. He's now failed to make it through five innings in each of his last four starts, allowing 10 earned runs in that span (15 innings). Overall, Medina sits on a 3-8 season record with a 5.46 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 87:46 K:BB across 14 starts (90.2 innings). He'll look to go deeper in his next outing, tentatively scheduled for this weekend in Texas.

France did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks over five innings in Houston's 13-6 victory over the Rangers. He struck out five.

France struggled early Monday, allowing two runs in the opening frame in an eventual no-decision. After posting a 2.75 ERA through his first 18 starts, France has now surrendered 17 runs in his last three outings (13 innings), pushing his ERA to 3.72 with a 1.31 WHIP and 91:37 K:BB across 121 innings this season. The 28-year-old rookie will look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled for this weekend against the Padres.

Liberatore (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Liberatore didn't pitch well in two rehab starts with Triple-A Memphis, allowing six runs while walking 10 over 6.2 innings. He brought his pitch count up to 83 in his last outing Sunday, and the Cardinals have decided he's ready to join the big club, despite his poor results in the minors. St. Louis presumably wants to stick Liberatore back in its rotation, though it's unclear when he might make his next start.

Rodriguez (5-3) earned the win over the Angels on Monday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Rodriguez wasn't as dominant as he was his last time out, when he allowed just one hit over six scoreless frames against the White Sox, but he did demonstrate an impressive arsenal with 17 whiffs and seven punchouts. The right-hander has racked up five consecutive quality starts, posting a 2.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 28:8 K:BB over 31 innings during that stretch. Rodriguez struggled mightily early this season, but he's turned things around dramatically following a nearly two-month stint in the minors. Since returning to the Orioles' rotation July 17, he's posted a 2.85 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 48:16 K:BB across 53.2 frames.

Hill (7-14) took the loss against Philadelphia on Monday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 1.1 innings.

Hill was in trouble from the get-go, allowing four of the first five batters he faced to reach base and yielding three first-inning runs on a bases-clearing double by Alec Bohm. The veteran hurler was allowed to return to the mound for the second, but things got even worse for him, as he surrendered four straight hits -- including a pair of homers -- to lead off the frame. Hill was pulled with a 6-1 deficit after just 1.1 innings, marking his shortest start of the season. Since joining the Padres on Aug. 1, the southpaw has struggled immensely, posting a 10.71 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB over 19.1 frames while losing four times in six decisions. His rotation spot may be in jeopardy despite the fact that Yu Darvish (elbow) was recently placed on the IL.

Walker (15-5) completed five innings Monday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four batters to earn the win over San Diego.

Walker wasn't very effective in the outing, but he took advantage of a big early lead to take home the victory. The right-hander hasn't been going deep of late -- he's fallen short of six innings in each of his past four starts, posting a 5.23 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 20.2 frames during that span but taking just one loss. Walker ranks third in the majors with 15 wins on the campaign, though his 4.15 ERA and 1.32 WHIP aren't anywhere near the marks of the league leaders.

Burnes (9-8) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Burnes began well, retiring nine of 11 batters through three scoreless frames. However, he served up a game-tying two-run homer to Jack Suwinski in the fourth and yielded two more runs in the fifth. That was enough to saddle him with the loss in a game during which Milwaukee managed just two runs. Burnes extended his streak of starts without a win to eight contests, though he hasn't been all that bad during that span with a 3.99 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB over 49.2 frames. He's still above .500 with a 9-8 record on the campaign, though his 3.63 ERA is well below the standard he set over the previous three seasons, when his worst ERA was 2.94.