MLB Player News

Miller (elbow) struck out two and gave up no hits and one walk over two scoreless innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Single-A Stockton.

Miller tossed 16 of his 29 pitches for strikes in what was his first outing at any level since May 7. Though the Athletics have little to play for with six weeks remaining on the season, Miller still appears likely to build back up for a starting role before returning from the 60-day injured list and rejoining the big-league rotation. He'll presumably need two or three more rehab starts to get fully stretched out, making early September a logical target for his activation.

Woo (forearm) is slated to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Royals, the team's official site reports.

The Mariners will assess Woo's progress once they have a chance to observe how he recovers from the session. The forearm swelling Woo was experiencing has mostly subsided and he's been playing catch in recent days, so he remains optimistic of potentially being able to return from the injured list when first eligible Sunday.

Gausman (9-7) took the loss Wednesday, coughing up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks over 5.1 innings as the Blue Jays were downed 9-4 by the Phillies. He struck out four.

The right-hander continues to alternate strong outings with poor ones since the All-Star break, and this one was particularly rough as Gausman managed to generate only six swinging strikes among his 84 pitches. Over his last five starts, he's posted a 4.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 34:8 K:BB through 28.2 innings, a step back from his performance in the first half of the season. He'll look to right the ship in his next outing, likely to come next week in Baltimore.

Nola (10-8) picked up the win Wednesday, giving up four runs on four hits and four walks over five innings in a 9-4 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out seven.

An anticipated pitchers' duel between Nola and Kevin Gausman never materialized, but the Phillies' right-hander came away with his first win since July 18 thanks to an offensive outburst highlighted by Bryce Harper's first multi-homer game of the year. The four free passes were a season worst for Nola, who has now failed to last six innings in four straight starts while stumbling to a 6.75 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 27:9 K:BB through 20 innings over that stretch. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, likely to come at home early next week against the Giants.

Paxton came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Nationals, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out three.

Both runs the veteran lefty allowed came on solo shots, and Paxton exited the game in line for his fourth loss of the year until Boston tied the game in the top of the eighth inning. The quality start was his first in August and eighth in 16 outings overall. Paxton sports a 3.34 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 93:23 K:BB through 86.1 innings on the season, and his next trip to the mound is likely to come early next week in Houston.

Liberatore (2-5) took the loss Wednesday, surrendering six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and three walks over 4.1 innings as the Cardinals fell 8-0 to the A's. He struck out five.

The rookie southpaw got little help from his teammates, but Liberatore did himself no favors as he got only 55 of 92 pitches into the strike zone, and his lack of command or control led to a four-run first inning for Oakland. He's had one good start and two poor ones since rejoining the big-league rotation after the trade deadline, and he's likely to remain a volatile fantasy option the rest of the season. Liberatore will carry a 6.12 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 35:21 K:BB through 50 innings into his next outing, which is likely to come early next week in Pittsburgh.

Blackburn (3-3) picked up the win in Wednesday's 8-0 victory over the Cardinals, allowing six hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out eight.

In his best performance of the season, Blackburn generated 33 called or swinging strikes on just 86 pitches, and he only ran into trouble in two frames -- he escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the second, then Luken Baker got thrown out at home in the seventh on a one-out double. Since getting rocked by the Red Sox in his first outing after the All-Star break, Blackburn has been sharp, posting a 2.10 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 30:11 K:BB through 30 innings over his last five starts. He'll look to keep rolling when he next takes the mound, which is likely to come at home early next week against the Royals.

Eovaldi (forearm) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session this weekend, MLB.com reports.

Eovaldi has thrown two encouraging bullpen sessions this week, including Wednesday when he worked the equivalent of two innings. The Rangers presumably will check to see how the right-hander is feeling following this weekend's session before deciding on next steps.

Cecconi did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over four innings against Colorado. He struck out four.

Cecconi struggled in the opening frame, allowing a walk and three hits, including a solo home run to Ryan McMahon. The right-hander would throw three scoreless innings from that point on but was relieved by Tyler Gilbert in the bottom of the fifth after hitting Ezequiel Tovar with a pitch to begin the frame. The 24-year-old Cecconi has now allowed two runs in two of his three appearances this season, while his 76 pitches Wednesday marked a season high.

Gomber did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.1 innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out one.

After giving up a two-run home run to Christian Walker in the opening frame, Gomber seemed to find his groove, as he responded with four shutout innings. However, the lefty fell apart in the sixth, walking three of the first five batters he faced while also surrendering two hits, which would lead to four more runs coming across for Arizona. Despite allowing six runs, Gomber was able to escape with the no-decision, though he's now given up at least six hits in seven straight starts. He's also issued three walks in two of his last three outings, and the six runs were the most he's allowed since June 9 against the Padres.