MLB Player News

Strider (9-2) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over seven innings against the Twins. He struck out 10.

Strider struck out at least 10 batters for the fifth time this season and earned his fifth win over his last six starts. During that stretch, he's posted a 49:11 K:BB and 13.0 K/9. Overall, Strider holds a 3.73 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, but those numbers are skewed by a poor performance against the Mets on June 8. If you take that game out of the equation, Strider has a 3.08 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 138:30 K:BB across 15 appearances (87.2 innings). He's currently lined up for a home matchup versus the Marlins in his next start.

Gray (4-2) took the loss Monday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings against Atlanta. He struck out five.

Gray notched his sixth quality start but took the loss, as Spencer Strider dominated Minnesota's offense. Gray hasn't allowed more than three runs in a game this season and sports a 2.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 89:33 K:BB across 16 starts (87.2 innings). However, the veteran has cooled off a bit following a strong start, posting a 3.93 ERA over his past 10 outings. During that stretch, the right-hander hasn't won a game, totaling eight no-decisions and two losses. Regardless, Gray remains the ace of Minnesota's rotation and will look to get back in the win column during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled during a three-game weekend set in Baltimore.

The Cardinals are still assessing Flaherty (hip) to determine whether he can start Thursday vs. the Astros, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Flaherty, who was scratched from his scheduled start over the weekend with hip discomfort, hasn't pitched since June 19, and could wind up on the injured list if he has to miss another turn in the rotation. Adam Wainwright could start Thursday on normal rest if Flaherty isn't ready, with Jake Woodford and Steven Matz the likely replacement options for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Verlander didn't factor into the decision in Monday's loss to Milwaukee, allowing five hits and two walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out five.

The veteran right-hander worked in and out of jams, loading the bases with one out in the first inning and seeing runners reach scoring position in three of his four other frames, but Verlander escaped each time and exited the game nursing a 1-0 lead the Mets bullpen couldn't hold. He hasn't recorded a win in over a month, posting a 4.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 29:10 K:BB through 32 innings in the six starts since, and Verlander has yet to put together two consecutive solid starts this season. He'll look to break that pattern in his next outing, which could come at home this weekend against the Giants.

Rea (4-4) earned the win Monday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 6.1 innings in a 2-1 win over the Mets. He struck out three.

Rea notched his second quality start of the season en route to his fourth win. It's been a mixed bag for the right-hander this year, as he's allowed three or fewer runs eight times but given up four earned runs in his other six outings. Overall, he sports a 4.57 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 57:24 K:BB across 14 appearances (69 innings), and his numbers have basically been the same in April, May and June. Given the litany of injuries to Milwaukee's pitching staff, Rea's spot in the rotation is secure moving forward.

Quintana (ribs) may need to make at least two more rehab starts before joining the Mets rotation, which would delay his return until after the All-Star break, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.

The veteran lefty threw 47 pitches (32 strikes) in a rehab start for High-A Brooklyn on Sunday and was hoping he'd be allowed to stretch out to about 70-75 pitches in his next rehab outing, putting him on track for activation from the injured list in the first week of July. The organization wants to be more deliberate with Quintana's ramp-up, however. "I'll look into it, but 70 seems a little ambitious," manager Buck Showalter said Monday. The plan for his return may hinge on David Peterson's performance Tuesday -- if he struggles, the Mets may be more willing to accelerate Quintana's schedule in order to insert him into the rotation prior to the break.

Irvin did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on three hits over three innings in a 10-3 victory over Cincinnati. He struck out three and didn't record a walk.

Irvin was replaced to start the fourth inning after a long rain delay, but he had been relatively sharp to start the game. The 29-year-old has been much better during his current big-league stint, posting a 4.05 ERA and 14:2 K:BB over his last four appearances (13.1 innings), than he was at the beginning of the season, when he gave up 15 runs over 12.2 innings. If he can continue to stack quality outings, Irvin should have a good chance of sticking in Baltimore's rotation.

Williamson (1-1) took the loss Monday, allowing three runs on two hits and four walks over two innings in a 10-3 loss to Baltimore. He struck out two.

Williamson was replaced in the third inning after a long rain delay, marking the shortest outing of his career. Before Monday's contest, the rookie had less than ideal results through his first seven big-league starts, posting 5.40 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 27:13 K:BB across 36.2 innings, and his poor outing versus Baltimore certainly didn't help his cause. Nonetheless, Cincinnati is dealing with numerous injuries to its starting rotation -- including ace Hunter Greene (hip) -- so despite his struggles, Williamson's role is fairly secure moving forward.

Williams allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out four batters over four innings in a no-decision against Seattle on Monday.

Williams served up a long ball to the first batter he faced, and things didn't get much better for him as a he failed to record any 1-2-3 innings. The right-hander needed 83 pitches to complete just four frames, and he was pulled after allowing two runs on three hits in his final inning of work. It was the shortest outing of the campaign for Williams aside from a 2.1-inning effort against the Mets on May 13 that was suspended due to inclement weather. For the most part, Williams has been a steady and dependable rotation staple for the last-place Nationals, though his 4.28 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 62:25 K:BB over 80 frames convey little fantasy value.

Castillo (5-6) earned the win over Washington on Monday, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over seven innings.

Castillo allowed a solo homer in each of the first and second frames but settled down thereafter and finished his outing by retiring the final seven batters he faced. The right-hander racked up an impressive 17 swinging strikes and tied his season high by completing seven frames. The victory snapped a personal four-game losing streak for Castillo, though he had maintained a decent 3.42 ERA and 1.23 WHIP during that stretch. Though the veteran's record is just 5-6 on the season, he's been very effective with a 2.86 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 108:28 K:BB over 94.1 innings.