MLB Player News

Cortes did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks across 4.1 innings during a 9-8 win over Tampa Bay. He struck out three.

Cortes was sharp to start, allowing just one run through his first four innings, but he got into major trouble in the fifth and was charged with five runs in the frame, including a grand slam by Yandy Diaz. The left-hander was dominant in 2022, posting a 2.44 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 163:38 K:BB through 158.1 innings, but he's struggled to find any rhythm to begin 2023 and sports a 5.53 ERA over his first eight starts (42.1 innings). He hasn't picked up a win since April 20.

McClanahan did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks over four innings during a 9-8 loss to the Yankees. He struck out three.

McClanahan was his usual dominant self through four shutout innings, but he allowed the first five hitters to reach in the fifth, yielding two-run home runs to Aaron Judge and Kyle Higashioka. The left-hander finished with season highs in walks and runs allowed while submitting season lows in innings and strikeouts, so it was easily his worst performance of the campaign. McClanahan now sports a 2.34 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 61:24 K:BB through nine starts (50 innings), and he'll look to bounce back next time out, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game weekend set versus Milwaukee.

Berrios didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 5-2 win over Atlanta, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander came up one out short of his fourth quality start in his last five outings, and while he put plenty of traffic on the bases, the only damage off Berrios came on a two-run blast by Marcell Ozuna in the second inning. Berrios tossed 65 of 101 pitches for strikes, and he'll take a 4.70 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 44:11 K:BB through 46 innings into his next start, likely to come at home next week against the Yankees.

Elder didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three.

The young right-hander continues to give Atlanta some stability at the back of its injury-wracked rotation. Elder has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five starts, and through 46.1 innings this season he sports a 1.94 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 39:14 K:BB. He'll look to get back in the win column in his next outing, likely to come at home next weekend against the Mariners.

Ryan (6-1) picked up the win in Saturday's 11-1 rout of the Cubs, scattering four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out 10.

The right-hander didn't let a runner get past second base and tied his season high in strikeouts in another dominant performance, generating 36 called or swinging strikes among his 102 pitches. Ryan has reeled off six straight quality starts and seven in eight outings to begin the season, and he'll take a 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 57:7 K:BB through 50 innings into his next start, likely to come on the road next weekend against the Angels.

Wesneski (2-2) took the loss Saturday, surrendering seven runs on seven hits -- including four home runs -- and a walk over five innings as the Cubs were routed 11-1 by the Twins. He struck out five.

Alex Kirilloff's solo shot in the first inning set the tone for the Cubs' disastrous afternoon, as Wesneski served up multiple long balls for the first time since his opening start of the season. The right-hander has now been tagged for 10 homers in 39.1 innings, fueling a 5.03 ERA that doesn't match his otherwise decent 1.32 WHIP and 28:9 K:BB. He didn't have significant trouble keeping the ball in the park in the minors, so it's possible his luck will shift for the better as the campaign progresses, but his lack of dominance gives Wesneski little margin for error. His next outing will likely come on the road next weekend in Philadelphia.

Gray said a mechanical tweak to his slider, designed to give the pitch a "sharper break," is the main reason for a scoreless streak that reached 14.2 innings Saturday, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Gray tinkered with the new slider mechanics in spring training but ditched it for the sweeper version of the pitch that acts more like a curveball. The right-hander brought back the "sharper" slider against the Mariners his last time out, and the velocity numbers reflect the change. The pitch averaged 87 mph Saturday, nearly three mph faster than its season average.

Bielak did not factor in the decision against the White Sox on Saturday, allowing one run on eight hits and no walks while striking out four batters over five innings.

Bielak allowed at least one hit in each of his five frames, but the only run he surrendered came on a Luis Robert homer in the fourth inning. Bielak helped his case by not issuing any walks after yielding five free passes across 8.2 frames over his first two big-league outings of the season. The right-hander is in the rotation as a result of long-term injuries to Jose Urquidy (shoulder), Lance McCullers (forearm) and Luis Garcia (elbow), and he pitched well enough Saturday to likely see additional starts. Bielak's next turn is tentatively slated to be a favorable home matchup against Oakland.

Cease did not factor in the decision against Houston on Saturday, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.

Cease was in dire need of a strong performance after allowing 20 earned runs over 18 innings across his previous four starts. The right-hander got back on track against the Astros, yielding just four hits -- all singles -- while notching his first scoreless outing of the campaign. Cease wasn't able to end a five-start winless streak because Chicago scored just once while he was in the game; however, this was an enormously positive appearance for him and the White Sox considering his struggles of late. Cease began the campaign pitching well, so his ERA still sits at a non-catastrophic 4.86 despite the recent rough patch.

Greinke did not factor in the decision against Milwaukee on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out five batters over five innings.

Greinke put together a solid outing, with the only two runs against him coming on a third-inning Christian Yelich homer. However, the bottom-10 Kansas City offense failed to give him much run support, keeping the veteran stuck on one win on the campaign. Greinke made a bit of history in the outing, striking out Joey Wiemer in the fifth to become the fifth pitcher in MLB history to punch out 1,000 different batters over the course of a career. Greinke's accomplishment is largely a testament to his longevity -- he has fanned less than a batter per inning over the course of his 20-year MLB tenure -- though he has slightly improved his K/9 to 6.2 this season from 4.8 last year.