MLB Player News

Mikolas did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings against the Angels. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Mikolas continues to turn a corner after a rough start to his season. After coughing up 11 runs over his first 11 innings, he's given up just eight over his last 23. The right-hander is far from an elite option, but he can be counted on for solid outings. The 34-year-old is tentatively slated to face the Cubs on the road in his next appearance.

Gibson (4-1) took the loss against Kansas City on Wednesday, allowing six runs on 10 hits and no walks over 6.2 innings. He did not record any strikeouts.

Gibson's outing started well, as he gave up just one run over his first five frames. The Royals tagged him for another run in the sixth, but it was the seventh when things fell apart for the veteran right-hander. Gibson gave up four hits in that frame -- including a double and a triple -- and was charged with four runs by the time the inning was over. Meanwhile, the Orioles couldn't push over any runs against five KC pitchers, leading to Gibson's first loss of the campaign. The six runs and 10 hits he allowed Wednesday were both season-worst marks.

Greinke (1-4) earned the win over Baltimore on Wednesday, pitching five scoreless innings during which he allowed three hits and struck out three batters.

Greinke needed just 44 pitches to complete five frames, and it's unclear why he was pulled with such a low pitch count. Regardless, the veteran managed to pick up his first win of the campaign, becoming the first pitcher since Greg Maddux in 2003 to earn a win with 44 or fewer pitches, per Jon Weisman of Dodger Thoughts. Wednesday's performance was an impressive bounce-back for Greinke after he allowed seven runs over 3.2 frames against Minnesota in his previous start.

Varland pitched 4.2 innings against the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters. He did not factor in the decision.

Luis Robert tagged Varland with a three-run homer in the first inning, but Minnesota came back with four runs between the third and fourth frames to hand the righty hurler a lead. However, Varland gave up a run on three singles and a walk in the bottom of the fourth, and he was pulled after 89 pitches with two outs in the fifth. The 25-year-old's final line wasn't great, but he did show some good swing-and-miss stuff, racking up 15 whiffs and six strikeouts. With Tyler Mahle (elbow) and Kenta Maeda (triceps) both on the 15-day injured list and expected to miss more than the minimum, Varland will likely stick in the rotation for several more starts.

Cease didn't factor in the decision against Minnesota on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six batters over five innings.

Cease was spotted a three-run lead after the first inning, but he fell behind by allowing four runs between the third and fourth frames. However, Chicago came back to earn the victory and take Cease off the hook for a second straight loss. The right-hander continued to struggle with his control in Wednesday's outing, and he's now issued four or more walks in three of his seven starts this season. Cease has managed a strong 11.0 K/9 through 35.1 innings, but the walks have played a big part in his disappointing 4.58 ERA and 1.44 WHIP.

Manoah (1-2) took the loss against Boston on Wednesday, allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out three batters over five innings.

Manoah clearly didn't have his best stuff Wednesday, as he induced just three swinging strikes and tied a season low with three punchouts. Still, he navigated through three scoreless frames before Toronto's defense let him down. Two errors in the fourth -- including one by Manoah himself -- helped lead to two runs, and another error in the fifth opened the door for Boston's three-run frame. This was the third time on the campaign that Manoah has given up at least five runs in a start, though only two were earned Wednesday. The right-hander holds a disappointing 4.71 ERA and 1.65 WHIP through 36.1 innings.

Freeland aggravated a neck injury during Wednesday's win over Milwaukee, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Freeland said he first tweaked his neck while lifting weights after his previous start against the Diamondbacks, and the issue flared up again in the fifth inning of Wednesday's contest. Freeland's neck injury isn't expected to impact his next start, but it could be something the team keeps a closer eye on going forward.

Stroman allowed just one run on five hits across six innings but did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Nationals. He walked three and struck out five.

Stroman continued his strong start to the season, as he now has a 2.18 ERA overall, though he hasn't earned a win since April 7. The righty has a 3.05 ERA across 29.1 innings following that last win, so his performance really hasn't fallen off much, but the run support just hasn't been there. Fantasy managers would like to see more wins moving forward, though it's hard to complain about how Stroman has pitched. He'll look to keep rolling when he takes the hill again early next week.

Battenfield will start Friday's game against the Twins, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

After recently moving to the bullpen to open up rotation spots for fellow rookies Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee, Battenfield will get a chance to pick up a start while the Guardians skip the struggling Zach Plesac's (7.59 ERA, 1.97 WHIP in 21.1 innings) turn through the rotation. Battenfield has given up at least three earned runs in both of his last two appearances and holds unremarkable ratios for the season (4.67 ERA, 5.89 FIP, 1.56 WHIP), but a solid showing against the Twins might be enough for him to stick in the rotation over Plesac.

Lorenzen (1-1) allowed one run on four hits across seven innings to earn the win in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets. He walked two and struck out one.

Outside of the low strikeout total, Lorenzen was great, and he was able to earn his first win of the year as the Tigers provided eight runs of support. The righty missed the first three weeks of the season with a groin injury and now has a 5.14 ERA across four starts. He's tentatively lined up to take the mound again Monday against Cleveland, where he'll look to build from this positive outing.