MLB Player News

Thornton (3-2) picked up the win in Friday's 6-4 victory over the Pirates, allowing four hits and two walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out three.

The rookie southpaw tossed just 63 pitches (42 strikes) before begin lifted with the Mets ahead 6-0, although the bullpen made things interesting. Thornton has held the opposition off the scoreboard in three of five starts since rejoining the rotation just before the All-Star break, posting a 1.86 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB through 29 innings over that stretch. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Atlanta.

Wheeler (10-3) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on seven hits and five walks over 5.1 innings as the Phillies fell 5-4 to the Blue Jays. He struck out six.

A two-hour rain delay before the first pitch did Wheeler no favors. The veteran right-hander ended up throwing a season-high 116 pitches (72 strikes) as he battled to escape the sixth inning, and a 15-pitch at-bat against Nathan Lukes that ended in a single finally spelled the end of his night. The five free passes were also a season high for Wheeler, matching the total from his seven previous outings combined. He'll take a 2.69 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 132:28 K:BB through 110.1 innings into his next start, which is set to come on the road next week in St. Louis.

Drohan didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 8-6 loss to the Twins, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out four batters across five innings.

Drohan made it through the first two innings unscathed while the Brewers' offense gave him a 4-0 lead to work with, but things quickly began to fall apart after that point. The left-hander walked Ryan Jeffers before giving up a two-run homer to Josh Bell in the third inning, and he allowed the Twins to tie the game in the fourth, courtesy of Kaelen Culpepper's first MLB home run and an RBI double from Austin Martin. Minnesota plated two more runs against Drohan in the fifth, but Milwaukee's offense immediately responded with two runs of its own to prevent him from taking the loss. The 27-year-old has now given up five or more runs in two of his last three starts and carries a 6.26 ERA across 23 innings since the All-Star break. Assuming the Brewers continue with a six-man rotation, Drohan is lined up to make his next start on the road against the Dodgers on Thursday.

Ray (10-7) allowed four runs on seven hits and five walks while striking out two over five innings in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Astros. He also tossed two wild pitches.

Ray's first start with San Diego didn't go according to plan. The veteran left-hander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning but surrendered a solo homer to Cam Smith in the second, allowed two more runs in the third and another run in the fourth. Ray threw just 51 of 92 pitches for strikes and issued at least five walks for the third time in 2026 while recording only two strikeouts -- his second-lowest output of the season. The loss snapped a run of 12 straight starts in which Ray was undefeated -- he went 7-0 with a 2.12 ERA in that span -- and as a result, his ERA for the season rose to 3.24. Ray's next start is projected to come at home against the Brewers.

Blanco allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one over 4.2 innings Friday against the Padres. He did not factor into the decision.

Blanco was handed a 3-0 lead by the third inning but couldn't make it through five frames. The right-hander allowed two runs, including an RBI triple to Jackson Merrill in the fourth, before Fernando Tatis took him deep in the fifth. Blanco was pulled after issuing a two-out walk later in the frame, leaving him one out shy of qualifying for the win. He's now failed to complete five innings in three of his four starts this season, and his ERA sits at an ugly 6.98 with a 17:11 K:BB in 19.1 total innings. Blanco is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Giants.

Eovaldi didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Orioles after allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out two over 5.1 innings.

Eovaldi kept Baltimore off the board outside of Coby Mayo's RBI single in the second inning, though he wasn't especially dominant with just two strikeouts. The right-hander departed the contest with one out in the sixth and Texas still trailing 1-0, leaving him in line for the loss before Pederson's two-run homer later in the frame took Eovaldi off the hook. Eovaldi lowered his ERA to 4.21, though his lack of strikeouts limited his fantasy impact Friday. His next start is scheduled on the road against the Angels.

Soriano didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 5-4 win over the Phillies, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.

The start of the game was delayed by two hours due to bad weather, and that combined with any nerves from debuting for a new team may have impacted Soriano's focus and efficiency. The right-hander tossed 62 of 94 pitches for strikes, and after a 1-2-3 first inning he dealt with traffic on the basepaths in every frame, including runners on second and third with nobody out in the fifth. Soriano rallied to fan Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner before being lifted, however. It wasn't the most impressive performance for Toronto's newest member of the rotation, but Soriano hasn't allowed more than three runs in six straight outings dating back to June 30, posting a 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB through 32.2 innings over that stretch. He'll look to provide more length in his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Red Sox.

Baz (4-11) took the loss Friday against the Rangers, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine over eight innings.

Baz was excellent for most of the night, but one mistake was enough to saddle him with another loss. The right-hander held Texas scoreless through five innings before Joc Pederson took him deep for a two-run homer in the sixth, accounting for all of the Rangers' scoring. Baz then retired the final eight batters he faced, but the offense couldn't support him with a turnaround. Despite his ugly 4-11 record, Baz owns a respectable 3.76 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. He's winless in his last nine starts, going 0-5 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over that stretch. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Twins.

Gray (elbow) completed a bullpen session at the Nationals' spring training facility in Florida on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure in July 2024, Gray didn't pitch for the Nationals in 2025 but was able to make three rehab starts in September. He was expected to compete for a rotation spot this spring, but he was diagnosed with a right flexor strain late in camp and opened the season on the 60-day injured list. Updates on Gray's status have been few and far between in the ensuing months while he's conducted his rehab in Florida, but the 28-year-old has finally made enough progress in his throwing program to get back on the mound. He'll still need to eventually face hitters and head out on a rehab assignment before the Nationals activate him in 2026, and if he does end up making it back to the big leagues in September, he may have to settle for a bullpen role.

Soroka (glute) is expected to return from the 15-day injured list to start Monday's game against the Rockies at Chase Field, MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks felt comfortable bringing the right-hander back from the IL following a lone rehab start Tuesday, when he allowed one run over four innings and 57 pitches for Triple-A Reno. Arizona cleared a spot for Soroka in the rotation by optioning starter Kohl Drake to Reno on Friday.