MLB Player News

Smith (elbow) will rejoin the rotation at Double-A Birmingham on Saturday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

It will be Smith's first start since May 10, as he has been sidelined with soreness in his pitching elbow. The fifth overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Smith holds a 2.10 ERA and 42:20 K:BB over 25.2 innings covering seven starts with Birmingham this season.

Martinez struck out one over a scoreless seventh inning to earn a hold in Monday's 6-1 win over the Yankees.

Martinez, who opened the season in the Reds' rotation, made a second consecutive appearance as a reliever. He served as a bulk-inning reliever in a bullpen game Saturday, while Monday's outing was a traditional relief appearance. Martinez is scheduled to start Friday against the Padres, but he may not be long for the rotation. The organization has prospect Chase Burns going Tuesday, and at some point, Hunter Greene (groin) and Rhett Lowder (forearm) will return. This could be the start of Martinez transitioning to the bullpen.

Kolek (3-3) took the loss against Washington on Monday, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 4.1 innings.

Kolek managed to get through three scoreless frames before things fell apart for him in the fourth. In that inning, he gave up four runs on four hits, and he hurt himself with a throwing error at the start of the frame. Kolek came out for the fifth, but he exited with one out after giving up a single to CJ Abrams, who eventually came around to score. The 4.1 innings tied a season low for Kolek, and both instances have come over his past three starts. Over that stretch, he's given up 11 earned runs across 15 frames.

Parker (5-8) earned the win over San Diego on Monday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one batter over six innings.

Parker entered Monday having lost each of his past five starts, but he was able to get back in the win column while also tossing his second straight quality start. The southpaw didn't miss many bats -- he notched just one punchout and five whiffs -- but managed to limit the damage against him despite giving up two homers. Parker's lack of strikeout stuff and 4.59 season ERA make him an unappealing option in most fantasy leagues, but he's been able to stay healthy and remain in the rotation for the Nationals throughout the campaign, as he's tied for the team lead with 16 starts.

Buehler gave up five runs on three hits and seven walks while striking out three batters over four innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Monday.

Buehler couldn't harness his control in the outing, throwing just 46 of 94 pitches for strikes and handing out a career-high seven free passes. Four of those walks came in the first inning, when Buehler also hit two batters and gave up all five of the runs on his line. The veteran right-hander has had a terrible June, posting an 11.57 ERA with a 14:14 K:BB through four starts spanning 16.1 frames. That's pushed his season ERA up to an ugly 6.29, and it's fair to wonder if Boston will intervene and try to find a way to get him back on track.

Kochanowicz allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one batter over five innings in a no-decision against Boston on Monday.

Though Kochanowicz issued only two free passes, he threw just 49 of 84 pitches for strikes. The right-hander also tied a season low with one punchout, though he notched a solid 13 whiffs. This was far from Kochanowicz's best outing, but on the plus side he avoided giving up a homer for the first time in his past five starts. Kochanowicz has managed to hold onto a role at the back of the Angels' rotation despite posting a mediocre 5.49 ERA through 16 starts, and he's tentatively slated to face the Nationals the next time he takes the mound.

Brown (4-6) took the loss against St. Louis on Monday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Brown began his outing with three scoreless frames before serving up a two-run homer to Lars Nootbaar in the fourth. The right-handed hurler gave up two more long balls -- both of which were also two-run shots -- in the fifth, then served up another two-run blast before being pulled without retiring a batter in the sixth. Brown has struggled with consistency this season, giving up two or fewer runs in eight of his 16 outings but yielding five or more runs six times. Prior to Monday, long balls hadn't been a big problem for him, as he'd given up zero or one homer in 14 of his 15 appearances and had posted a respectable 1.1 HR/9, so his fantasy managers have reason to hope that the barrage of home runs against him Monday was an aberration. However, with Shota Imanaga (hamstring) rejoining the rotation Thursday, Brown or Colin Rea could be moved to a long-relief role or Brown could be optioned to Triple-A.

Liberatore (5-6) earned the win over the Cubs on Monday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five batters over seven innings.

Liberatore needed a tidy 85 pitches to complete seven frames, throwing 52 of those offerings for strikes. The southpaw recorded his second straight quality start following a rough three-outing stretch in late May and early June during which he went 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA. Liberatore has a 3.96 overall ERA on the campaign, but without that poor three-start span it would be at 2.74 across 72.1 frames. He's tentatively scheduled to make his next start in Cleveland.

Patrick did not factor into the decision in Monday's 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh, allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out nine.

The rookie right-hander had a game of contrasts in this 99-pitch performance. Although Patrick collected a career-best nine punchouts, he also conceded a season-worst nine hits as he coughed up four or more earned runs for the third consecutive start. The 26-year-old will carry a 3.72 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 85:27 K:BB across 84.2 innings into his next start, which is currently slated to be a juicy matchup against the Rockies at home this weekend.

Blackburn (0-2) yielded three runs on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings Monday, striking out five and taking a loss against Atlanta.

Blackburn gave up a run in the second inning, followed by two in the third, including a solo shot by Ronald Acuna. It was Blackburn's second straight loss and he failed to complete five innings in either of those outings. After tossing five scoreless frames in his season debut, he's been tagged with 14 runs (13 earned) over his last 12.2 innings, resulting in a 6.62 ERA. On the bright side, he generated a season-high 14 whiffs Monday. Blackburn is currently slated to take the mound in Pittsburgh this weekend.