MLB Player News

Povich didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Mariners, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Povich failed to complete six innings for a fourth consecutive start. However, the left-hander bounced back from a poor outing last time out against the Cardinals and didn't allow a long ball for the second time in his past six starts. On the year, Povich owns a 5.11 ERA and a 58:21 K:BB over 56.1 innings. He is tentatively scheduled to face the Tigers next time out.

Hancock didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Baltimore, allowing one run on two hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

Hancock blanked the Orioles through five innings before Adley Rutschman broke the stalemate with a solo homer in the sixth frame. Aside from a rough start May 12 against the Yankees, Hancock has been excellent lately. Outside of that game in which he gave up seven runs, Hancock owns a 2.93 ERA across 27.2 innings since the start of May. With Logan Gilbert (elbow) on the mend, Hancock's time in the Mariners' rotation could be coming to a close.

Sale (3-4) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks after giving up one run on three hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out 10.

Sale was already up to 25 pitches following the opening inning, but that didn't impede him from putting together a dominant performance. It was the star left-hander's third outing with double-digit punchouts this season, and he even reached 98 mph with his fastball three times. Sale has rediscovered his form after struggling to a 6.17 ERA through his first five starts, as he's notched a 1.43 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB over his last eight, and his next outing is set to come against a Brewers team with a weak .664 OPS over 32 games since May 1.

Kelly (6-2) earned the win Wednesday against Atlanta after giving up one hit and one walk in seven scoreless innings. He struck out eight.

After conceding eight runs over his previous two starts, Kelly bounced back in a big way Wednesday. The veteran right-hander submitted his seventh quality start of the year, and it was the sixth time in his last 11 appearances that he fired at least six frames while yielding two runs or fewer. Kelly sports a 2.55 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 69:12 K:BB over 67 innings since April 8, and he's next projected to face a Mariners a club with a .654 OPS against right-handed pitching across 29 outings since May 1.

Lopez was diagnosed Wednesday with a Grade 2 teres major strain in his right shoulder and is expected to be out for approximately 8-to-12 weeks, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Lopez reported tightness in his right shoulder during his start Tuesday against the Athletics and requested to come out of the game after throwing a few warmup pitches prior to the sixth inning. After being sent in for further testing, Lopez has now been determined to have suffered a moderate-grade strain that will keep him out for at least two months. The Twins haven't yet announced a replacement for Lopez in their starting rotation, though David Festa looks to be a leading candidate to come up from Triple-A St. Paul to fill the void.

Baz (5-3) earned the win Wednesday against the Rangers after giving up three runs on five hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five.

While Baz did record the most punchouts in his past four outings, he remains without a quality start over his last seven appearances. It's worth noting Jonah Heim's 356-foot two-run shot in the fifth frame would have been a homer in only three MLB ballparks, per Statcast. The right-hander delivered a 2.45 ERA through his first five starts of the season, but he's stumbled to a 7.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB across 36 innings. Baz will look to turn things around the next time he takes the mound, which lines up for early next week against the Red Sox.

Rocker (1-4) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against the Rays after giving up five runs on six hits and two walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out five.

The hard-throwing right-hander's velocity was encouraging in his first MLB start since April 23, as Rocker induced 16 whiffs and was able to touch 99 mph twice with his sinker, but his return from a right shoulder impingement was still a rocky one overall. Three of his six hits allowed went for extra bases, and Rocker notably failed to cover first base on a groundball that allowed two runs to score with two outs in the third inning. He'll bring a ghastly 8.87 ERA and 1.84 WHIP with 21 strikeouts across 23.1 innings into his next scheduled outing against the Twins, currently projected for early next week.

Schmidt (2-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Guardians, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.

The Guardians got to Schmidt early Wednesday, scoring three runs on four hits during the opening frame, highlighted by an Angel Martinez two-run homer. While Schmidt managed to keep Cleveland off the board over his final 4.2 innings while matching a season high with eight strikeouts, the Yankees couldn't climb out of the early hole in an eventual 4-0 loss. The 29-year-old Schmidt sports a 4.04 ERA through nine starts (49 innings) this year with a 1.29 WHIP and 50:21 K:BB. He's currently scheduled to face the Royals on the road next week.

Ortiz (3-6) earned the win Wednesday over the Yankees, allowing three hits and three walks over 5.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

While it's the first win since April 18 for Ortiz, the right-hander has been pitching well lately, posting a 2.27 ERA over his last five starts (27.2 innings). His ERA is down to 4.02 on the year with a 1.40 WHIP and 71:33 K:BB across 12 starts (65 innings). A matchup with Cincinnati likely waits for Ortiz in his next turn through the rotation.

Abel didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Blue Jays after giving up one run on three hits and no walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out two.

Although Abel wasn't nearly as dominant as he was in his first start, when he fanned nine in six shutout innings, he was still highly effective Wednesday. The rookie right-hander generated just five whiffs, but he's now surrendered only one run while producing a promising 11:0 K:BB over the first 11.1 innings of his major-league career. With Aaron Nola (ankle) still yet to go on a minor-league rehab assignment, Abel's next turn in Philadelphia's rotation is tentatively slated for early next week against a Pirates club with a miserable .638 OPS over 31 games since the start of May.