MLB Player News

Buehler allowed three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out four batters over four innings in a no-decision against Miami on Monday.

Buehler had a favorable matchup in his first major-league start since mid-June of 2022, as he squared off against the team with the third-worst record in baseball. That didn't seem to matter early, though, as the Marlins jumped on the right-hander for a pair of first-inning runs on a trio of singles. However, Buehler's fastball velocity averaged a solid 96.6 mph in the frame, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register, which foreshadowed him settling down to allow just one more run over the remainder of his outing. Not surprisingly, the 29-year-old wasn't pushed too hard in his return to the majors, as he was pulled after 77 pitches and four frames rather than being allowed to complete the fifth and qualify for the win. Assuming Buehler comes out of the start without any setbacks, Monday's outing will likely serve as a foundation on which he can build up to a higher pitch count moving forward. He's tentatively lined up to make his next start on the road in San Diego this weekend.

Kittredge (0-1) allowed one run on one hit over one inning, taking the loss Monday versus the Mets. He did not strike out or walk a batter.

Kittredge was charged with a run for the first time since April 6, though he took a blown save in his last outing Saturday for allowing an inherited runner to score. The scoreless streak spanned 10.1 innings. Even with the recent slip-ups, Kittredge is boasting a 1.20 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB over 15 innings this season while adding 10 holds. The right-hander has emerged as a key high-leverage option for the Cardinals, though Ryan Helsley is firmly entrenched as the closer this year.

Black (0-1) took the loss Monday against Philadelphia, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

Despite the crooked numbers, Black was solid up until the sixth inning, where he allowed five hits -- including a three-run homer -- as part of a four-run frame. While Monday's start wasn't great, the Phillies are a top-five offense in most statistical categories and have caused trouble for some of the best pitchers in baseball. Considering Black's 1.01 ERA at Triple-A Sacramento and Blake Snell's (thigh) injury, Black should get another chance to prove himself, an opportunity which would likely come Saturday against Cincinnati.

Wheeler (4-3) earned the win Monday against San Francisco, allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk with 11 strikeouts over seven innings.

Wheeler didn't allow an earned run for the third time in his last four starts as he shut down the Giants with a season-high 11 strikeouts. After seeing his ERA rise above 3.00 a season ago for the first time since 2019, Wheeler has cruised to a 1.64 ERA across 49.1 innings this season and is tied for the league lead in strikeouts with 63. He'll look to extend his win streak to five next time out, with a tentative matchup with the Marlins on the docket for Sunday.

Nimmo went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Monday in a 4-3 win against St. Louis.

With the score tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning, Nimmo swatted a 415-foot solo shot to right field that provided the winning margin for New York. The veteran outfielder extended his hitting streak to five games, and four of his seven hits over that span have gone for extra bases. Nimmo has lifted his season average to .228 with the hot stretch following a cold start to the campaign.

Gibson allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four batters over six innings in a no-decision against the Mets on Monday.

Gibson yielded a run in the first inning Monday, but he didn't allow the Mets to score again until they put up two runs against him in the fifth frame. The veteran hurler completed one more scoreless inning after that to record his seventh straight outing of at least six frames to begin the campaign. Gibson's ability to eat up innings didn't correlate with success early in the season -- he gave up 13 runs across his first 19 frames -- but he's turned things around admirably since, posting four consecutive quality starts during which he's allowed just five earned runs across 25 innings. The right-hander has thus lowered his ERA to 3.68 and become at least a semi-viable fantasy target for managers in need of starting pitching despite his tepid 33:16 K:BB across 44 frames.

Diaz earned a save against the Cardinals on Monday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.

Diaz blew his first save of the season Sunday against Tampa Bay, but he went right back to work with the Mets holding a one-run ninth-inning lead a day later. The star closer didn't falter this time, retiring all three batters he faced on 11 pitches. The save was Diaz's fifth of the campaign and his first since April 15.

Manaea (2-1) earned the win over St. Louis on Monday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one batter over six innings.

Manaea didn't have his swing-and-miss stuff Monday -- he induced just four whiffs and recorded only one strikeout -- but that didn't stop him from keeping the Cardinals' bats mostly under control. The southpaw cruised through five scoreless frames before running out of gas in a three-run St. Louis sixth, but he was able to finish the inning to notch his first quality start since his first appearance of the campaign. Control issues have kept Manaea from going deep into contests this season, so it was promising to see him issue just one free pass -- his fewest of the campaign -- against the Cardinals.

Morel went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, a walk and a steal in Monday's loss to the Padres.

Morel put the Cubs on the board with his two-run shot in the sixth inning after snagging a steal earlier in the contest. He has five hits over his last five games and four of them have left the yard. The 24-year-old is slashing .220/.315/.449 with 12 extra-base hits (eight home runs), four stolen bases and 23 RBI through 35 games this season.

Steele allowed three hits and a walk over 4.2 scoreless innings in a no-decision Monday. He struck out two during the loss to San Diego.

Steele made his first start since straining his hamstring during his Opening Day outing. He showed no signs of rust but was clearly on a limit, as he threw only 68 pitches. He gave up one extra-base hit but otherwise kept San Diego's bats quiet. Steele has given up one run through 9.1 innings in two starts this season. The 28-year-old should be able to pitch deeper in his next outing, which is lined up to be in Pittsburgh this weekend.