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  • Merrill Kelly heading for follow-up MRI exam
    Merrill Kelly is scheduled to undergo a follow-up MRI exam on his injured shoulder this week to see how he is progressing.

    Advice: Kelly has been shelved since mid-April due to a right shoulder strain. Hopefully after this week’s exam, we’ll at least get some sort of timeline on how long it’ll be before we see him on a big league mound again. The 35-year-old hurler had registered a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 21/6 K/BB ratio over 24 2/3 innings through his first four starts. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:41 pm
  • Finds trouble in fifth inning
    Pepiot allowed three runs on two hits, four walks and a hit batsman while striking out three over four-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Red Sox on Wednesday.

    Advice: Pepiot returned from a lower left leg contusion that sent him to the injured list. He was cruising through the first four innings, but he put three straight batters on base to begin the fifth. Richard Lovelady couldn't slow down the Boston offense, leaving Pepiot to settle for a no-decision. The 26-year-old right-hander threw just 37 of 66 pitches for strikes in his return from injury. Pepiot now has a 3.98 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 44:15 K:BB over 40.2 innings across eight starts. It's unclear if his limited workload came from a pitch count or just the natural flow of the game. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Athletics. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:27 pm
  • Throws 74 pitches in return
    Dunning (3-3) took the loss Wednesday against Philadelphia, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk over 3.1 innings. He struck out four.

    Advice: Dunning hadn't made a start since May 4 after enduring an IL stint due to a strained rotator cuff and was limited to 74 pitches overall. He looked rusty, giving up a solo homer to J.T. Realmuto in the third and sending a pick-off attempt toward second base into the outfield to allow Nick Castellanos to score from third during the second frame. Dunning should remain on a pitch count for the next start or two as he gets fully stretched out. The 29-year-old is tentatively scheduled to face the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:27 pm
  • Starting Thursday
    Smith-Shawver will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Thursday's game against the Cubs, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

    Advice: Smith-Shawver will be making his first big-league start of 2024 on Thursday after logging a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP through 31 innings across eight starts in Triple-A. He appeared in six games for Atlanta last season with mixed results, though he could find some success against a Cubs offense that ranks 10th in the National League with a .683 OPS. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:18 pm
  • Earns fifth win
    Bello (5-2) allowed three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win over the Rays on Wednesday.

    Advice: Bello completed six innings for the second time in eight outings this season, and he earned his second quality start in the process. The Rays scored three times in the second inning, but the Red Sox offense rallied for eight runs over the fifth and sixth frames to give Bello plenty of support. The right-hander is now at a 4.04 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 37:13 K:BB through 42.1 innings. Walks typically haven't been an outsized issue for Bello, so there's not much reason for concern that he was a little wild Wednesday. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Orioles. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:17 pm
  • AJ Smith-Shawver to start for Braves Thursday
    AJ Smith-Shawver will start for the Braves on Thursday in their series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

    Advice: The 21-year-old hurler made six appearances (five starts) for the Braves during the 2023 campaign, posting a 4.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 20/11 K/BB ratio across 25 1/3 innings of work. He makes for a decent streaming option on Thursday’s slate, especially with the mighty Braves’ offense backing him. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:15 pm
  • Struggles with command
    Walker didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Texas, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks across 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

    Advice: Walker issued a season-high four walks Wednesday, two of which came in the fifth inning before he was yanked. After taking a comebacker off the foot in his last start end exiting early, Walker threw 86 pitches and didn't seem to be limited in any capacity. Although the 31-year-old owns a 5.06 ERA across 26.2 innings, he holds a 3-0 record and hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start since his 2024 debut. He's projected to make his next start Monday at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:14 pm
  • Chris Bassitt shuts down White Sox over seven
    Chris Bassitt tossed seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a win over the White Sox on Wednesday.

    Advice: Bassitt had his best outing of the season, putting up his first zero on the scoreboard. He shut out the White Sox across seven innings, scattering five hits and two walks while striking out four on 107 pitches. The 35-year-old right-hander will take a 4.39 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 49/25 K/BB ratio across 55 1/3 innings into a start against the White Sox in Chicago on Monday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:12 pm
  • Nestor Cortes lasts five innings in win
    Nestor Cortes pitched five scoreless innings on Wednesday against the Mariners. He scattered three hits and three walks while striking out six and earning the win.

    Advice: Cortes had a tougher time in this one than the box score would suggest as the Mariners put men on base in each of the first four innings with a handful of runners in scoring position. Still, Cortes found a way to wiggle out of every jam and earned his third win of the season. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:12 pm