Player Notes

Tim Stauffer pitched 5 2/3 innings in relief Wednesday, allowing one run and striking out seven Cardinals.
Advice: Tonight's showing should get Stauffer back into the Padres rotation, so give him a look in NL-only leagues. There are still questions about his arm, but he a pretty effective starter in 2011.

Ubaldo Jimenez allowed six runs over four innings in the Indians' loss to the Tigers on Wednesday.
Advice: Jimenez had been on a bit of a roll before Wednesday, having not allowed more than two runs in any of his previous four starts. But the Tigers got to Jimenez for seven hits and three walks in his shortest outing since April 16. His next start will come Monday against the Reds.

Justin Verlander allowed five runs over five innings but earned the win Wednesday as the Tigers beat the Indians.
Advice: Verlander had to work for his fifth win, needing 110 pitches to get through five. He gave up 10 hits, including a home run, but was aided by his team putting up nine runs in the same span. It marks the third-straight start in which Verlander has been less-than-great, seeing his ERA rise from 1.55 to 3.66 since May 5. There's still little reason to worry, though, and he'll take the mound again Monday against the Pirates.

Clay Buchholz moved to 7-0 on Wednesday after holding the White Sox to one run over seven innings.
Advice: The Red Sox won the game 6-2. Buchholz was brilliant yet again, yielding only five hits while fanning four batters. He has a 1.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 73/27 K/BB ratio in 72 2/3 total innings this season and should be able to keep the dominance going next week in an interleague matchup against the struggling Phillies.

Twins optioned RHP Vance Worley to Triple-A Rochester.
Advice: The Twins acquired Worley from the Phillies over the winter in hopes that he would be a productive member of the starting rotation, but he has been anything but. After being knocked around for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings Wednesday by the Braves, the 25-year-old has an ugly 7.21 ERA across 10 starts. If Worley can turn things around in the minors, he figures to get another chance soon. No word yet on whether Kyle Gibson will be the choice to replace him, but don't count it out.

Kevin Slowey left Wednesday's start against the Phillies after the fifth inning with a left lat strain.
Advice: The Marlins are calling him day-to-day, so it's evidently a minor strain. He will be reevaluated on Thursday before it's determined whether he can make his next start. Slowey was pitching well Wednesday before getting hurt, tossing five innings of one-run ball on six hits and no walks while recording six strikeouts.
More: Juan C. Rodriguez on Twitter

Brandon Maurer allowed seven runs in three innings as the Mariners lost to the Angels on Wednesday.
Advice: After two rough outings to start the season, Maurer had been better of late. But he struggled from the outset Wednesday, giving up five runs in the first inning and a run in each of the next two. His next scheduled start is Tuesday against the Padres.

Jeremy Hellickson pitched a season-high eight innings and allowed two runs Wednesday against the Blue Jays.
Advice: Hellickson left with a one-run lead, but that was blown right away by Fernando Rodney. It was still a nice outing for Hellickson, going down as just his third quality start of the season. He allowed four hits, walked one and struck out four.

Hyun-Jin Ryu held the Brewers to two runs in 7 1/3 innings in the Dodgers' 9-2 victory Wednesday.
Advice: It's the seventh time in 10 big-league starts that Ryu has allowed two earned runs or fewer. It's curious that his strikeout rate has dipped of late -- he has just 14 K's in his past four starts combined -- but he has his ERA down to 3.30.

There is no timetable for when Ivan Nova (triceps) will be activated from the disabled list.
Advice: Nova's triceps doesn't appear to be an issue anymore, but the Yankees don't seem eager to add him to the roster. The righty has already appeared in multiple extended spring games and, according to manager Joe Girardi, "felt good" during a bullpen session Wednesday. "We'll make sure he feels OK and we'll go from there," Girardi said. With Andy Pettitte (trapezius muscle) likely to return soon, Nova might wind up being optioned to Triple-A or being used as a long man.
More: The LoHud Yankees Blog

Paul Maholm allowed just an unearned run over 7 1/3 innings in defeating the Twins on Wednesday.
Advice: Unfortunately, Maholm's two bad starts this year were really bad, because he's given up just nine earned runs in the other eight. This is the fourth time he's gone without allowing a single earned run. Overall, he's 6-4 with a 3.38 ERA.

Jeff Samardzija held the Pirates to one run over seven innings on Wednesday but took the loss.
Advice: Samardzija was excellent, fanning eight batters and allowing only three hits and one walk. But he got exactly zero support from the Chicago offense and thus fell to 2-6 on the year. The right-hander has an ace-like 3.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 72/22 K/BB ratio in 63 2/3 innings this season and should keep rolling next week against the White Sox.

C.J. Wilson allowed just one run over eight innings of the Angels' 7-1 win over the Mariners on Wednesday.
Advice: Wilson had pitched well in three losses prior to Wednesday's start, so he took matters into his own hands against the Mariners. Wilson struck out 10 batters in his eight innings, and he now owns a 3.39 ERA through 10 starts. He'll take his next turn Monday against the Dodgers.

Jordan Lyles went six innings, allowing just one run, as the Astros beat the Royals on Wednesday.
Advice: Lyles has made five starts in May, with Wednesday's being his best of the bunch. He struck out just three but limited the Royals to six hits in his six innings. Aside from one bad start in which he allowed eight runs in four innings, Lyles has been serviceable for the Astros thus far. His next start will be Tuesday against the Rockies.