Weeks is hitting just .146 in the month of May and has been out of the starting lineup twice in the last week. 

Zimmerman hit a solo home run to right field in the sixth inning of a 6-5, 10-inning win. He went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. He has hit safely in seven games in a row.

Zimmerman is hitting .283, with 19 RBI in 28 games. He has eight extra-base hits overall. 

Votto went 2 for 4 in the game, raising his batting average to .329. He is batting .400 with a 1.056 on-base plus slugging percentage in the month of May, however he now has just one home run and seven RBI in the past 14 games.  

Bruce went 2 for 4 in the game, with a two-run home run in the sixth inning of a 5-3 loss. Bruce snapped a streak of five games in a row with one strikeout, while also extending his hitting streak to eight games.

He is batting .394 with three home runs, 10 RBI and five runs scored during his streak, raising his batting average for the year from .246 to .275. 

Brett Pill was optioned to Triple-A Fresno to make room on the active roster.

Machi struck out 10 batters in 10 1/3 innings, while walking just three. 

Pill had two hits in six at-bats with the Giants before being sent down.  

Posey did his part, reaching base in three of his five plate appearances, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. He drove in two runs and scored two more. He is now batting .293 on the season. 

McCutchen went 3 for 5 with a double and a solo home run, in addition to scoring twice in a 5-4 win. He is batting .276 for the season after falling to .260 after a 0-for-3 game Wednesday. 

Chavez has three straight multi-hit games, with five RBI, two walks and two extra-base hits during that span. He has raised his batting average to .337, while receiving the majority of his playing time against right-handed pitching.  

Scutaro is batting .475 in the month of May, with 11 multi-hit games in 14 games. He currently has a 16-game hitting streak. 

Cingrani went 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in six starts before being sent down. He struck out 41 batters in 33 innings. 

Soto batted .269 with three home runs and 16 RBI in 33 games at Triple-A. 

"I'm happy I don't have to rehab again," he told the Chicago Sun-Times Saturday. "I just had to refresh some stuff from spring training, got the rust off. I feel great, ready to go Tuesday and can't wait."

Garza has not pitched in a major-league game since July 28, when he was shut down with a stress reaction in his right elbow. He admitted to being a bit worried when he first took the mound in Double-A Tennessee, his first competitive action in eight months.

"The only time I was nervous was when I made my first rehab in Tennessee," he said. "The first couple pitches I was a little worried, but then it was fine. Ever since then, there's been no doubt in my mind."

Garza threw six strong innings in his last rehab start, and he needed just 75 pitches to do so. The team expects him to be ready for a full workload quickly. 

Heath carried an 11.12 ERA in 5 2/3 innings of work in the majors.

Ramirez took starter Jaime Garcia deep twice for a pair of three-run home runs. He finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and six RBI in a 7-6 defeat.

Ramirez has gone 3 for 15 in his last four games played. He is hitting .327 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 49 at-bats.

Hudson is expected to throw a bullpen session Monday. Barring any setbacks, he will pitch five innings in an extended spring training game Thursday.

However, manager Terry Francona would like to take a cautious approach with his injury.

"There will be a lot of factors, but the main thing will be how he is doing," Francona said. "When you sit a guy down, the object when he comes back is for him to feel good, not to rush back and go back to where he was. I think he's chomping at the bit, though, which means he's feeling good."

But it's nearing its end. With Franklin Gutierrez beginning a rehab assignment Thursday, the Mariners will soon have no place for Ibanez, slotting Michael Morse in left field, Gutierrez in center and Michael Saunders in right, Kendrys Morales at DH and Justin Smoak at first base.

Ibanez will still get occasional starts, but only when one of those five needs a rest and mostly just against right-handed pitchers. And obviously, you can't expect him to perform at this pace on those occasions.

Though he clearly still has pop at age 40, Ibanez's limited opportunities for at-bats make him rosterable only in deeper AL-only leagues. And chances are he's been owned in those formats from the beginning.

So what happened in his latest start Thursday, when he allowed three home runs and six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings?

For starters, he was pitching at Coors Field -- and not the snow-covered Coors Field we've seen for much of the season, but the one that typically accompanies 81-degree temperatures (you know, suitable baseball weather).

After a couple of years of relatively fair play with the introduction of the humidor, Coors Field was back to being kryptonite for many of the pitchers who came through there last year. Now that the weather is back to normal, I have a feeling Cain won't be the only notable pitcher to suffer from its effects.

He will have to stay off his fractured foot for at least two more weeks, according to the Star-Ledger. He will need to be re-examined in two weeks to determine when he will be able to begin ramping up baseball activities and begin his rehab assignment. 

Nuno will take the place of Andy Pettitte, who landed on the disabled list Friday with a strained trapezius. Nuno has not allowed a run over eight innings with the Yankees, including five shutout innings in his first career start against Cleveland on May 13. It's unclear how long Pettitte will be out of action, but Nuno appears to be in line for at least two starts.

He also has a 1.55 WHIP in those two starts, allowing more than hit per inning in each.

Two starts don't tell us much of anything but because neither has made me jump out of my chair and say, "Oh, wow! This is the Liriano we've been missing the last three years," I'm not in a hurry to add the Pirates left-hander off the waiver wire. It's not like he stopped striking out batters with the Twins and White Sox. The problem was all those baserunners.

Sure, Liriano is worth a flier if you need a strikeout specialist or a high-upside guy -- I currently rank him 82nd at starting pitcher -- but he's far from a must-add.

The maximum amount of time a player can be on the paternity list is three games, so Quentin should be back soon. He is hitting just .181 with four home runs on the season.  

Okajima has been dominant at Triple-A, as he has 18 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA over 16 2/3 innings. He posted a 4.32 ERA over 8 1/3 innings in Boston in 2011, his last stint as a major leaguer.

Stauffer is likely to pitch in relief while with the team. He has been recovering from elbow surgery, and he put up a 3.16 ERA in eight games at Triple-A. 

Resop has struggled mightily, as he owns a 6.00 ERA and 1.3 K/BB over 18 innings. The club called up Hideki Okajima to replace him in the bullpen.

What's worse is he just looked uncomfortable at the plate, and as we saw in 2011, when his mechanics get out of whack, they're not so easy to fix.

Hopefully, the time away gave him a chance to study film and get his swing right. If he looks halfway decent over the weekend, you'll want to get him active in Fantasy Week 8 (May 20-26). Right now, the Braves are projected to face nothing but right-handers, and they're some of the more hittable pitchers in the Twins and Mets rotations.

Weber appeared in three games earlier in the season, before being sent down to Triple-A Tucson. He has a 4.15 ERA in 13 major-league innings over parts of two seasons. 

Wright went 3 for 4 with a solo home run, accounting for three of the team's eight hits. He added a stolen base, his ninth of the season.

Wright is now batting .312 on the season, and has been on fire since the start of May. He is hitting .364 in 14 games, with twice as many home runs (four) as in April. He has six home runs on the season, with 27 RBI. 

You also have a 25-year-old who has yet to start a game in the majors and who seemed destined to spend his entire career in middle relief just last year.

But if his numbers in the heavy-hitting Pacific Coast League this year count for anything, a return to the starting rotation has made him an even better pitcher. In 43 1/3 innings, he has a 2.08 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, allowing just 5.6 hits per nine innings.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels recently pointed out that Lindblom has three plus pitches and is working on a fourth. A varied arsenal usually plays up better in a starting role than a relief role, so Lindblom strikes me as one of those pitchers who will fare better when stretched out. If I had a roster spot to play with, I might just take a flier on him.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said he doesn't expect it to be a long-term injury. Davis was placed on the disabled list May 11 and could return right around his first eligible date, May 26. 

Davis is hitting .284/.326/.395 with eight stolen bases.

On the one hand, Castro, who went 2 for 4 with a run scored, has multiple hits in five out of the last 10 games, as it's becoming old hat for him. On the other, both hits came off Mets starter Matt Harvey, who had allowed just two players to get multiple hits off him so far this season. The Cubs went on to lose 3-2, as Castro was the only batter with more than one hit.

Castro has upped his batting average from .277 to .287 over the last 10 games, while batting .341 over that stretch, with seven RBI and eight runs scored. 

Jose Altuve has been on the bereavement list since Monday due to the death of his grandmother. Elmore has gone 3 for 8 with a double as his replacement.

Parnell entered the game in the ninth with a 3-2 lead and promptly retired the Cubs on 15 pitches. He had no strikeouts, but picked up two fly ball outs and one groundball out.

Parnell has five saves in seven opportunities, with an 0.98 ERA. He has four wins, three of which have come in May.

So why is everyone so down on him now?

The only two measurements that don't live up to last year's are win-loss record, which is out of hands, and strikeout rate, which doesn't signify much in and of itself, especially when it's a still-impressive 8.6 per nine innings.

Maybe the first eight-inning outing of his career Thursday will turn the tides back in his favor. If not, I'm happy to buy low on him.

Jackson allowed a pair of solo home runs in the first and fourth inning, but that was all of the damage until the seventh, when he was chased with two outs after opposing starter Matt Harvey drove a single to left field to break a 2-2 tie. Jackson would earn the loss in the game as a result.

Jackson allowed three earned runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out four batters. Despite throwing just his third quality start of the season, Jackson is now 1-6 on the season, with a 5.76 ERA. He will try to get back on the winning side in his next start, Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Harvey held the Cubs to just two earned runs in 7 1/3 innings, and even his two runs could easily been unearned, as they came to score on an infield single and throwing error in the first inning. He held the Cubs to just five hits overall and walked no batters, while striking out six.

Harvey improved his record to 5-0, while his ERA rose slightly, to 1.55. He will attempt to remain unbeaten in his next start, Wednesday against the Reds. 

While taking a look at two-start pitchers for week eight on Fantasy Baseball Today, Al Melchior said he still considers Cole Hamels a must-start regardless of whether he’s a one-start or two-start. Hamels’ next two scheduled outings come against Miami on Monday and Washington on May 26.

Kinsler injured his ribs sliding into third base in Thursday's game. He will be replaced by Leury Garcia. Consider Kinsler day-to-day for now.

"He is 40 years old, and we're probably going to go through this probably a little bit," Girardi told reporters after the game.

You don't often see pitchers throwing 180 innings in their 40s, but for a non-strikeout pitcher like Pettitte to make a significant impact in Fantasy, he'll pretty much need to do that. If he's perpetually at risk of missing his next start because of this ache or that pain, you have to ask yourself if he's really worth the trouble.

Even if the Yankees put him on the DL, which seems likely, you shouldn't feel like you have to cut a Brandon Beachy or Adam Eaton type to keep him on yours.

Harell last started on Tuesday, so he'll be on regular rest. He has a brutal 5.11 ERA and even 1.0 K/BB in nine starts.

Our Nando Di Fino said on Friday’s broadcast of Fantasy Baseball Today that he doesn’t see Belt’s ownership percentage staying low for very long. The term “breakout” was tossed around a few times in his assessment of Belt’s expected rest-of-season production.

Lucas Harrell will take Norris's turn in the rotation on Sunday. Norris's back problems first turned up in Monday's start against Detroit, in which he allowed seven runs on nine hits over five innings.

And just a few days ago, it was significantly lower than that. Over his last four games, Morse is 9 for 15 with a homer and two doubles, raising his season batting average from .220 to .261.

What we're seeing form him now is a long overdue course correction, and judging by his numbers the last few years, it's just the beginning. Though most Fantasy owners see him as a big, hulking slugger, Morse is actually a safer bet for a .300 batting average than 30 home runs.

But he's fully capable of both.

Nicasio is 3-1 with a 5.13 ERA through eight starts. 

The team has yet to divulge their plans for the rotation, but it has been expected that Leake or Tony Cingrani would be demoted with Cueto's return.   

Worse yet is the lack of innings. Only four times in eight starts has he gone a full six. This is from a guy who seemingly went seven or eight in each of his first 15 starts as a rookie last year.

The problem for him is that second and third time through the lineup. In innings 1-3 this year, he has a 1.13 ERA. In innings 4-9, he has a 7.17 ERA. To me, that's a sign of major-leaguer hitters catching up to his lack of pedigree. Keep in mind he wasn't a top prospect. He earned his spot in the majors by overachieving in the minors.

I'm not saying Quintana isn't a useful pitcher in Fantasy, but in standard mixed leagues, you can probably find better on the waiver wire.

Pryor is eligible to return in mid-June. He has been dealing with a lat problem but will avoid surgery, and will likely return near the end of June.

Morrison has been out all season while recovering from knee surgery. He is expected to return to the Marlins lineup in early June. 

Noesi was forced into a spot start due to an Aaron Harang back injury, and the club optioned him to bring up a fresh arm in Danny Farquhar. Noesi will likely be back in Seattle at some point this season, whether in long relief or as a starter.

Farquhar, 26, owns a 2.25 ERA and 7.5 K/BB in 20 innings for Tacoma. It will be his Seattle debut; he threw two innings for Toronto in 2011 and allowed four runs on four hits.

According to sources close to the team, a trade is "unlikely" this season, as the team continues to hope it can re-sign Headley to a long-term contract. While Headley's agent did not return a message to Heyman, Padres general manager Josh Byrnes was willing to speak about his desire to keep Headley.

"Our first choice is to sign him," Byrnes told Heyman by phone.

Headley is still two offseasons away from becoming a free agent, but the Padres have already turned down plenty of offers for the Silver Slugger award winner.

"A couple teams tried pretty hard. But obviously we had a pretty high standard," Byrnes said. "And obviously, we think even higher of him now."

Adams has not pitched in over a week due to his lingering back injury.

Stewart injured his groin in Thursday's game against Seattle. The injury looked bad at the time -- a muscle pull was feared -- but it appears he'll be ready to return to action in a few days.

But don't assume he's back to normal. There's still that messy issue of the Mets instructing him to pitch to contact.

I don't mean to keep harping on something I heard once on an opposing team's broadcast, but with only three strikeouts again Thursday, Niese has no more than three in any of his last seven starts. He's averaging 4.5 strikeouts per nine innings this year after averaging 7.3 per nine last year.

If that doesn't change, I don't see how he's anything more than a matchups type in mixed leagues.

Here's a taste of what the Nationals are facing in that six-game slate: Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Kyle Kendrick and Cole Hamels. Yeah, LaRoche maintaining the streak against them wouldn't be the strangest thing ever, but at a deep position like first base, why take the chance of them pulling the rug out from under him?

Pettitte was removed from his last start Thursday after 4 2/3 innings after feeling muscle spasms in his left trapezius. He said he felt better Friday, but he still wasn't sure if he would be available for Tuesday's game against Baltimore.

What allowed Rodney to take a dramatic leap forward last year was his markedly improved control. He issued just 1.8 walks per nine innings. His previous best was 3.5. Not only did it keep runners off base, but it allowed him to use his best pitch, the changeup, more effectively.

So if he wants to get back to being that pitcher, he has a long way to go. That's the bad news. The good news -- and the reason I still rank him 18th among relief pitchers -- is that the Rays don't have any obvious alternatives if he continues to struggle. Joel Peralta is a possibility, but as a 37-year-old career setup man, he's a remote one.

Boyer, 31, owned a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings at Triple-A Omaha, but the club declined to call him up. Boyer exercised an out clause in his contract and will become a free agent.

Don't get me wrong: Fernandez was looking like a good source of ERA and WHIP and a relatively good source of strikeouts (particularly if measured by inning) before then, but limited to just 85 pitches per start, he wasn't getting enough innings for those ratios to amount to anything.

He may still struggle to win games pitching for the Marlins, but now that you don't have to worry so much about him getting pulled before the fifth inning, he's a must-own in Fantasy.

It is not clear at this time how long he is expected to be out. Walden has a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings of work in his first season in Atlanta. 

Heyward has been out since April 22 due to an emergency appendectomy. He is in the starting lineup for Friday's game, batting second and playing right field. 

But why is it only an issue now? Why wasn't it when he was dominating with a 1.55 ERA over his first seven starts? This is a game, right? It's supposed to be fun? So why are you inventing things to worry about?

Yes, inventing them, because according to that same PitchFX data, he averaged 95.5 miles per hour in that start, the hardest he's thrown this season. In fact, he hasn't thrown that hard over a full season since 2009. Velocity wasn't Verlander's problem Thursday. The Rangers were.

I'll offer you Matt Harvey for him right now.

He will likely work in Class A in order to prove he is healthy and up to speed, before joining Triple-A Fresno, where he hit .332 in 106 games a year ago. 

Wheeler is expected to miss just one start due to the issue.  

Rosenberg has a 4.30 ERA in 37 2/3 innings in Triple-A this season. He allowed 17 runs in 25 innings with the Phillies in 2012. 

Valdes posted a 7.65 ERA in 20 innings of work with the Phillies this season.  

Pestano was effective in a rehab assignment and appears to have put his elbow injury behind him. Expect him to return to a setup role in front of closer Chris Perez.

Kubel has appeared in two of the last three games, but only as a pinch-hitter. The team does not know when he will be able to return. 

Lough posted a .597 OPS in 20 games with the Royals in 2012. The 27-year-old is hitting .340/.393/.477 in 36 games for Triple-A Omaha this season.

"Last year," manager Davey Johnson said to CBSSports.com senior baseball columnist Scott Miller, "I cut him short because he was on an innings limit. This year, I'm going to be pushing him."

Strasburg is averaging 6 1/3 innings per start, the first time in his career he has topped the six-inning mark on average. That is an indication of the team's growing trust in their ace.

"Davey has given me a little bit more trust," Strasburg said. "I'm strong enough to go over 100 pitches and be successful, and not lose movement."

Strasburg is still ninth in the National League in strikeouts per nine innings, but he has made a concerted effort to pitch to contact more often, in an attempt to get deeper into games. 

Harang has dealt with back issues in the past, but he doesn't believe the issue will linger. Harang has a 7.30 ERA in 24 2/3 innings despite 23 strikeouts against five walks.

Myers is slated to throw three innings Friday night. Myers has been on the shelf since April 19 due to an elbow injury.

The team plans to have a decision made after Garza throws a bullpen session Saturday. None of the Cubs' starters have been told they are moving to the bullpen at this point. Despite throwing just 75 pitches over six innings Thursday, Sveum said he does not think Garza's durability will be a concern whenever he is capable of coming back. 

"That's the last thing we have to worry about with him," he said. 

Davis, who is batting just .157 through the first 37 games of the season, suffered through a similar slow start 2012 that the Mets allowed him to battle through. He was hitting just .170 through the end of May last year, before hitting .253 with 27 home runs in his final 108 games. 

Rodney blew the save in Thursday's game against Boston as he walked four batters and allowed three runs to score. His ERA ballooned to 5.28 as a result, and he has already given up four more earned runs this year (nine) than he did last year. 

However, given Rodney's success last year and the good run he was on before Thursday's outing -- a 2.08 ERA and seven saves in eight chances over his last 13 outings -- it will likely take a few more disasters to unseat him.

Ethier's play has not indicated that he is struggling with his conditioning, as he is batting .500 over the last five games. Still, the team wants to keep he 31-year-old healthy for the long season.

"The [body] language tells you kind of where he's at. And then you see it on the field in his energy level," Mattingly said. "You can kind of feel it with guys."

Rizzo struck out in 27.6 percent of his at-bats in the month of April, leading to a .224 batting average despite eight home runs and 20 RBI. Since May 1, however, he has struck out in just 12.3 percent of his at-bats.

His improved plate discipline has led to a .368 batting average in the month, though he does have just one home run in 14 games. 

Will Beckham play, though? The 2008 first round pick has just a .239/.303/.361 (78 OPS+) line since 2010. Meanwhile, Conor Gillaspie (.294/.360/.451, 115 OPS+) is looking like a rookie of the year candidate. Perhaps Jeff Keppinger (.188/.191/.210, 7 OPS+) heads to the bench for Beckham, but there is competition now. Beckham will have to hit to guarantee playing time -- a new situation for him, given how the White Sox have lacked infield depth for most of his career.

Cuddyer is dealing with an inflamed disc in his neck, and he is advancing slowly in his recovery. He had an epidural shot in the next Wednesday, and is improving slowly.

"I was still pretty locked up yesterday after the epidural, but I'm feeling a little better today," he said to the Denver Post.  

Cuddyer is still a few days from resuming baseball activities. 

He went 1 for 4 in the game, and his homer came in the second inning with one runner on base. Helton is now batting .257 on the season, while receiving most of his starts at first base against right-handed pitchers. He has just nine at-bats against left-handers this season.

Arenado went 1 for 4 in the game, with a solo home run, his first since May 5. He also struck out once.

Arenado is batting .259 since May 1, with three home runs and seven runs scored. 

Danks is recovering from a shoulder injury that limited him to nine starts in 2012. 

LaRoche opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the fourth inning, to give them a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish. He finished the game 1 for 3 with a walk and two RBI.

LaRoche is batting .217 on the season, but it currently riding a 13-game hitting streak. He is batting .354 with a .959 on-base plus slugging percentage in 14 games since May 1. 

The solo home run was Roberts's only hit of the game. His batting line is up to .253/.311/.400, which, as unimpressive as it looks, is right around the second base average of .261/.320/.394. Expect Roberts to keep seeing at-bats against left-handed pitching for now.

"I don't need another start down here," Garza told the Des Moines Register after Thursday's rehab start for Triple-A Iowa. "There's no reason for me to stay in the Minor Leagues."

Garza has been out all season due to a strained lat muscle, but has now made four minor-league rehab starts, including two at Triple-A. The Cubs plan to re-evaluate Garza before making a decision, according to MLB.com.

"I don't need another one here," Garza said. "They might differ on opinion but I think all in all, it comes down to what I want and the way I feel. The organization — they're going to make the call at the end of the day but I think we're going to collaborate and come to some sort of compromise."

One possible hurdle for Garza is he only needed 75 pitches over six innings Thursday, and the team wanted him to throw at least 85 in his final rehabilitation start. 

Heyward has been on the disabled list since April 22 due to an appendectomy. 

Granderson scored a run and stole a base as well. He was at designated hitter for the first time in his three games, likely in an effort to keep him fresh coming off the wrist injury. Granderson started the other two games in left field. He is 4 for his first 11 (.364).

Kubel will try to play Friday against the Marlins after appearing twice in the team's last three games as a pinch-hitter.  

Gomez has started three games in a row since moving into the rotation, and has allowed just three earned runs on eight hits in 14 innings of work. He has not gone more than five inning in any start, and the team seems OK with that out of him for now.

"Jeanmar's still spinning out of that fifth spot because he performed admirably as well as a long man, a pure long man, a few times," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's given us what we need there as a five-inning guy, basically."

Gomez is expected to remain in the rotation at least until Charlie Morton can retrun from the disabled list, which is not expected to occur until June 5.

"We'll see where it takes us," Hurdle said. "We'll keep our eyes on what's down below as well."

Harper went 1 for 4 in the game, but his one hit was a loud one. He slugged his 11th home run of the season an estimated 431 feet, to put the finishing touches on a 6-2 win. Harper also struck out once to go along with his solo shot.

Harper was out of the starting lineup for two games in a row with soreness in his shoulder, knees and rib cage following a collision with a wall Monday. 

The team expects to take a broader look at Detwiler's back in the second MRI, with the hopes of getting a better idea of his status moving forward.

Detwiler is doubtful for his next start, Monday in San Francisco.

Provided he didn't suffer any setbacks in the rehab game, Young is expected to return to the A's Friday.

Reed needed just 10 pitches to pitch a perfect ninth inning, as he picked up two groundball outs and one fly ball out.

He now has 13 saves in 14 opportunities, with a 2.50 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 18 innings of work. 

Lough appeared in 20 games for the Royals last season, batting .237 with three extra-base hits in 59 at-bats. He was batting .340 in Triple-A as of Thursday. 

Quintana only really ran into problems in two innings, the fourth and sixth, as he allowed all four runs on four hits and a walk in those two innings. He allowed six hits and three walks that led to his four runs, over 6 2/3 innings.

Quintana struck out four batters, while throwing 66 of his 111 pitches for strikes. His ERA rose to 3.97 on the season, though he ultimately earned a no decision, to keep his record at 2-1. He is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday against the Red Sox. 

After struggling to get through five innings in his previous outing, Strasburg was relatively efficient this time around, needing 117 pitches to finish his eight frames. He limited the Padres to three hits in the game, while walking three batters. He also struck out four batters, nearly matching his season-low. He racked up 13 groundball outs and seven fly ball outs in the game.

Strasburg did not allow an earned run until the sixth inning, however the defense let him down earlier in the game. An unearned run came around to score in the fifth inning, after a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. He allowed just the one earned run in his eight innings of work, and he earned his first win since his first start, 6-4.

Strasburg lowered his ERA to 2.83 on the season, while improving his record to 2-5. He is scheduled to make his next start Tuesday against the Giants. 

Pujols has recorded a hit and driven in at least one run in each of his last four games. He'll try to maintain his recent success as his team's series with the White Sox extends into the weekend.

Peralta went 1 for 4 in the game overall, with just the run scored and driven in from the home run. He has four on the season, and is batting .326 in 138 at-bats.  

That would be the extent of his contributions, as he went 1 for 4 with a run scored and one RBI, in a 10-4 loss. It was his first home run of the season, in 52 at-bats. 

Reed allowed one run on two hits, as he gave up a solo home run to Nelson Cruz in the seventh inning. He struck out one batter, and needed 33 pitches to finish three innings of work in his major-league debut. 

Williams has delivered great ratios this year, posting a 3.05 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, despite middling peripherals, which include a 23:10 K:BB ratio in 38 1/3 innings. His next start could come against the Mariners at home next week.

"I told the doctor I had never had allergies before I started doing any of that stuff, but he said [drug use] has nothing to do with it," Hamilton told the Times.

Heading into Thursday's action, Hamilton has hit just .214/.264/.358 with five home runs in 174 plate appearances.

"What happened was I cracked the tooth in half on our plane trip coming back from [New York] going to Chicago and I bit into something and my tooth went one way," Sale told MLB.com. "So I actually pulled half of it out on the plane and got the rest of it taken care of."

Sale opted to get the tooth fixed after his start, so he could avoid having to miss a start.

"I wanted to do it after my start so I had enough time to get over it and be ready for my next start," Sale said. "I got put on laughing gas and pain medication. I was out of it for a couple days."

He says he is over the issue and does not expect to have any problems Friday, when he faces the Angels in a rematch at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. 

Verlander lasted just 2 2/3 innings in the game as he ran into a huge amount of trouble in the third inning. Verlander allowed two hits to open the inning, and then threw a wild pitch and then walked in the first run of the inning.

He allowed another bases-loaded walk, but had a chance to get out of the inning with just the two runs allowed. Unfortunately, he surrendered a two-run double to Mitch Moreland and then a three-run home run to Geovany Soto to end his game.

This is just the fourth time in Verlander's career that he has not gotten out of the third inning, and the first since June 22, 2010. He allowed eight runs on six hits and two walks, with his first home run allwoed since his second start of the year.

Verlander falls to 2-2 on the season, taking the loss in a 10-4 final. Verlander's ERA jumped from 1.93 to 3.17 with this start. He will try to bounce back Wednesday, against the Indians. 

Martin was also caught stealing for the second time this season Thursday. He has hit .268/.326/.390 in 89 plate appearances and appears to be warming up on the basepaths.

"I don't know why I keep getting questions about Valverde," Leyland told MLB.com. "I'm thrilled to have him back."

Valverde's experience is a big plus for Leyland, who knows that Valverde has saved 280 games in his career, including 110 over the previous three seasons with Detroit. He gave Valverde another vote of confidence Thursday before the game against the Rangers.

"I know two things about Valverde," Leyland said. "He's not afraid and he's done it before."

Cishek allowed just one hit in the ninth inning, as he held the deficit to just one run. The Marlins fought back to score one off Aroldis Chapman, and Cishek returned to the mound for the top of the 10th inning.

Unfortunately, Cishek ran into trouble immediately, as he allowed a single to the first batter and walked the next. He would eventually allow three runs in the inning on two hits and two walks, before being pulled with two outs. He allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings, on three hits and two walks, to earn the loss in a 5-3 final.

Cishek is now 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings. He has five saves in six opportunities. 

Despite having the game in hand late, the Rangers allowed Darvish to throw 130 pitches, the second highest pitch count of any AL pitcher this season and the second time in three starts Darvish has thrown at least 127 pitches. He'll take a 2.97 ERA into a start at home against the A's Tuesday.

Morse has hit .261/.325/.507 in 151 plate appearances. His 10 home runs leave him one off the American League lead.

Ozuna finished the game 1 for 3, with a sacrifice bunt as well as the RBI triple. The Marlins fell, 5-3. He is now batting .298 15 games into his rookie campaign. 

Wilhelmsen owns a 0.50 ERA and has surrendered just seven hits and five walks in 18 innings while striking out 13 batters on the year.

"Juan Pierre hit a home run off me -- just my luck," Latos said. "I looked at him when he was running the bases and said, 'What the heck happened?'"

Pierre's home run was his first since June 23 of the 2012 season, and just his sixth extra-base hit of this season. He finished the game going 1 for 5, with one strikeout, in a 5-3 loss.

Pierre has struck out in four straight games, as his batting average is down to .239. 

Alvarez entered play Thursday with just two steals in 354 games and 1,370 career plate appearances. He recorded one stolen base in each of the last two years. Alvarez has hit just .188/.237/.336 with six home runs in 139 plate appearances this season.

Mathis went hitless in four at bats, with a pair of strikeouts, in a 5-3 loss. He did throw out the lone baserunner who tried to run against him.

With the big game, Snider boosts his line to .292/.364/.406 in 107 plate appearances.

Betancourt had actually went hitless in six of his seven games heading into Thursday. The solid performance gives him a .239/.268/.455 line with eight home runs in 142 plate appearances. He'll attempt to build upon Thursday's game when the team faces the Cardinals this weekend.

"Just from it getting out of alignment," Harang told the Times. "I've had regular chiropractor treatments. Just with all the flying, you're on the plane and sitting — I've got my legs spread out and can't put them straight forward because of how long my legs are — it's just the little stuff I've got to keep doing."

If Harang can avoid a trip to the disabled list, he'll likely face the Angels Tuesday.

Bruce has hit .269/.318/.419 with just three home runs in 179 plate appearances, but his 14 doubles are tied for the National League lead.

Noesi has posted a 2.63 ERA by allowing just four earned runs in 13 2/3 innings this season. If the team needs him to make another start, he could face the Angels in Anaheim Tuesday.

Fernandez limited the Reds to just two runs in seven innings of work, but exited the game trailing, 2-1. He allowed just five hits and three walks in the game, and he allowed just a single run in each of the fourth and sixth innings.

Fernandez struck out five batters in the game, while throwing 65 of his 99 pitches for strikes. Fernandez's 99 pitches are the most of his career, and this was just the second time in eight starts that he has finished seven innings of work. The Marlins would go on to lose the game, 5-3, in 10 innings. 

Despite having a 3.48 ERA and three quality starts in a row, Fernandez is just 2-2 on the season. He is set to take the mound next Tuesday against the Phillies. 

Hechavarria has hit .211/.265/.400 with five triples in 102 plate appearances. He has hit batting average over .200 for the first time since April 9. He's 7 for 18 in his last five games.

While three runs in five innings is by no means great, it's a step up from the 10-run shellacking Burgos endured in his last start. He'll look for a win Tuesday against the Dodgers.

Liriano has struck out 16 batters in 11 innings through his first two starts. He'll try to keep rolling against the Mets at home next week.

Chapman has posted a 2.41 ERA this season while saving eight games and compiling an impressive 30 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings. Thursday's win was his third of the year.

Mahoney took part in fielding drills prior to Thursday's game against the Reds, however he is not yet nearing a rehab assignment. The team has no timeline for his possible return.

Yet to take a loss on the season, Latos brings a 2.91 ERA into a meeting with the Mets in New York Tuesday.

Kotchman has been out since April 3 with a hamstring injury. He is on the 60-day disabled list and is not eligible to return until early June.

According to MLB.com, "everything was good" with the session, and he is expected to throw one or two more before he makes his next step in his recovery.

A rehab assignment is likely looming for the 23-year-old, who has yet to pitch this season while on the 60-day disabled list. 

Ramos is flying back to Washington from San Diego, and will undergo an MRI as soon as Friday to determine how long he will be out. He thinks he may have suffered the injury by putting too much pressure on it recently while recovering from ACL surgery in his right knee.

"Especially these two weeks, I was working a lot with my hamstring getting it stronger," Ramos said. "I don't know what happened. I was feeling very good yesterday before the game. I don't know. Maybe because I hurt the other leg when I got surgery last year, I put more pressure on this leg? Tried to keep the pressure even, but, unlucky."

Duke has an 8.40 ERA on the season, and the team would rather use Stammen, who pitched Wednesday and would be in line to pitch on normal rest if he has to join the rotation, according to The Washington Post.