Helsley picks up eight save in win over Nationals

Tracy cautioned not to read too much into it and that most pitchers that are dealing with arm-related injuries do head for a second opinion. Early landed on the injured list earlier in the week due to what was termed posterior left elbow inflammation. The Red Sox should have another update on his status in a few days.

It’s an encouraging development as the flame-throwing right-hander inches his way back towards a return to the Angels’ bullpen. Joyce is going to ultimately need several appearances in a minor league rehab assignment once he’s ready for a game setting, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could be ready to go before July is through.

Robles was pulled early from Thursday’s game after he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. Fortunately, he avoided any structural damage and just came away with a bruised wrist. He’s starting in center field and batting eighth against Blue Jays’ right-hander Dylan Cease on Friday evening in Seattle.

Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast. The Cardinals scored multiple runs in every inning from the second to the sixth and Herrera was in the middle of most of those rallies. This was the second time this season he’s reached base four times in a single game and fourth time he’s scored three runs. It’s been a bit of a cold month power-wise for him with just three homers and a .349 slugging percentage over his past 30 days, but he remains one of the most productive catchers in the league.

It’s very easy to pitch when your team puts up 17 runs like the Cardinals did here against David Peterson and the Cubs. Yet, Pallante still let his pitch count get a bit too high and Oli Marmol wouldn’t let him work through a two-out double in the sixth despite them having a 16-run lead. Nevertheless, Pallante was rarely squared up here and was able to be effective despite forcing just four swings-and-misses. Also, he became the fourth pitcher to join the 10-win club so far this season, joining Jacob Misiorowski, Chase Burns, and Justin Wrobleski. Now that’s a crew. Pallante will take a 3.60 ERA and 70 to 27 strikeout to walk ratio through 95 innings into his next scheduled start against the Brewers.

There was little Bregman or any other member of the Cubs lineup could do after trailing by 11 runs by the time they came to bat in the fourth inning. Alas, Bregman is trying to get his season on track. His double was just his sixth extra-base hit since the beginning of June as he’s trapped in a power outage.

Peterson’s second start as a Cub did not go nearly as smoothly as his first. He allowed three runs apiece in each the second and third innings on his way to an ugly 10 spot. That rally in the second was the most frustrating because Peterson retired the first two batters he faced and had the Cardinals’ seven, eight, and nine hitters coming up. Suddenly, a double, single, and homer turned into three runs. Similarly, before being yanked in the fourth, he got two quick outs and then proceeded to walk three consecutive batters. Then he was pulled after a run-scoring single and reliever Bryse Wilson gave up a home run to let that last two inherited runners score. In the end, Peterson had poor command and was hit hard just like in many of his other starts this season.

It sounds like he’s making tangible strides in the right direction in his recovery from neck inflammation that has shelved him since early June. The Dodgers sound hopeful that he’ll be able to return shortly after the All-Star break. Dalton Rushing will continue to handle the bulk of the work behind the plate in his absence.

Scherzer walked a pair while striking out three batters in the contest. He threw just 49 pitches in this one, so it’s likely that he’ll need another tune-up in the minor leagues before he’s cleared to rejoin the Blue Jays’ rotation. Either way, with what we have seen from Scherzer this season, he’s really not relevant from a mixed league perspective — especially if he can’t stay on the field.

The 36-year-old righty was designated for assignment by the Rockies earlier in the week and opted to explore the open market rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Albuquerque. Brebbia has posted a 10.38 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 4 1/3 innings in three appearances with the Rockies this season.