MLB Player News

Stanek won't open Monday's game against the Blue Jays but could open another game at some point in the Rays' subsequent four contests, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

Stanek was initially scheduled to work an inning or two at the start of Monday's contest, but that plan was scrapped after he was summoned in relief during Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Mariners. The right-hander worked a scoreless ninth but needed 24 pitches to retire the side. He'll get a day or two of rest before being available out of the bullpen or opening a game for the Rays.

Yarbrough is scheduled to start Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

Ryne Stanek was initially scheduled to be the Rays' opening pitcher for Monday's contest, according to Toribio, but that plan was scrapped after the right-hander tossed 24 pitches in relief in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Mariners. The change likely won't impact Yarbrough much, as he would have been slated to cover the bulk of the innings in the series opener even if he had been used out of the bullpen. The lefty has worked at least five frames in each of his last seven outings, registering a 3.43 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB in 39.1 innings over that span.

Diaz worked around a pair of hits in a scoreless inning of work to earn his 23rd save of the season Sunday against the Rays.

Diaz certainly made things exciting in this one, allowing an infield single before a well-struck base hit brought the aforementioned runner toward the plate. Fortunately, he was thrown out at home to close out the one-run victory. Diaz has excelled once again this season, posting a 2.65 ERA and 0.91 WHIP to go along with his league-leading number of saves.

Covey is the projected starter for Wednesday's game against the Indians.

Covey earned himself a spot in the rotation after outdueling Boston's Chris Sale on Friday. Up to that point, the White Sox hadn't announced which pitcher would be removed from the rotation to make room for the returning Carlos Rodon (shoulder), who started Saturday. The organization has since announced Hector Santiago will move back to the bullpen and Covey will remain in the rotation.

Giles remained in the bullpen Saturday as manager A.J. Hinch called on Hector Rondon to close out a 4-3 win over the Rangers.

It was the second consecutive game that Giles had been bypassed for a save opportunity, both of which came with him rested and available. Giles has been perfect in save situations, but he's made a mess of three of his last five outings, only one of which was a save chance. He's allowed six runs and 10 hits over his last four innings (13.50 ERA). Hinch suggested to Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston that Rondon is the hotter hand right now while Giles gets a breather. The manager noted Giles has had a hard time "having clean innings," a not-so-subtle assessment of his performance over the past 10 days.

Kimbrel struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his 20th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the White Sox.

The 30-year-old has converted 11 straight save chances, and Kimbrel now has a tidy 2.00 ERA on the year to go along with a 38:6 K:BB in 27 innings. He remains one of the league's elite closing options, and his fantasy value shows no signs of slowing given the volume of opportunities he should receive in Boston over the remainder of 2018.

Saupold (4-1) picked up the win Saturday against the Indians, firing two scoreless and hitless innings on 23 pitches.

Saupold rose to the occasion in extra innings and retired every batter he faced. It was important for Saupold to bounce back in this fashion after giving up four earned runs in his last two outings (3.1 IP). He figures to continue on in a low-to-medium leverage role out of the Detroit bullpen.

Chapman pitched a clean ninth inning and struck out two to record the save Saturday against the Mets.

Chapman notched his 17th save of the season, one night after an injury scare to his left knee. He did labor a bit -- he needed 24 pitches to complete his inning of work and threw only 13 of 24 pitches for strikes -- but his velocity remained in the high 90s. At this point, there's no action to be taken based on his injury, but it is worth monitoring going forward, especially if his performance begins to suffer.

Santiago was moved to the bullpen Saturday, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

Santiago will head to the bullpen with Carlos Rodon returning to the starting rotation from the 60-day disabled list. Santiago has made 17 appearances this season, seven of which have been starts, accruing a 4.96 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 43:30 K:BB.

Andriese allowed two earned runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batsman over 2.1 innings in a loss to the Mariners on Friday. He struck out two.

Andriese stayed away from the long ball, but he struggled overall through 48 pitches. The two runs he allowed came on relatively benign contact -- a Guillermo Heredia fielder's choice and a Mitch Haniger single. However, the fact remains that Andriese has already allowed three earned runs over his first two June outings, and multiple runs in four of his last five appearances. He figures to continue logging multiple innings in the majority of his appearances, and despite his recent inconsistency, continues to offer above-average strikeout numbers (38 over 37.2 innings in 2018).