MLB Player News

Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman lasted just 1 1/3 innings in an ugly loss to the Giants on Sunday.

Graveman allowed four runs on seven hits while picking up his seventh loss of the season. His command was spotty as he gave up two walks and struck out just two batters.

Graveman dropped to 6-7 with the loss. He has a 4.13 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 32 walks in 89 1/3 innings this season.

Bob Melvin has declared that the scheduled start Wednesday for Athletics left-hander Drew Pomeranz has been scratched. Jesse Chavez will likely toe the rubber instead against the host Dodgers, per MLB.com, since he will be on his regular rest.

Pomeranz tossed two shutout innings Sunday, throwing 33 pitches. That appearance cost him the start.

A poor performance by Mariners closer Carson Smith on Saturday has Lloyd McLendon a bit concerned about workload. The manager has vowed not to overwork the rookie.

The appearance was his third in three days and fourth in five. He pitched hitless ball in the other three, but allowed two runs without retiring a batter Saturday.

"My belief is you try to protect young relievers," McLendon told MLB.com. "You try not to pitch them more than three days in a row, and you see how the ball's coming out. Obviously we don't want him to go out and throw 80 innings. That's not going to happen."

Smith has saved nine games in 10 opportunities and owns a 2.21 ERA.

The Angels will turn to pitcher C.J. Wilson to start Tuesday's series opener at Houston, reports MLB.com.

With the team given the day off Monday, pitcher Matt Shoemaker will have his scheduled start skipped in order to start Garrett Richards on Wednesday and Hector Santiago on Thursday.

White Sox closer David Robertson had a rocky ninth inning but earned his 21st save of the season in a win over Cleveland on Sunday. 

Robertson allowed a run but retired the side in a 2-1 victory. The save came after he blew a save in his last outing, on July 22. 

The run allowed snapped a seven-outing scoreless streak. 

Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore gave up five runs in Sunday's loss to the Orioles.

Moore's trouble started early, as the Orioles jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. He allowed three hits and three runs in the opening inning. Moore settled in a bit, but in the fourth inning he allowed a two-run home run to Caleb Joseph.

With the loss, Moore dropped to 1-2 on the season. His ERA ballooned to 7.61 after yet another dissapointing outing.

Twins pitcher Ryan Pressly is expected to take a big step in his rehab from a strained lat muscle. 

Pressly will begin throwing again within a week, general manager Terry Ryan said, per the Pioneer Press.

Athletics pitcher Pat Venditte threw a scoreless inning, pitching only left-handed in his rehab appearance at Class A Stockton on Saturday. 

Venditte is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. The next step in his rehab will be pitching both left-handed and right-handed. He's scheduled to do that for Stockton on Tuesday, per the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Angels All-Star hurler Hector Santiago did not have a good outing against the Rangers on Saturday. The left-hander allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out four, needing 97 pitches--58 strikes--to get through the five frames. 

Santiago gave up an early run in the top of the first, courteous of a Rougned Odor home run. But the Angels were able to rally for four runs in the first three frames. The Rangers came back and tied the game with two in the fourth and one in the fifth. Santiago left the game with the score tied 4-4, but the Rangers would ultimately score three times in the eighth to win the game 7-6.

Even with the rough outing on Saturday, Santiago still owns a 2.27 ERA over his past eight starts.

Athletics starter Jesse Chavez dropped to 5-10 on the year, with his fourth loss in the last five games. 

Chavez had his shortest start of the year, lasting just three innings. He gave up four runs on eight hits. 

Chavez walked two and struck out one, his lowest strikeout total in a start this season.