MLB Player News

White Sox pitcher Scott Carroll is set to pitch Saturday against the Twins, despite leaving his previous start with a blister on his hand last Sunday. Carroll is listed as the starting pitcher on the lineup card, and there is no indication this issue will cause him any issues moving forward.   

Newly acquired pitcher Joe Kelly will face his former teammates in his first start for the Red Sox, as he is set to join the rotation Wednesday against the Cardinals, reports the Boston Herald. 

Kelly had a 4.37 ERA in 35 innings with the Cardinals this season, which has been derailed due to a hamstring injury. 

Astros starter Collin McHugh pitched well enough for the win, but was unable to factor into the decision Friday night against the Blue Jays. The right-hander permitted one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five over 6 1/3 innings of a 3-1 victory.

McHugh has not won a decision since June 3. He owns a 3.32 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 16 starts (95 innings). He will make his next start Thursday in Philadelphia.

A day after a blockbuster deal that sent Jon Lester to the Athletics, manager Bob Melvin has demoted pitcher Jesse Chavez back to the bullpen, according to the Bay Area News group on Friday. Chavez owns a 3.44 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 119:41 K:BB ratio in 125 2/3 innings.

The Angels are expected to bring pitcher Hector Santiago back into the rotation to replace the spot of injured pitcher Tyler Skaggs, the Orange County Register reports.

Santiago pitched two innings of relief in extras and picked up the win Thursday night against the Orioles. He is not available to pitch Friday and could likely be ready to make his next start Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

John Farrell has revealed that Red Sox starter Joe Kelly will probably pitch his first game for his new team against his old team. He would start during the series against St. Louis.

Kelly is hoping to right the ship after a poor run that ended his time with the Cardinals. He yielded 16 earned runs in 19 2/3 innings covering his last four starts.

The Orioles designated reliever Ryan Webb for Triple-A Norfolk Friday, in order to clear a space on the active roster for Andrew Miller. He will remain in the organization.

Webb has been decent for the Orioles out of the bullpen, posting a 3.80 ERA in 42 2/3 innings, but was tagged for eight runs in 6 1/3 innings in July.  

Mariners reliever Danny Farquhar feels fine after taking a line drive in the seventh inning of the Thursday win in Cleveland. He told MLB.com that he expects to miss no time after the shot off the bat of Lonnie Chisenhall that knocked him out of the game.

The Red Sox have decided to go all-in on next season, turning the rotation over to a slew of young guys after the trades of Jon Lester and John Lackey prior to the deadline. With so many innings up for grabs, Fantasy owners will want to keep a close eye on how things shake out, especially given the team's abundance of seemingly capable young starters.

Among the group of pitchers expected to get a shot at some point down the stretch are Anthony Ranaudo, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman and Joe Kelly. The latter four all have at least some major-league experience, though Ranaudo will get at least a taste of the majors when he debuts Friday against the Yankees. Of these five pitchers, who, if anyone, should Fantasy owners have their eyes on?

For now, it looks like De La Rosa, Ranaudo, Webster, Workman and Clay Buchholz have the next five spots in the rotation locked up, though a spot might open up for Kelly at some point once he reports to the team. De La Rosa, Buchholz and Kelly all have some measure of major-league success under their belts, though none profiles as a high-upside Fantasy option, given their middling track records so far. If upside is to be found, it is likely to come in the form of one of the other options. 

Webster has the best prospect pedigree among the group, and he and Ranaudo probably have the highest ceilings for now. Of course, the obvious caveats about young pitching apply. Though their upside is tantalizing, we simply don't have any record of success at the major-league level to depend on.

The Red Sox don't have a lot of sure things for their long-term rotation, and they will need to use these last few months get an idea of who they can count on next season. The question for Fantasy owners is whether they want their roster to be the team's laboratory during the most important months of the season. 

The young guys in Boston will all get their turns, but there isn't anyone in the rotation right now that screams "must-add," either due to a lack of upside or proven track record. AL-only owners might be smart to take a flier on anyone currently in the team's rotation, but it doesn't look like anyone here is worth consideration in mixed-leagues at this time. 

The Red Sox have called up left-handed reliever Tommy Layne from Triple-A Pawtucket, sources have told WEEI.com.

Layne has struggled at times with his control this season but has otherwise been solid with a 5-1 record, 1.50 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 48 innings. He also pitched 2/3 of a shutout inning for Boston during a brief stint with the team in early July.