MLB Player News

Rays closer Fernando Rodney blew his fourth save Wednesday in Toronto. Rodney surrendered a home run to Jose Bautista in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 3. 

Rodney walked Adam Lind with one out in the inning and was pulled by manager Joe Maddon. Joel Peralta finished the inning to send the game into extra innings. 

Rodney has allowed runs in three of his last four appearances and has blown three of his four saves over his last nine outings. His ERA is 5.40. 

Rays closer Fernando Rodney was asked to record five outs Tuesday in Toronto. Rodney entered in the eighth inning with two runners on base and one out. 

On his first pitch in the eighth, Rodney induced a double play to end the inning. He remained on for the ninth in the 4-2 game and allowed a run to score on a wild pitch before recording the save on a strikeout. He went 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and one run allowed on a hit and a walk. 

Rodney, who now has nine saves on the season, has recorded two consecutive scoreless appearances since allowing three runs on four hits and a hit over 2/3 of an inning against Boston. His ERA is at 5.00. 

The Blue Jays may be considering giving the ball to prospect Sean Nolin to start Friday against Baltimore, Sportsnet.ca reports Tuesday. 

Chad Jenkins is expected to get the start, but that apparently is not set in stone. Nolin was ranked by Baseball America before the year as the team's 19th-best prospect. He holds a 1.17 ERA and is striking out a batter per inning with Double-A New Hampshire this year. 

White Sox starting pitcher Hector Santiago will make a spot start Wednesday against the Red Sox in place of Chris Sale, who was scratched with a mild case of tendinitis in his left posterior shoulder.

Santiago only lasted 3 1/3 innings in his most recent start Saturday against the Angels. He has a 6.00 ERA in his last two starts since pitching seven scoreless innings against the Mets on May 7.

Angels reliever Ryan Brasier was optioned back to Triple-A Salt Lake Tuesday with Sean Burnett coming off the disabled list. 

Brasier was only in the majors for five days during this stint. He'll likely be back and forth from Salt Lake to the majors for most of the summer. 

Hector Santiago had his chance to cement a role in the White Sox starting rotation. He responded with two ugly starts, one at the Twins and one at the Angels.

That's not to say Dylan Axelrod has blown him out of the water. His 4.13 ERA and 1.26 WHIP hardly suggest he's a mainstay. But considering he got the first crack at the job, he's unlikely to cede it to a pitcher who has done nothing to differentiate himself.

Of course, the point is moot if John Danks suffers a last-minute hiccup in his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, but with the White Sox aiming for him to return to the starting rotation Friday, we've likely seen the last of Santiago as a starter for now.

Red Sox pitcher Rubby De La Rosa has been scratched from Tuesday's start with a tweaked muscle in his side, according to the Providence Journal's Brian MacPherson.

The move is being called precautionary, so it doesn't appear to be too serious. De La Rosa has a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 innings in Triple-A this season. Chris Hernandez will start in his place. 

Rays closer Fernando Rodney allowed Chris Davis to hit a fly ball to just inches from the center field wall Sunday in Baltimore. Thankfully, that was the closest the Orioles came to scoring off the closer. 

Rodney went 1-2-3 in the ninth inning to hold off the Orioles for the 3-1 win. He earned his eighth save as he needed 10 pitches. His ERA is at 4.96. 

The 36-year-old rebounded from blowing his third save in his last appearance against Boston May 16. He's been a little shaky this season, but he recorded the outs he needed Sunday. 

Rays starter Matt Moore kept the Baltimore offense down all afternoon Sunday from Camden Yards. Getting minimal support against Chris Tillman and the Orioles, Moore still pulled the victory to move to 8-0 on the year.

Moore, 23, became the youngest left-handed starter to improve to 8-0 for a season since Babe Ruth accomplished the feat in 1917 for the Red Sox.

Tampa's burgeoning ace gave up just one earned run on five hits and a walk over seven innings and 106 pitches in the win. The lone run he gave up may have been avoidable as his fielder's nearly collided on Manny Machado's triple in the fourth. Moore struck out three and his ERA is at 2.29.

Moore had been unable to go deeper than six innings in four straight starts before going seven Sunday. Otherwise, he's been dominant for Tampa Bay with 54 Ks over 55 innings. His next scheduled start comes Saturday against the Yankees.

White Sox starting pitcher Hector Santiago was pulled with one out in the fourth inning  Saturday against the Angels. He was charged with three earned runs on four hits, four walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch.

With John Danks soon to return from the disabled list, Santiago remains a candidate to leave the rotation. If he gets another start, it could come Friday against the Marlins.