MLB Player News

Angels relief pitcher Ryan Brasier surrendered two runs in one inning in his major-league debut Thursday night, giving up a two-run home run to Nate McLouth in the ninth inning.

Brasier came to the Angels after posting a 6.00 ERA in 12 innings with Triple-A Salt Lake. He has an 18.00 ERA after one major-league game.

White Sox starting pitcher Hector Santiago was forced into action a day early Thursday, after Jake Peavy had to be scratched due to back spasms. Despite pitching on short notice, Santiago was able to throw five-plus strong innings to pick up his first win of the year, 3-1, over the Rangers.

Santiago limited the Rangers to just two hits and one run, a solo home run by Adrian Beltre in the second inning. Otherwise, he kept the Rangers at bay in 5 1/3 innings of work. He struck out six batters and walked two while throwing 61 of 92 pitches for strikes.

Santiago has a 2.29 ERA and 1.02 ERA in 19 2/3 innings this season, most of which have come out of the bullpen. The team has yet to make its rotation plans known moving forward, due to injuries, so it is not clear when the team plans for Santiago to take the mound next. 

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said reliever David Robertson, who injured his hamstring Wednesday, met with the team doctor Thursday. He had an MRI and is considered day to day. 

"He's not a DL situation," Cashman said, per the New York Daily News.

White Sox starting pitcher Hector Santiago, who was tabbed to replace the injured Gavin Floyd (elbow) in the rotation, has his start Friday against the Royals moved up to Thursday against the Rangers after Jake Peavy was a late scratch with back spasms. It will be Santiago's first start after seven relief appearance this season.

Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Barnes had his best start of the season Wednesday for Double-A Portland, striking out a season-high 10 batters in six innings. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks, while improving to 2-1 in five starts.

"I was able to command my fastball really well, especially early, and they're very aggressive," Barnes said, per MLB.com. "I wanted to throw strikes and try to force them to get themselves out early."

Barnes had an up-and-down April, going 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA and .387 opponents' batting average. But the 2011 first-round pick said he was able to bounce back Wednesday because teammate Brandon Workman helped him find a new grip for his curveball.

"Workman taught me how he threw it, so I toyed around with it, threw it in my bullpen, and it was really good," Barnes said. "I could throw it for strikes and as an out pitch, and that was a big difference, being able to command all three pitches in the zone."

Rays pitchers David Price, Matt Moore and Jeremy Hellickson, as well as umpire Tom Hallion were fined for their roles in Sunday's incident at U.S. Cellular Field, according to The Tampa Tribune. Price said he was fined $1,000 and believes all parties were fined the same amount.

The players were fined for violating MLB's social media policy, which prohibits players from using Twitter to criticize, denigrate or question the integrity of an umpire. Hallion was fined for his reaction to Price's claim the umpire used a cuss word during an unprovoked comment to Price as the pitcher walked off the field after the seventh inning.

Yankees reliever David Robertson sustained an injury to his left hamstring Wednesday against the Astros, but after icing the injury, the right-hander is confident he will be available Friday against the Athletics.

"I just kind of felt some discomfort," Robertson said, per the New York Post. "I felt at first it was my left knee, but I think it was just my hamstring. It’s just a little tight. I may have tweaked it a little bit."

White Sox starting pitcher Hector Santiago will join the rotation Friday in place of the injured Gavin Floyd, and he will bring a diverse arsenal to the mound that could cause his own catchers as many problems as opposing batters.

In a recent relief outing, the difficulty of catching Santiago was put on display, when he and catcher Hector Gimenez struggled to get on the same page about what pitch he wanted.

"He said, 'What did you want to throw right there?' I wanted to throw a changeup. He said, 'You got so many pitches. I didn't think of the changeup,'" Santiago told the Chicago Sun Times, about a time when Santiago went through his signals twice on one pitch. "It's kind of funny he actually forgot about it. But [Tyler Flowers] gave me something the other day and I was like, 'I don't know what that is.' So it's both sides."

Santiago has six pitches he can throw, including three different fastballs, a slider, a changeup and a screwball. He has yet to start this season, but posted a 1.86 ERA in four starts a year ago. He is scheduled to start Friday against the Royals.

Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore finished the month of April with a historically great 5-0 record, becoming just the sixth major league pitcher since 1916 to do so before the age of 24. Moore is tied for the major-league lead in wins and ranks second in ERA at 1.13. 

The Angels have recalled relief pitcher Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Salt Lake, the club announced. 

Brasier will take Nick Maronde's vacated spot in the bullpen. He owns a 6.00 ERA in 12 innings at Triple-A with 12 strikeouts.