MLB Player News

Sands (0-1) took the loss in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tigers, giving up four runs on five hits and four walks over four innings. He struck out four.

Making his first career start in the majors, Sands labored to find the plate and threw only 54 of 91 pitches for strikes before getting the hook. The Twins could get Sonny Gray (pectoral) or Joe Ryan (COVID-19) back shortly, so Sands will likely return to the bullpen in a long-relief role or get sent back to Triple-A St. Paul.

Smith (finger) retired four of the seven batters he faced via strikeout and allowed two hits and no walks over 1.2 innings out of the bullpen in Tuesday's 10-0 win over the Nationals.

Smith was back on the mound just two days after dislocating his right pinkie finger during his relief appearance in Sunday's win over the Phillies. He had no issues with finding the zone or making bats miss Tuesday, as he threw 23 of his 29 pitches for strikes and induced five swinging strikes. The Mets will likely aim to stay away from Smith in Wednesday's series finale one day after the lengthy appearance, but his finger injury doesn't look to be anything that will bother him moving forward.

Romano gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 16th save of the season in a 6-5 win over the White Sox.

The right-hander remains in the lead in the American League for saves, sitting two ahead of Liam Hendriks. Romano hasn't been quite as sharp as he was in 2021, but he still boasts a 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 29.4 percent strikeout rate through 20.1 innings on the season.

Karinchak (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Karinchak dealt with arm stiffness late in spring training and was shut down from throwing to begin the regular season after being diagnosed with a shoulder strain. The right-hander isn't eligible to return until next week since he's on the 60-day injured list, but his rehab assignment should be the final step in his recovery process. Karinchak converted 11 of 16 save chances last year but will likely work in a setup role for the Guardians once he's healthy since Emmanuel Clase has performed well as the team's closer in 2022.

Neris struck out two and did not allow a baserunner in a scoreless eighth inning to earn a hold Tuesday against the Athletics.

Neris entered the game with a two-run lead and recorded his 10th hold of the season. He's gotten back on track by turning in four consecutive scoreless appearances after allowing four earned runs in a three-inning stretch during the middle of May. Neris has been excellent overall in a high-leverage role for Houston this season by maintaining a 2.01 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and a 24:3 K:BB across 22.1 frames.

Patino (oblique) will throw live batting practice Wednesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Patino threw bullpen sessions last Wednesday on Saturday and felt good after each occasion. He'll progress to facing hitters for the first time since being placed on the injured list April 11, which will serve as a significant step forward in his recovery. Patino will almost certainly go on a rehab assignment before being activated, so his return is likely to come in the latter half of June at the earliest.

King struck out one over a scoreless eighth inning to earn the hold in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Rays.

King followed up a dominant start by Martin Perez by pitching a perfect eighth inning. The hold was the sixth for King, who's scooped up three over the last six appearances. The left-hander has allowed a worrisome number of walks -- nine in 20 innings -- but he's avoided serious damage and pitched better during his recent six-game stretch. Five of those six outings have been scoreless and four have been perfect innings of relief.

De Los Santos struck out one in a perfect inning in Tuesday's 8-3 win over the Royals.

Since he was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on May 9, he's allowed just one hit and no walks with nine strikeouts across 7.1 scoreless innings. The right-hander is still seeing mostly low-leverage work, but he's done well to post a 2.08 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB across 13 innings this season. He's also picked up a hold in 12 appearances.

VerHagen (3-0) earned the extra-inning win Tuesday versus the Padres. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one in one inning.

VerHagen kept the Padres off the board in the 10th inning, and he was rewarded with the win when Albert Pujols plated the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly. In his last four outings, VerHagen has picked up three wins while allowing two runs, four hits and four walks in 5.2 innings. The right-hander has a 3.38 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 9:9 K:BB across 13.1 innings, but his usage lately suggests he's trusted to pitch in close games even if he's seen mostly middle-relief assignments.

Doval was charged with the blown save during Tuesday's 7-4 win against the Giants after giving up an unearned run on a hit over two-thirds of an inning. He had one strikeout and did not walk a batter.

The 24-year-old pitched Tuesday for the third straight day and picked up his second blown save of the season, though it was a tough draw as all it took to score the designated runner from second base was a two-out single. Doval is 8-for-10 in save chances and has a 3.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB through 20 innings this year.