MLB Player News

Crochet came away with a no-decision in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies in 14 innings, striking out 11 over seven frames while allowing two earned runs on five hits and zero walks.

After Crochet had thrown 85 and 91 pitches in his prior two starts, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Tuesday that the lefty's workload was "going to start dwindling" moving forward while the White Sox look to prioritize his long-term health. Even though he was mowing down the Colorado lineup for most of the afternoon, Crochet was still pulled after tossing 88 pitches and covering seven innings. If Crochet's pitch count continues to hover around the 85-to-90 range in his future starts, it could hurt his chances of coming away with wins, though he's notched only six wins through his first 18 starts while he's been supported by a weak White Sox lineup. Even so, Crochet remains a must-start fantasy option as long as he's active, as he's thus far provided elite ratios whenever he's taken the hill. The southpaw now owns a 3.02 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and a league-leading 141 strikeouts over 101.1 innings this season. He's tentatively scheduled for a road start in Miami next weekend.

Allen (8-4) took the loss Sunday against the Royals, allowing three earned runs on six hits and zero walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

Allen never found his footing, surrendering runs in the first two frames before exiting in the fifth inning. This comes off the back of a brutal outing during which he allowed three home runs and was pulled after just three innings. The 25-year-old has been an adequate source of wins thanks to the Cleveland offense, but he sports an ugly 5.75 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP and a 67:31 K:BB across 83 innings this season. The southpaw will look to bounce back in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend against the Giants.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Verlander (neck) resumed playing catch from 60 feet Sunday and "felt good," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 41-year-old's return to throwing is an encouraging development after he was shut down for a bit while recovering from neck soreness. Given the prolonged shutdown period, Verlander shouldn't be expected to return from the injured list when first eligible this week and will likely need to make a minor-league rehab start prior to being activated.

Lugo (11-2) picked up the win Sunday against Cleveland, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out 10 over six scoreless innings.

Lugo was dominant Sunday, throwing 66 of his 93 pitches for strikes en route to 10 strikeouts. The 34-year-old logged his fourth consecutive quality start and his 14th of the season, tied for first in MLB. Over his past four starts, the right-hander has registered a robust 1.46 ERA along with a 1.01 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB over 24.2 innings. He will look to keep rolling his next time out, currently scheduled for next weekend in Colorado.

Cole (1-1) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on three hits, a walk and two hit batsmen over five innings against the Blue Jays. He struck out six.

Cole continues to struggle with his command as he rounds into form following a two-plus month stint on the IL with a nerve irritation in his elbow, but Sunday's performance represented a major step in the right direction. After walking four and allowing four homers in his previous start, Cole allowed a single run in the third, then struck out three of the last six batters he faced as he sent the Blue Jays down in order in the fourth and fifth innings to close out his day. The five innings pitched, 90 pitches thrown, one run allowed and six strikeouts each represented a season-best total for Cole, who continues to inch his way back toward his normal workload. He's tentatively slated to toe the rubber again next weekend in an AL East showdown when the Yankees welcome the Red Sox to the Bronx.

Daniel is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Athletics in Oakland, Doug Padilla of The Orange County Register reports.

The Halos will get some reinforcement to their rotation with Jose Soriano (abdomen) on track to come off the 15-day injured list Tuesday to start the series opener in Oakland, but Daniel did enough in his first MLB start last Thursday versus Detroit to earn another turn. After getting called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to aid a rotation that had been hit hard by injuries of late, Daniel proceeded to deliver eight shutout innings while striking out eight and giving up only four hits and no walks. The matchup with a weak Athletics offense at a pitcher-friendly venue in Oakland offers an ideal setup for Daniel to come through with another quality start.

The Guardians reinstated Williams (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Sunday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Cleveland designated right-hander Darren McCaughan for assignment and demoted right-hander Triston McKenzie to Triple-A Columbus to clear spots on the 40-man roster, 26-man active roster and in the rotation for Williams, who is poised to make his 2024 debut for the Guardians during the club's three-game series versus the White Sox this week. Williams had been on the shelf all season after injuring his right elbow during a weighted-ball workout in spring training, but he looks to be stretched out for starting duty after covering five and four innings in the final two of his six rehab outings at Triple-A Columbus. After turning in a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts as a rookie in 2023, Williams makes for an appealing pickup in shallower formats where he might still be kicking around on the waiver wire.

The Guardians optioned McKenzie to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Through the first three months of the 2024 season, the historically injury prone McKenzie has enjoyed a clean bill of health, but he's performed well below expectations for both the Guardians and fantasy managers alike. After failing to escape the third inning while giving up five earned runs in his most recent start Friday in Kansas City, McKenzie now holds a 5.11 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 75.2 innings on the season. The Guardians will send the right-hander to the minors with the hope that he'll be able to return to form and eventually slot back into the big-league rotation. Gavin Williams (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and will fill McKenzie's spot in the rotation during the upcoming week.

Miller (6-7) took the loss against the Twins on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out six.

Miller was tagged for runs in the second and fourth innings on three doubles and a single, though the right-hander pitched well outside of those frames while generating 14 whiffs on the night. He also didn't surrender a home run for the third time in his last four starts and fanned six batters in three of his six starts this month. Despite the solid outing, Miller was charged with his seventh loss Saturday and has now lost two straight after previously winning three decisions in a row (over five starts).

Lopez (8-6) earned the win over the Mariners on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk over six innings while striking out nine.

Lopez stumbled a bit over the first three frames, allowing a walk and four hits, including a solo home run off the bat of Mitch Haniger. However, the right-hander recovered nicely after the early hiccups, fanning six of the nine batters he faced over his final three innings of work as Minnesota took a 5-1 lead. Lopez induced 18 swinging strikes on the night and now has 25 strikeouts over his last 14 innings on the mound. He's also won his last three decisions (spanning four starts) and has logged a quality start in back-to-back outings.