MLB Player News

Javier (3-1) earned the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, pitching six shutout innings while allowing two hits and one walk. He struck out eight.

Javier came out firing Thursday, striking out five of the first eight batters he faced before finishing with a season-high eight punchouts on the night. The right-hander threw first-pitch strikes to only nine of the 21 batters he faced, but he also produced 15 whiffs as he cruised to his third win of the season. It was a nice return to form for Javier, who was shelled for seven runs in his first start after returning from the injured list a week ago. The quality start was his third of the campaign, while it also marked the second time this season he's allowed two or fewer hits in an outing.

Littell didn't factor into the decision Thursday, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk over five innings against the Red Sox. He struck out three.

Littell surrendered his first home run since April 22, yielding a solo home run to Rafael Devers in the second inning. Thursday's outing marked Littell's second time in nine starts allowing four or more runs. On the year, Littell owns a 3.44 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP and a 48:4 K:BB across 49.2 innings. He's tentatively scheduled for a rematch with Boston during a three-game homestand early next week.

Criswell didn't factor into the decision Thursday against Tampa Bay, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks across 3.2 innings. He struck out three.

Criswell set season worst run and earned run totals Thursday and gave up a home run for a third straight start. The long ball came in the third inning off the bat of Josh Lowe and plated Jose Siri. Despite Thursday's hiccup, Criswell owns a 2.76 ERA and a 28:7 K:BB through 29.1 innings, an impressive showing for his first extended stretch as a starter. Although he's been a solid fill-in option for the Sox, Criswell will likely be the odd man out once Garrett Whitlock (oblique) returns from the IL -- which could happen in the near future.

Ryan (2-3) took the loss Thursday against the Yankees, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out five.

Ryan surrendered more than three earned runs for the first time all year, as the Yankees matched that total in the first inning alone. The right-hander's struggles resulted in a shortened outing, and he failed to complete six frames for the first time since April 19. Ryan owns a 3.86 ERA and a 28:4 K:BB in 30.1 innings over his last five starts. He's lined up to face the Nationals in Washington early next week.

Schmidt (5-1) earned the win Thursday against Minnesota, allowing three hits and no walks across eight scoreless innings. He struck out eight.

Schmidt hasn't allowed a run in 15.2 consecutive innings dating back to his May 4 start against Detroit. The 28-year-old was utterly dominant Thursday, setting a season high in punchouts while tying his season low in hits allowed. Schmidt is well on his way to a career year -- he owns a 2.49 ERA in 50.2 innings -- as a back-end starter in one of baseball's best rotations. He'll look to extend his scoreless streak early next week in Seattle.

Medina (knee) began a rehab assignment Wednesday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and was charged with six earned runs on six hits and zero walks while striking out three over two innings.

Though Medina didn't issue a walk in the first start of his rehab assignment, he didn't necessarily exhibit strong control, as he tossed two wild pitches and hit one of the 13 batters he faced. Some rustiness was to be expected from Medina, who hadn't pitched in a competitive setting since his March 4 Cactus League start before he went down with a Grade 2 MCL sprain of his right knee. He'll likely need three or four rehab starts to get fully stretched out, so he shouldn't be viewed as a realistic candidate to return from the 60-day injured list and join the Oakland rotation until around early-to-mid June.

Waldichuk underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Waldichuk was initially diagnosed with a UCL tear last October. He opted for a minor procedure on his elbow last fall in hopes of avoiding the surgery he eventually had Wednesday. The left-hander figures to be sidelined until around midseason of 2025.

Canning (2-4) earned the win over the Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over six innings while striking out five.

Canning allowed multiple baserunners in two of his first four innings but managed to work his way through it unscathed. He would later surrender a home run to Paul Goldschmidt to open the sixth, but that would be the only run allowed by the right-hander on the night as he cruised to his second win of the season. Canning produced 12 swinging strikes in the contest and now carries a 13:6 K:BB in May to go along with a 1.53 ERA. It also marked his second quality start of the campaign and the third straight outing in which he's allowed two or fewer runs.

Brooks (0-1) took the loss against the Astros on Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings.

Brooks struggled out of the gate in his first MLB outing since 2022, allowing back-to-back hits to open the contest, which would lead to two runs coming across for Houston. However, the 34-year-old right-hander recovered nicely after the rough start, surrendering only one more run over the next six frames, which came on a sacrifice fly from Jeremy Pena. Brooks threw 21 of 28 first pitches for strikes and produced nine whiffs on the night but was unfortunately tagged with the loss due to Oakland's offense being stifled by Framber Valdez.

Valdez (3-1) picked up the win over Oakland on Wednesday, hurling seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits and two walks. He struck out eight.

Valdez breezed through Oakland's lineup throughout the contest, retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced while never allowing a runner to reach second, aside from when Shea Langeliers advanced due to a balk in the seventh. It marked the lefty's second start this season in which he didn't allow any runs, while the two hits allowed marked a season low. Valdez has now won three of his last four decisions (spanning four starts), posting a 21:5 K:BB over that stretch.