MLB Player News

The Royals recalled Spence from Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

With Stephen Kolek going on paternity leave and missing his scheduled start Friday against the White Sox, Spence will give the Royals' bullpen some length behind opener Steven Cruz. Spence has appeared in two games for Kansas City this season, allowing 12 runs on 11 hits and six walks with just four strikeouts across eight innings. He's operated as a starter with Omaha.

The White Sox recalled Sandlin from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

Sandlin will start Friday's game against the Royals after posting a microscopic 1.57 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB across 23 innings spanning six starts for Charlotte this season. He made two starts for the White Sox earlier this season, both against the Twins, and has compiled an 8.10 ERA and 14:7 K:BB across his first 13.1 innings in the big leagues.

Bubic (elbow) threw a perfect inning while striking out one in Wednesday's rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.

Bubic is recovering from left elbow soreness, but his initial rehab assignment was halted June 9 due to shoulder discomfort. The southpaw threw six of eight pitches for strikes Wednesday before departing. Per MLB.com, Bubic is scheduled to throw two innings with Triple-A Omaha on Saturday as he continues to build up. If the 28-year-old avoids any further setbacks, a return to the Kansas City rotation before the All-Star break might be possible.

Schlittler (8-4) took the loss against Boston on Thursday, allowing four runs -- all unearned -- on five hits and two walks while striking out nine batters over five innings.

Schlittler survived two Yankees errors -- including one of his own -- in the first inning, but the same didn't hold true in the fifth. In that frame, the right-hander allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base but then got Wilyer Abreu to strike out. It looked like Schlittler might get out of the inning unscathed when Willson Contreras hit a sharp grounder to third base, but Amed Rosario couldn't field the ball, and the Red Sox ended up scoring four times. Though that was enough to hand Schlittler the loss, the emerging star still lowered his ERA to an AL-best 1.62 and got nine punchouts along with 16 whiffs. He's allowed just two earned runs across his past four starts (23.2 innings). Schlittler will try to get back into the win column his next time out, which is lined up to be a home matchup against Detroit.

Early (7-5) earned the win over the Yankees on Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out nine batters over six innings.

The southpaw got into trouble early, giving up a run on three hits in the first inning. However, he settled down from there, yielding just one more run on a Jose Caballero solo homer in the fourth. Early racked up an impressive 17 whiffs and set a season-high mark with nine punchouts. He was also able to give the Red Sox some length, going six frames for a second straight start after failing to do so across his first three outings in June. Early has had occasional rough appearances but has held his own so far during his first full big-league season, posting a 3.59 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 88:32 K:BB through 87.2 frames.

Gore (5-6) earned the win Thursday against the Blue Jays, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out five.

Toronto did all of its of damage during a three-run fifth frame, but Gore kept the Blue Jays off balance otherwise. The 27-year-old southpaw induced 10 groundouts on the evening, and he's now logged four quality starts in his past seven outings after recording just one such effort in his first 10 appearances of 2026. Gore, who has a 4.05 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 97:38 K:BB over 91 innings, is next set to face a Guardians lineup that has an atrocious .453 OPS versus left-handed pitching since the beginning of June.

Gausman (4-6) took the loss Thursday against the Rangers, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out four.

After being torched for seven runs Friday against the Cubs, Gausman struggled on the hill once again Thursday while matching a season worst in hits allowed. The Rangers did most of their damage during a five-run third frame while taking Gausman deep three times on the evening. The 35-year-old right-hander will try to get back on track at home against the Mets next week, now holding a 4.36 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 93:22 K:BB over 95 innings.

Melton (4-1) took the loss Thursday against the Astros, allowing one run on two hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out six.

That makes it back-to-back quality starts for Melton, who now has four such efforts over just six outings this year. The 25-year-old right-hander has been particularly hard to hit in 2026, giving up four hits or fewer on four occasions so far. Melton boasts a 2.39 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB across 37.2 innings, but his next matchup is an especially difficult draw in New York against the first-place Yankees.

Imai (5-3) notched the win Thursday against the Tigers, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out 10.

Imai was brilliant on the mound Thursday, scattering two singles over six shutout innings. The 28-year-old right-hander has recorded double-digit strikeouts in back-to-back quality starts, a stretch which comes on the heels of his second-shortest outing of the season June 12 in Kansas City, where he surrendered five runs over two-thirds of an inning. Imai will try to further improve on his 5.36 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 58:25 K:BB in his next scheduled appearance at home versus the Twins.

Springs did not factor into the decision Thursday against the Giants, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out six.

It was a solid outing overall for Springs, who held San Francisco to one run through his first five innings before giving up two runs in the sixth. It's certainly a step in the right direction for the left-hander, who had allowed 21 earned runs in just 16.1 innings across his previous four starts. Overall, Springs is 3-7 with a 5.52 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 78:29 K:BB across 17 starts (88 innings) this season. He's currently in line for a tough home matchup with the Dodgers his next time out.