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Cole Irvin RP | LAD
Orioles' Cole Irvin: Solid in return to rotation
Irvin allowed two hits and a walk while striking out six over five shutout innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Saturday.
Irvin was solid in his first start since the All-Star break. The southpaw threw 52 of 67 pitches for strikes and went toe-to-toe with Mariners starter George Kirby over the first five frames, while the Orioles' bullpen held on the rest of the way. Irvin is at a 4.92 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 50:18 K:BB through 53 innings over 17 appearances (nine starts) this year. With Baltimore moving to a six-man rotation for a while, it's safe to assume Irvin will get another start, tentatively set for a favorable road matchup versus his former team, the Athletics, next weekend.
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Andrew Heaney RP | LAD
Rangers' Andrew Heaney: Quick hook Saturday
Heaney allowed a run on three hits and two walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Saturday.
Per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, manager Bruce Bochy explained after the game that Heaney was under the weather and missed his bullpen session during the week. Bochy added Heaney was on a short leash, and he quickly worked into a jam in the second inning before Grant Anderson was brought in to relieve him. This was Heaney's shortest outing since his season debut, though the extenuating circumstances shouldn't be an issue going forward. The southpaw is at a 4.17 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 119:47 K:BB through 114.1 innings over 23 starts. He's projected for a home start versus the Brewers next week.
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Cole Ragans RP | KC
Royals' Cole Ragans: Comes back to Earth
Ragans (3-4) took the loss Saturday, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks over five innings against St. Louis. He struck out five.
Ragans made his fourth start of the season Saturday and entered the contest having allowed just two runs in 17.2 innings to go along with a 22:4 K:BB as a starter, but he struggled mightily against the Cardinals. He served up four runs while setting a season high in walks and tying his season high in hits allowed. Ragans is tentatively scheduled for a start against the Cubs at Wrigley Field next week.
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Luis Medina RP | ATH
Athletics' Luis Medina: Solid in no-decision
Medina did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over four innings against the Nationals. He struck out four.
Though Medina was pulled prior to the fifth inning for a second consecutive start, he turned in a strong outing and walked only two batters after handing out five free passes his last time out. The 24-year-old has quietly put together a handful of solid performances, tallying a 3.62 ERA and a 25:11 K:BB over his last five appearances (19.1 innings). Medina's tentatively lined up to face the Orioles for his next start.
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Tanner Houck SP | BOS
Red Sox's Tanner Houck: One more rehab start needed
Houck (face) will make one more rehab start before returning from the 15-day injured list, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Houck has been out since getting hit by a comebacker in mid-June, an incident which led to a facial fracture and subsequent surgery. He's made a pair of rehab appearances but has only built up to three innings, so the Red Sox presumably want him to get a bit deeper into the game before activating him. The team is planning on having him return during their series in Houston, which runs from Aug. 21 through Aug. 24.
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Shane McClanahan SP | TB
Rays' Shane McClanahan: Officially shut down for season
McClanahan's (forearm) season is officially done, as he was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
McClanahan hit the injured list in early August with tightness in his left forearm, and it's since become clear that the injury is a serious one. Surgery is reportedly a possibility, and even if McClanahan can avoid it, he won't be back on a major-league mound until next year. The move creates space for Josh Fleming (elbow) to return from his own stay on the 60-day IL.
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Jhony Brito RP | SD
Yankees' Jhony Brito: Likely to work in bulk relief
Brito is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind starter Michael King in Saturday's game in Miami, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
King is making his first start of the season and has maxed out at 3.1 innings across 38 appearances, and since he'll be taking the hill on three days' rest, he should provide more length than the typical opener. Even so, Brito -- who was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday -- should be tasked with working multiple innings behind King and is probably the Yankees pitcher most likely to factor into any decision. The Yankees are relying on the King/Brito tandem to help fill the rotation spot of Nestor Cortes (shoulder), who went back on the 15-day injured list Friday.
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Mason Miller RP | SD
Athletics' Mason Miller: Another live BP on tap
Miller (elbow) will throw another live batting practice Saturday at the Athletics' complex in Arizona, the Associated Press reports.
The right-hander was able to get through a live 15-pitch BP session Tuesday without issue, and he'll now repeat the process for the equivalent of two innings, per the team's official site. The Athletics have maintained they remain optimistic about a 2023 return for the promising rookie, and another successful session Saturday could potentially tee up a rehab assignment.
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Jose Berrios SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jose Berrios: Stumbles against Cubbies
Berrios (9-8) took the loss Friday as the Blue Jays fell 6-2 to the Cubs, giving up six runs (four earned) on nine hits over 4.1 innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.
While his defense did him no favors, Berrios dug his own hole by serving up homers to Nico Hoerner and Cody Bellinger in the first inning. The right-hander has been more lucky than good since the All-Star break, posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 31:11 K:BB through 32.1 innings over his last six starts, but he'll look to rebound in his next outing, which is likely to come next weekend in Cincinnati.
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Paul Blackburn RP | NYY
Athletics' Paul Blackburn: Shaky control against Nats
Blackburn (2-3) took the loss Friday as the A's were downed 8-2 by the Nationals, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out three.
While he wasn't hit all that hard -- only one of the hits off Blackburn, a Keibert Ruiz solo shot in the fifth inning, went for extra bases -- the veteran right-hander tossed only 60 of 103 pitches for strikes as he tied his season high in free passes. Blackburn has stumbled to a 5.19 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 31:17 K:BB in 34.2 innings over seven appearances (six starts) since the beginning of July, but he'll look to rebound in his next outing, which is likely to come next week in St. Louis.