MLB Player News

Civale is listed as the Rays' probable pitcher for Saturday's game against the Tigers at Comerica Park.

Civale will draw a favorable matchup for his Rays debut after Tampa Bay acquired him from Cleveland on Monday in exchange for first base prospect Kyle Manzardo. Prior to the trade, the 28-year-old right-hander had quietly been in the midst of a stellar season, posting a 2.34 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 77 innings with the Guardians. Though Civale has excelled at limiting walks and neutralizing hard contact for most of his career, fantasy managers should view him as more of a middle-of-rotation arm than the ace that his ratios suggest he's been thus far. He's benefited from some good fortune on balls in play (.242 BABIP, career .274 BABIP) and especially flyballs (5.6 HR/FB%, career 12.4 HR/FB%), and he's striking out a career-low 19 percent of the batters he's faced.

Whitlock (elbow) will throw an up-and-down bullpen session Tuesday, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Both Whitlock and Tanner Houck (face) will throw bullpens Tuesday ahead of a rehab assignment. Each hurler has experience in the rotation and bullpen, and it's unclear which role the two pitchers will occupy going forward. This is the second time in 2023 that Whitlock has been shelved with elbow woes.

Houck (face) will throw an up-and-down bullpen session Tuesday, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Both Houck and fellow injured starter Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will throw bullpens on Tuesday, as each progresses to a rehab assignment. Houck was a starter at the time he sustained a facial fracture in June, but the Red Sox could opt for him to pitch out of the bullpen. Manager Alex Cora stated earlier his preference would be to use Houck as a reliever, but the starting staff is thin at the moment.

Brito (4-5) took the loss Monday, allowing five runs on six hits over four innings against Tampa Bay. He struck out four.

Brito struggled in place of Domingo German (who was eventually healthy enough to deliver five innings in relief), giving up five runs on four homers in the loss. Brito had been solid in his previous two MLB starts, allowing just two runs over 11.1 innings. Overall, his ERA is up to 5.17 with a 1.35 WHIP and 39:21 K:BB across 12 starts (55.2 innings). With German healthy, Brito will likely return to Triple-A.

France (7-3) earned the win in Monday's 7-3 victory over Cleveland, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters over seven innings.

France fell behind early after giving up two runs in the second inning, but he bounced back and kept the Guardians off the scoreboard for the remainder of his outing. The rookie finished with his third straight quality start, and he's completed exactly seven frames in each game during that stretch. France has now won five consecutive decisions in a span of six starts, registering a 1.88 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 22:8 K:BB across 38.1 innings during that period. Even with Jose Urquidy (shoulder) on the verge of a return and the Astros possibly in search of another starter as the trade deadline approaches, France's spot in the rotation should be secure given his excellent results on the campaign.

Syndergaard exited Monday's start against the Astros in the bottom of the sixth inning after being struck by a comebacker in his lower right leg, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Syndergaard was on the 15-day injured list with a finger injury when he was traded from the Dodgers to the Guardians on Wednesday, but he was activated to make his Cleveland debut Monday. The 30-year-old was relatively productive prior to his premature exit, allowing a run on two hits and two walks while failing to strike out a batter in 5.1 innings. Syndergaard gave up at least five runs in each of his final three starts with the Dodgers, but his first outing with Cleveland was encouraging. However, the exact nature and severity of his injury are unclear, and whether he'll be able to make his next turn through the rotation remains to be seen.

Kirby took a no-decision after allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven over five innings during Monday's 6-2 win over the Red Sox.

Kirby was solid but inefficient, needing 97 pitches (63 strikes) to get through five frames. Monday's game marked just the second time all season Kirby has allowed multiple walks in a start. He had a couple of rough starts in July, but he's still at a 3.43 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 119:14 K:BB through 128.2 innings across 21 starts this season. Kirby is lined up for a road start versus the Angels over the weekend.

Gibson (10-6) yielded one run on four hits and two walks over sx innings Monday, striking out five and earning a win over Toronto.

Gibson tossed four shutout frames before the Blue Jays finally broke through for a run in the fifth inning. He's turned in three consecutive quality starts but he'd given up at least four runs in four of five outings prior to this stretch. Gibson lowered his ERA to 4.53 with a 108:42 K:BB through 133 frames this season. He's currently expected to face the Mets at home this weekend.

Bassitt (10-6) allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings Monday, striking out seven and taking a loss against the Orioles.

Bassitt gave up two runs in the first inning and two more in the third before settling in and tossing three scoreless frames. He was tagged with more than three runs for the first time since June 23 after registering a strong 2.73 ERA in six starts between then and Monday. On the year, Bassitt is sporting a 4.00 ERA and a 125:43 K:BB through 132.2 innings. He's currently expected to start in Boston this weekend.

Glasnow (5-3) earned the win Monday, allowing a run on three hits and two walks over seven innings against the Yankees. He struck out eight.

Glasnow now has eight or more strikeouts in six of his last seven starts while pitching to a 2.08 ERA in that span. The 29-year-old right-hander has returned to elite form after missing the first two months of the season with an oblique injury. Overall, Glasnow's ERA is down to 3.15 with a 1.08 WHIP and 96:22 K:BB across 12 starts (68.2 innings) this season. He's currently lined up for a road matchup with the Tigers this weekend in his next outing.