MLB Player News

Waldichuk (2-5) earned the win in Wednesday's 12-3 victory over the Tigers after allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings out of the bullpen.

Waldichuk entered in the fourth inning staked to a 4-0 lead after Austin Pruitt delivered three shutout frames as Oakland's opening pitcher. The 25-year-old Waldichuk held the Tigers at bay, allowing just two runs in the eighth en route to the win, his first since May 6. The southpaw has looked better since moving into a bullpen role -- he held opponents scoreless in four of his previous five outings. Overall, Waldichuk still has an ugly 6.62 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and 67:44 K:BB across 70.2 innings this season.

Valdez (ankle) has been cleared to make his next start Saturday against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Though a sprained ankle prevented Valdez from making his previous turn through the rotation this past Sunday versus the Rangers, the lefty showed enough improvement to avoid a stint on the injured list. Earlier this week, manager Dusty Baker told Rome that his plan was to have Valdez start Thursday's series opener versus Seattle, but the two-time All-Star will instead get a couple extra days to rest up. With Houston opting to skip the struggling Cristian Javier's final turn through the rotation before the All-Star break, Ronel Blanco is expected to be called up from Triple-A Sugar Land to start Thursday.

Chirinos dropped to 4-4 after allowing three earned runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out one across 2.2 innings in Wednesday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies.

Of the eight hits Chirinos allowed, four went for extra bases. After a successful start to his stint in the majors beginning June 8, he has now allowed 15 earned runs across his last 18.2 innings. The Rays may need to continue to get creative with their rotation due to the number of injuries they're currently dealing with, but Chirinos hasn't been a solution of late.

Lyles (illness) is listed as the Royals' probable pitcher for Thursday's game against the Guardians at Progressive Field.

As anticipated, Lyles is ready to make his 17th start of the season after he missed his previous turn through the rotation last weekend, when he was scratched against the Dodgers after falling ill. The 32-year-old right-hander is valued by the Royals for his ability to eat innings, but his 1-11 record and poor ratios (6.68 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.7 K-BB%) have rendered him mostly unusable in fantasy leagues.

Faedo (finger) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Friday against the Blue Jays, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Faedo has been sidelined since late May following a procedure to remove his right middle fingernail but is ready to roll after one rehab start. He didn't pitch well in that rehab outing, yielding four runs on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings. He also threw only 57 pitches and that, combined with his lengthy absence, likely means a truncated workload Friday.

Lopez (5-5) picked up the win Wednesday, scattering four hits and striking out 12 without walking a batter en route to his first career shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Royals.

The right-hander displayed pinpoint control, tossing 76 of 100 pitches for striking and firing first-pitch strikes to 25 of the 30 batters he faced. Lopez seemed to get stronger as the outing progressed, and he struck out the side in both the fifth and sixth innings to help him set a new single-game career high in Ks. He'll take plenty of momentum into the All-Star break -- Lopez has delivered quality starts in five of his last six trips to the mound, posting a 2.72 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 52:9 K:BB through 39.2 innings over that stretch.

Marsh (0-2) took the loss Wednesday, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks over five innings as the Royals fell 5-0 to the Twins. He struck out five.

The rookie right-hander lasted 91 pitches (60 strikes) and kept Kansas City in the game, but Marsh's offense couldn't solve Pablo Lopez. It was a much better showing than he had in his big-league debut June 30, and with Zack Greinke (shoulder) being the most recent Royals starter to land on the IL, Marsh figures to remain in the rotation after the All-Star break.

Bello (6-5) picked up the win Wednesday in a 4-2 victory over the Rangers, allowing two runs on eight hits over seven innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The 24-year-old right-hander tied his career high by lasting 107 pitches (70 strikes), as Bello continues to emerge as a workhorse for the injury-wracked Boston rotation. He's tossed at least six innings in six straight starts since the beginning of June, posting a 2.21 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 29:8 K:BB through 40.2 innings over that stretch. The key to his recent success has been his ability to keep the ball in the park -- Adolis Garcia's sixth-inning shot Wednesday was the first homer Bello has served up since May 23. He'll get a well-earned breather over the All-Star break.

Gray (6-5) took the loss Wednesday, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks over six innings as the Rangers were downed 4-2 by the Red Sox. He struck out two.

It was far from the best outing of the season for Gray, who threw 58 of 94 pitches for a strike, but he still came away with his eighth quality start. The right-hander has lost four straight decisions, however, and since tossing a complete game against the Cardinals on June 7, he's posted a 6.98 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 12:10 K:BB in 19.1 innings. Gray will get an extended rest thanks to the All-Star break, one which he likely needs as the 31-year-old is on pace to work more than 170 innings for the first time since 2018.

Sandoval logged a no-decision against San Diego on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks while striking out five batters over five innings.

The positive for Sandoval was that he allowed just a pair of singles and one earned run (though a first-inning unearned run was the result of his own error). However, the left-hander struggled with his control, throwing just 48 of 85 pitches for a strike and walking four batters. It was the sixth time over his past eight outings that he's issued multiple free passes, and he's given up four walks three times during that span. Not coincidentally, Sandoval has struggled during that stretch, posting a 5.71 ERA and a 1-5 record. Sandoval's 3.8 BB/9 on the season is on track to be his highest since his rookie campaign in 2019.