MLB Player News

Porter has walked 16 batters in his last 18.2 innings across six starts for Single-A Down East. He has a 2.57 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 67 strikeouts in 49 innings on the season.

The big 6-foot-4 righty has been averaging six days off between starts, yet his control seems to have worsened as the season has gone on. Porter had a 0.53 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 45:15 K:BB in 33.2 innings in nine starts from mid-April through early-June and a 5.30 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in his last six starts.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said in an interview on SportsTalk 790 in Houston on Tuesday that he's unsure whether Valdez (calf) will be ready for his next scheduled start Friday in Oakland.

Valdez had to exit his last start Saturday versus the Angels due to a left calf cramp. The decision for the left-hander to take the ball Friday likely will be determined based on whether he can get through his normal between-starts bullpen session with no issues. Valdez tied a career high with 13 strikeouts against the Angels before the injury.

Keller (shoulder) retired just one batter and allowed six earned runs on four hits and three walks in his latest rehab appearance Sunday with Triple-A Omaha.

Keller has now made six appearances for Omaha, but he may not be any closer to being activated from the 15-day injured list than when he first started the assignment June 28. He's been roughed up in each of his last three outings, recording five outs in total during that span while surrendering 13 runs (11 earned) on seven hits and eight walks. Though Keller had been a member of the Kansas City rotation prior to landing on the IL on May 19 with right shoulder impingement syndrome, he may be ticketed for the bullpen once he's reinstated. He's worked in relief in four of his six rehab appearances, including each of the last three.

Houck (face) plans to try to throw off a mound around July 25, MLB.com reports.

The right-hander resumed throwing on flat ground earlier this month following successful surgery to repair a facial fracture -- the result of a comebacker to the face against the Yankees on June 16. "He feels good," manager Alex Cora said last week. "He's been able to do his workouts, keeping his arm moving, which is the most important thing." Houck was showing real promise as a starter before the injury, with his strikeout and walk rates portending better results. He figures to be back in the rotation when ready.

Lyles pitched six scoreless innings against Detroit on Monday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four batters.

Lyles was pretty efficient in the outing, needing just 83 pitches (55 of which were a strike) to get through six frames. All three of the hits he allowed were singles, and the right-hander notched his third quality start of the campaign. Lyles hasn't been rosterable in most fantasy formats this season with a 6.05 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 6.4 K/9, but he's at least eaten innings for the Royals, going six or more frames in nine of his 18 starts. Lyles has also shown improvement of late, posting a 3.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB over his past four starts spanning 23 innings.

Manning tossed 5.2 innings in a no-decision against Kansas City on Monday, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and no walks while striking out three batters.

Manning made history as part of a combined Tigers no-hitter his last time out, and he continued that success into Monday's outing. The right-hander gave up two unearned runs in the fourth inning -- largely as a result of his own throwing error -- but otherwise kept KC off the scoreboard while falling one out shy of a quality start. Manning has gone at least five frames in each of his six starts this season and has put up an appealing 3.12 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. However, his 23:10 K:BB over 34.2 innings suggests some regression may lay ahead.

McClanahan allowed two runs on three hits and no walks while striking out six batters over six innings in a no-decision against Texas on Monday.

McClanahan landed on the IL with a back injury July 1, but he needed only a near-minimum stay before facing the Rangers on Monday. The southpaw dominated in his first five frames, holding Texas scoreless on just one hit. However, Ezequiel Duran tagged him for a two-run homer in the sixth inning, which proved to be McClanahan's final frame despite the fact that he needed just 69 pitches to reach that point. The low pitch count was likely a result of Tampa Bay being cautious following the star hurler's recent injury, though it speaks volumes that McClanahan was able to notch a quality start without reaching 70 pitches. He'll presumably face no limitations moving forward, with his next start tentatively scheduled to come at home against Baltimore this weekend.

Dunning allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four batters over seven innings in a no-decision against Tampa Bay on Monday.

Dunning looked to be in for a difficult outing when he gave up a run in each of his first two frames, but he settled in after that and didn't allow any more Rays to cross the plate for the remainder of his appearance. The right-hander finished with his fifth quality start over his past six outings, a span during which he's posted a 2.90 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 27:7 K:BB over 40.1 innings while picking up three wins. Dunning's lack of strikeouts limits his value in fantasy, but he's emerged as a reliable starter for the Rangers since moving into the rotation May 5, registering a 3.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 6-2 record despite a poor 52:20 K:BB across 78.2 innings covering 13 starts.

Severino allowed one run on six hits and three walks while striking out three over six innings in a no-decision Monday in the Yankees' 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Angels.

Severino was solid despite putting too many runners on base early on, and the only run he gave up with a Matt Thaiss solo shot in the sixth inning. Prior to the All-Star break, Severino was torched for 16 runs (14 earned) over 6.2 innings across his first two starts in July. The right-hander has struggled to a 6.66 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 40:22 K:BB through 48.2 innings over 10 starts this season after beginning the year on the injured list with a lat strain. He's projected for a favorable home start versus the Royals this weekend, though Severino's place in the rotation could be tenuous if the Yankees opt to upgrade their pitching before the trade deadline.

Canning allowed two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out 12 over 5.2 innings in a no-decision Monday in the Angels' 4-3 extra-inning win over the Yankees.

Canning came up an out short of a quality start, a vast improvement from his season-low 2.2 innings against the Dodgers in his last outing before the All-Star break. He's had a couple of rough patches this season, but Canning's season-best 12 strikeouts have him off to a good start in the second half. He's at a 4.52 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 83:25 K:BB over 79.2 innings across 15 starts this season. The right-hander is projected for a road start in Detroit next week, though he could be moved up into the weekend home series versus the Pirates if the Angels opt to shuffle their rotation with a pair of off days within the next week.