Eflin didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five.

Eflin was sharp in his first start since returning from the injured list, and he experienced smooth sailing until the Guardians brought in a pair of runs in the fourth inning. The veteran right-hander managed to toss 84 pitches, and he also generated a respectable 10 whiffs. Eflin owns a 5.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB over 67 innings, and he'll aim to further increase his pitch count in his next scheduled appearance versus the Blue Jays.

Paddack didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Dodgers, allowing one run on four hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out eight.

Paddack was able to keep a dangerous Dodgers lineup in check, but he was taken deep by the red-hot Shohei Ohtani for a solo shot in the first inning. It was an impressive bounce-back effort by Paddack, who registered his most strikeouts since his June 1 start in Seattle and threw at least six frames for the first time since a June 7 outing versus Toronto. The right-hander's shaky 4.95 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 83:27 K:BB over 111 innings still render him tough to trust his next time out versus the Red Sox, who have a .823 OPS against right-handed pitching over 18 games since the start of July.

Walter did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out five.

Walter got off to an inauspicious start Wednesday, allowing a home run to Ketel Marte on his first pitch of the game. However, the damage would stop there, as the left-hander held the D-Backs scoreless over his final six innings while allowing just three more hits. While he doesn't have a win since June 27, Walter has delivered three consecutive quality starts, allowing just four runs over 19 innings in that span. His ERA is down to 3.35 with a 0.93 WHIP and an impressive 52:4 K:BB across nine starts (53.2 innings) this season. Walter is currently in line to face the Nationals at home in his next outing.

Lugo (7-5) picked up the win in Wednesday's 8-4 victory over the Cubs, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out six.

The veteran righty delivered his 11th quality start of the season on 95 pitches, with 30 called or swinging strikes among his 58 total strikes. Lugo has lasted at least six innings in six of his last seven outings as he potentially auditions for a contender ahead of the trade deadline, posting a 2.55 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 47:11 K:BB through 42.1 innings over that stretch. He lines up to make what could be his last start with the Royals at home early next week against Atlanta.

Castillo (7-6) took the loss Wednesday against the Brewers, allowing six runs (three earned) on 10 hits over five innings. He struck out seven.

The 10 hits allowed matched a season high for Castillo, who would take his first loss since June 18 -- the right-hander had pitched to a stellar 1.46 ERA in four starts (24.2 innings) prior to Wednesday. Overall, Castillo sports a 3.30 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and 107:36 K:BB over 21 starts (120 innings) this season. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week against the A's.

Alexander is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to start Thursday against the Athletics in Houston, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

With Lance McCullers (finger) landing on the 15-day injured list, Alexander will be brought up from Triple-A to fill the opening in the Houston rotation. The 32-year-old right-hander has excelled over eight appearances (seven starts) with Sugar Land this season, notching a 1.69 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 36:21 K:BB across 42.2 innings. However, he hasn't had as much success in the majors, posting an 8.40 ERA across 15 innings between the Athletics and Astros. With a respectable showing Thursday, Alexander could be in store for additional turns through the rotation until Houston gets one or two of McCullers, Cristian Javier (elbow), Luis Garcia (elbow) or Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) back from the IL.

Melton (0-1) took the loss Wednesday, surrendering six runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings as the Tigers were downed 6-1 by the Pirates. He struck out seven.

Called up earlier in the day to make his MLB debut, Melton flashed some of the strikeout stuff that earned him a promotion, but the 24-year-old right-hander also served up two homers, including a second-inning grand slam by Spencer Horwitz. Detroit's rotation plans are a bit chaotic right now, as the Tigers don't get a day off until July 31 while Tarik Skubal (personal) is currently away from the team for the birth of his child, so it's not clear if Melton will get a further audition after this performance.

Eovaldi (back) will start for the Rangers on Friday against Atlanta, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Eovaldi had to be scratched from his last scheduled outing this past weekend due to back tightness, but he's bounced back since then and has been cleared to rejoin the rotation. The veteran right-hander will be pitching on 11 days rest, as his last start came in the final game before the All-Star break July 13 in Houston

The Rangers activated Gray (forearm) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Gray has been sidelined all season after suffering a fractured right forearm during spring training. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers plan to deploy Gray as a reliever, perhaps filling the setup role vacated by the injured Chris Martin (calf). Gray allowed three runs with an 8:2 K:BB over 8.2 rehab innings and threw 61 pitches in his last outing, so he's stretched out enough to make multi-inning appearances. However, the Rangers' preference may be to use him in shorter, high-leverage situations initially.

The Orioles optioned Young to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday.

The move comes one day after Young allowed three runs over 4.1 innings in his start in the Orioles' loss to the Guardians. Young has produced an ugly 7.77 ERA in five starts with the Orioles, but he could get another opportunity next week during Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Blue Jays.