MLB Player News

Cueto is the probable pitcher for Saturday's game against the Yankees.

He will start on normal rest after stifling the Royals' offense Monday, but he will have a much tougher task against a Yankees offense that has a 120 wRC+ this season against right-handed pitching at home. It's unclear if the White Sox will go with a six-man rotation in the short term, but at least one pitcher will get bumped from the mix when Lance Lynn (knee) returns in June.

Valdez (3-2) allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven to earn the win Thursday against the Rangers.

Valdez surrendered his lone earned run in the first inning. From there, he allowed only three runners to reach scoring position while turning in his fifth consecutive quality start. While Valdez has only 39 strikeouts across 47 innings this season, he has maintained a 65.7 percent groundball rate. The end result has been a 2.68 ERA.

Velasquez allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three across five innings Thursday against Kansas City. He did not factor into the decision.

Velasquez allowed at least one earned run in each of his first three innings, including a two-run home run to Hunter Dozier. He's been crushed for combined 11 earned runs across his last two starts -- spanning 10 innings. For the season, Velasquez has a 5.79 ERA with a 28:13 K:BB across 32.2 frames.

Kirby (0-1) allowed five earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three across five innings to take the loss Thursday against the Red Sox.

Kirby was primarily undone by a pair of home runs hit by Trevor Story, which accounted for four of his earned runs. However, Kirby allowed two additional extra-base hits and induced only six swinging strikes across 71 total pitches. It was the second consecutive disappointing start for Kirby, though he faced two dangerous offenses in the Mets and Red Sox. He now owns a 3.60 ERA and 11:2 K:BB across his first 15 big-league innings.

Houck (3-3) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six across four scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Mariners.

Houck entered the game in the third inning after a short outing from Rich Hill. Having allowed 11 earned runs across his last eight frames entering Thursday, Houck turned in one of his better performances of the season by inducing nine swinging strikes across 58 pitches. After the game, Houck discussed utilizing a new slider grip, per Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican, which could help him earn better results moving forward. Houck owns a 4.70 ERA with a 29:13 K:BB across 30.2 innings on the campaign.

Hill allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two and walking one across two innings Thursday against Seattle. He did not factor into the decision.

Hill began his outing with little incident, though he surrendered a three-run home run in the second inning to sour his day. He was pulled after 56 pitches, and it was the first time this season he failed to cover at least four frames. The outing inflated Hill's ERA to 3.90 on the campaign, and he has also maintained a 23:8 K:BB across 30 frames.

Baz (elbow) allowed one hit and one run while striking out five and walking none across 2.1 innings Thursday during a rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham.

Baz made his first rehab appearance since undergoing elbow surgery March 21. He allowed a leadoff home run to Lewin Diaz in the second inning but racked up plenty of swings and misses otherwise. Baz threw only 24 pitches and is not eligible to return from the injured list until early June, so he will likely make a few more rehab outings with Durham.

Montgomery did not factor into the decision after allowing three runs on seven hits across five innings during Thursday's 9-6 loss to the Orioles. He struck out seven and walked zero.

Montgomery continues to provide quality efforts but has yet to earn his first win of the season. The left-hander sports a 3.35 ERA and 36:8 K:BB through eight starts (40.1 innings). His next start is tentatively scheduled for a rematch with Baltimore on Tuesday.

Quantrill did not factor into the decision in Thursday's loss to the Reds. He gave up one run on five hits and zero walks while striking out five over seven innings.

A Tyler Naquin solo homer in the fifth inning accounted for all of the damage against Quantrill, who now sits with a 3.48 ERA through seven starts this season. He once again hung a goose egg in the walk column, so Quantrill seems to be trusting his stuff, but his stuff is not good enough to achieve these kinds of results on a regular basis, especially against better lineups. Quantrill has struck out just 25 batters in 41.1 innings this season and ranks among the bottom 10 qualifiers in strikeout percentage.

The Red Sox confirmed that Wacha (side) has been cleared to start Friday's game against the Mariners, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Boston is expected to wait until after Thursday's series opener before formally reinstating Wacha from the 15-day injured list and dropping another player from the 26-man active roster. Wacha will end up missing the minimum amount of time due to left intercostal irritation, which first cropped up prior to his scheduled start May 8. Before picking up the injury, Wacha had cruised through his first five outings of the campaign, posting a 1.38 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 26 innings.