MLB Player News

Ryu (8-5) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over five innings in a 10-2 victory over the Orioles. He struck out seven.

The veteran lefty was staked to a 3-0 lead before he stepped on the mound, and Ryu never let Baltimore get back in the game. He hasn't made a quality start since June 20, a span of four starts. He'll head into the All-Star break with a 3.56 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 81:23 K:BB through 98.2 innings.

Kikuchi (6-4) took the loss against the Yankees on Wednesday, pitching five innings and allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five.

The left-hander looked like he could be knocked out of the game early after the Yankees scored three runs in the first inning and another two in the second. However, Kikuchi rebounded to hold New York scoreless over his remaining three frames, but that wasn't enough to offset the early damage and avoid his fourth loss. Despite the rough outing, Kikuchi enjoyed a strong first half of the campaign, posting a 3.48 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 98:34 K:BB across 98.1 innings covering 16 starts. His next appearance will likely come in the Mariners' first series following the All-Star break, which will take place on the road against the Angels.

German (tooth) earned a hold against the Mariners on Wednesday, pitching three innings and allowing three unearned runs on two hits and no walks while striking out five.

German was scratched from his scheduled start after undergoing an emergency root canal earlier in the day, but he had recovered enough by the beginning of the game to be available out of the bullpen. The right-hander ended up completing three innings and throwing 47 pitches, 34 of which went for strikes. He gave up a three-run home run to Tom Murphy in the fifth frame, but all three runs that scored were unearned because the inning started with a Gio Urshela error. German set down the side in order in each of his other two frames and looked good overall considering his tooth issue. He is unlikely to rejoin the rotation until after the All-Star break given him workload Wednesday.

Garcia allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out seven across five innings Wednesday against the Athletics. He did not factor into the decision.

Garcia was taken yard by Matt Olson in the first inning, though he was nearly perfect after that. The only other hit he surrendered came in his final frame, a double off the bat of Chad Pinder. Aside from that damage, Garcia racked up 17 swinging strikes on 88 total pitches. The only thing missing from the effort was a win, though the right-hander exited the game with a 3-1 lead that was quickly blown by the bullpen. For the season, Garcia has a 3.06 ERA with 97 strikeouts across 85.1 frames.

Rodriguez (6-5) took the loss Wednesday versus the Angels. He gave up four runs on nine hits and struck out five in five innings.

Rodriguez struggled early with the Angels scraping together a pair of runs in the first inning. He settled in after that, but Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh slugged back-to-back home runs off the Boston starter in the fifth. The nine hits allowed by Rodriguez were the most he's given up since May 18 and just the second-highest total in his 17 starts. The southpaw has a 5.52 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 104:21 K:BB across 89.2 innings as the first half of the season comes to a close.

Heaney (5-6) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings to earn the win Wednesday over Boston.

Heaney was touched up for seven runs in three innings versus the Yankees in his previous start, but he bounced back well Wednesday. The southpaw is still in a bit of a rut, with 18 runs allowed in his last 19.1 innings, but he was able to snap a three-start losing streak. The 30-year-old owns a 5.38 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 94:26 K:BB across 77 innings through the first half of the season.

German was scratched from Wednesday's start in Seattle after he underwent an emergency root canal, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Nick Nelson will start Wednesday's contest, though manager Aaron Boone said German will be available to enter the game if necessary. The skipper added that German may be ready to start Friday in Houston.

Urquidy (shoulder) said Wednesday's he'll remain shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The right-hander said he didn't anticipate a lengthy absence after landing on the injured list with shoulder discomfort in late June, but he now figures to be sidelined for at least a month. Urquidy should resume his throwing program in the second half of July, and he likely won't be back until at least early- or mid-August since he'll need to build his arm back up to a starter's workload after the layoff.

Wacha (2-2) allowed one run on four hits in six innings, striking out one batter and earning the win in Wednesday's 8-1, Game 1 victory over Cleveland.

The righty put forth his second quality start of 2021 and his first since April 16, with the only blemish being a Franmil Reyes homer in the second inning. Inconsistency has marred Wacha's season, especially of late, as he's allowed five runs in two of his last four appearances. That being said, he's mixed in enough effective outings like Wednesday's to keep his ERA at a respectable 4.87 through 57.1 innings. Injuries to Rays' starters, namely Tyler Glasnow (elbow), figure to keep Wacha in the rotation going forward, but he'll have to wait until after the All-Star break to make his next start.

Pitching coach Dave Bush said Wednesday that Sale (elbow) won't be activated from the 60-day injured list until he's stretched out to throw 5-6 innings, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The Red Sox may have considered bringing Sale back after just one or two rehab outings and initially utilize him in shorter appearances, but it sounds like that won't be the case. With that in mind, Sale will likely need three or four starts in the minors before he's ready to return to the Boston rotation, meaning that he's unlikely to be activated until early August. Sale is expected to throw two more innings in a simulated game Saturday before beginning his rehab assignment.