MLB Player News

Kikuchi (knee) is fully expected to make his next scheduled start on Saturday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander has been on the mend since taking a comebacker on his right knee during his start Saturday against the Angels. Kikuchi was officially diagnosed with a bone bruise and inflammation in the immediate aftermath of the injury, but it appears he's continued to make consistent enough progress to allow manager Scott Servais to confirm his pitcher's availability for Saturday's road turn against the Indians.

The Astros recalled Bielak from Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Bielak joins the Houston bullpen as a replacement for Joe Smith (elbow), who was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old right-hander previously made 13 relief appearances for Houston, posting a 3.97 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 17:8 K:BB in 22.2 innings.

Gonzales (1-4) was tagged with the loss Tuesday against the Tigers after allowing four runs on five hits and a walk while fanning two across four innings.

Gonzales didn't have his best stuff Tuesday and this outing was a clear step in the wrong direction, as he was coming off four straight appearances in which he allowed two or fewer runs. The left-hander owns a 5.45 ERA across 36.1 innings on the season and is scheduled to take the mound during next week's series at home against the Twins.

Boyd improved to 3-6 on the season after limiting the Mariners to one unearned run over six innings in the Tigers' 5-3 victory Tuesday. He scattered six hits and a walk and struck out three in the 97-pitch start.

Aside from a bumpy second inning in which he allowed two hits and gave up a run on a Jonathan Schoop fielding error, Boyd was otherwise on cruise control during the outing. The Tigers staked him to an early 3-0 lead after one inning, and that would be all the support Boyd would need to silence the Seattle bats. He retired the final seven batters he faced before turning the game over to the relief crew, which was able to maintain the Tigers' lead.

Schmidt (elbow) is throwing bullpens but is not tossing any pitches other than fastballs, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

Schmidt continues to build up slowly, and a timeframe for his return remains uncertain. The fact that the right-hander isn't yet testing his elbow with any pitches other than fastballs suggests that he isn't particularly close to pitching in games again.

Heaney (4-3) allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven across 6.2 innings, earning the win over the Royals on Tuesday.

Heaney's only run allowed came on a Hanser Alberto double in the seventh inning. He threw 109 pitches in 6.2 innings, one pitch short of his season high. After having six starts in a row without earning a win, Heaney has been victorious in his last three outings. The 30-year-old's ERA is down to 4.37 and he has a 10.8 K/9 in 57.2 innings. He will have to wait until next week to make his next start due to the Angels running a six-man rotation.

Rodon tossed five innings against Toronto on Tuesday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out eight. He did not factor in the decision.

The left-hander was far from efficient in the outing -- he needed 106 pitches (only 65 of which were strikes) to get through five frames -- but Rodon nonetheless logged his eighth start out of 10 appearances this season in which he has allowed one or zero earned runs. The only tally against him came in the second inning, when Toronto scored a run on a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly. Rodon's ERA dipped to 1.96 with the strong outing, and he has registered a superb 88:15 K:BB through 59.2 innings on the season. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Sunday at Detroit.

Bubic (1-1) allowed six earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four across four innings, taking the loss to the Angels on Tuesday.

Bubic struggled Tuesday, allowing a career-high four home runs in a single start. He has surrendered six long balls over his last three starts after he went 26.2 innings without allowing a home run to start the season. The 23-year-old has had a strong start to his season, though his ERA jumped from 2.12 to 3.32 after this performance against the Angels. He will look to get back on track in his next start Sunday in Oakland.

Ray completed 6.1 innings against the White Sox on Tuesday, allowing one run on five hits and no walks while striking out 13. He did not factor in the decision.

The southpaw was dominant in the start, registering a season-high 13 strikeouts and inducing 21 swings-and-misses. He didn't allow a run until the seventh inning, when the White Sox broke through for a run on an Andrew Vaughn homer. Toronto's offense offered little support, however, managing only one run to keep Ray from picking up the win. The veteran lowered his season ERA to 3.36 with the strong outing, and he has allowed exactly one run in three of his past four starts. Ray will look to extend the strong stretch in his next start, which is lined up to come against Boston at Fenway Park on Sunday.

Montgomery hurled 5.2 innings against Minnesota on Tuesday, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision.

The southpaw allowed two first-inning runs but kept the Twins off the scoreboard over the next four frames. His team staked him to a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the sixth, but Montgomery yielded a two-out single followed by a game-tying double to lose the chance for a win. Nonetheless, it was a positive outing overall, as Montgomery finished with his fourth straight start of three or fewer runs. He'll carry a 3.99 ERA and 65:15 K:BB into his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday at Toronto.