MLB Player News

Bassitt allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out nine across six innings Thursday against the Rays. He did not factor into the decision.

Bassitt was touched up for one run in both the first and fifth innings, but he otherwise dominated the Rays. Not known for his strikeout upside, Bassitt has now punched out 25 batters across his last 18 innings while allowing only six earned runs. For the season, Bassitt has maintained a 3.93 ERA with a 36:12 K:BB across 34.1 frames.

McClanahan allowed two earned runs on five hits and no walks while striking out five across four innings Thursday against the Athletics. He did not factor into the decision.

McClanahan flashed plenty of swing-and-miss stuff in his first major-league start, as he generated 15 swinging strikes on only 59 pitches. He relied equally on his fastball (which averaged 97.4 mph) and slider. Manager Kevin Cash told the media that McClanahan will be used as a traditional starter while in the big leagues, though his role moving forward has yet to be finalized formally by the club.

Boyd was pulled from Thursday's start against the White Sox due to left knee tendinitis.

Boyd exited the game after completing only one inning and throwing 36 pitches. It's positive news that he did not suffer an arm injury, though it remains unclear if he will be forced to miss additional time.

Boyd exited Thursday's start with an apparent injury, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Boyd left the game after completing only one inning, though he faced two batters in the second frame. There was no official injury announcement, but Boyd had thrown only 36 pitches and exited with trainers.

Mize (1-3) was charged with the loss Thursday against the White Sox after allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six batters across six innings.

A lack of run support ultimately handed Mize the loss after the 23-year-old turned in a strong performance. Mize looked sharp early on, blanking the White Sox through the first four frames. The right-hander stumbled in the fifth inning, surrendering all three of his runs by loading the bases on a walk and a pair of singles before a run came in on a groundout by Billy Hamilton, followed by a two-run single by Leury Garcia. Unfazed, Mize answered back in the sixth inning; he worked around a leadoff double by retiring the next three batters, sending the final two down on strikes. Mize will carry a 5.06 ERA and 1.39 WHIP into his next projected start Tuesday at Fenway Park.

Rodon (4-0) picked up the win Thursday after holding the Tigers to one run on two hits and a walk while striking out 12 across six innings.

Coming off eight days of rest between starts, Rodon was lights out Thursday, setting a new career high in strikeouts as he remained undefeated. Aside from an RBI double by Jonathan Schoop in the fourth inning, Rodon managed to limit Detroit's damage while showing strong command of the strike zone. The 28-year-old walked only one batter, a major improvement from his last outing when he issued five free passes at Cleveland. Overall, it's been an incredibly strong opening to the campaign for Rodon, who has only allowed two runs across his four starts. He'll look to keep the momentum rolling next week at Cincinnati.

Garcia (0-3) was stuck with the loss Thursday despite allowing just one run on three hits over five innings against the Mariners. He struck out six and did not issue a walk.

Other than the solo shot he allowed to Taylor Trammell in the third inning, Garcia was dominant, inducing 14 swinging strikes on just 73 pitches. The 0-3 record does not accurately reflect Garcia's performance so far this season; he now has a 2.70 ERA and 20:7 K:BB in 20 innings. Jake Odorizzi (forearm) is expected to miss an additional start or two, so Garcia figures to get another chance to make his case for a more permanent rotation spot.

Kikuchi (1-1) earned the win over the Astros on Thursday, allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven and issued two walks.

The lefty turned in his best outing of the season so far, getting 17 called strikes and 17 swinging strikes on 95 pitches, and was rewarded with his first win of 2021. He did not give up a hit until the seventh inning, when Carlos Correa got to Kikuchi for a one-out double. Kikuchi, who now has a 4.40 ERA and 27:11 K:BB through 30.2 innings, projects for a home start against the Orioles next week.

Lynch will begin the season at Triple-A Omaha, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Lynch hasn't previously pitched above the High-A level, though he likely would have been on track to open this year in Triple-A if not for last year's canceled minor-league season. The Royals were evidently impressed enough with his work at the alternate site that they'll promote him there anyway without any Double-A action. In 15 starts for High-A Wilmington in 2019, he recorded a 3.10 ERA and 1.26 WHIP.

Hankins is dealing with an unspecified elbow injury and will visit with team doctors, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The nature and severity of Hankins' injury should become clear following his examination. The 20-year-old owns a career 2.71 ERA in 63 professional innings, none of which have come above Low-A.