MLB Player News

Means will start Sunday against the Athletics rather than Saturday as previously scheduled, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

The 27-year-old delivered seven scoreless innings last Sunday against the Rangers, and he'll end up receiving six days of rest before retaking the mound. Means is off to a strong start in 2021 with a 1.52 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 23.2 innings.

Dunn allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five across five innings Thursday against Boston. He did not factor into the decision.

Dunn worked in and out of danger throughout the start, but he escaped without giving up too much damage. Most importantly, he showed an improved ability to throw strikes, finding the zone with 64 of his 100 total pitches and starting 14 of the 23 batters he faced with a strike. The end result was his first outing without multiple walks. For the season, Dunn has a 3.68 ERA but a troubling 14:11 K:BB across 14.2 frames. He's projected to take his next turn through the rotation Wednesday in a tough matchup at Houston.

Civale allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks while striking out six across 5.1 innings Thursday against the Yankees. He did not factor into the decision.

Civale was gifted a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but he struggled to find the strike zone consistently and blew the advantage. He entered the game having walked only five batters across 20.2 frames, but Civale surrendered four in his shortest outing of the campaign. Despite not having his best stuff, the outing was far from a disaster, and Civale still maintains a 2.42 ERA and 22:9 K:BB across 26 innings this season. He's currently projected to take his next turn through the rotation Tuesday against Minnesota.

German (1-2) allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six across six innings to earn the win Thursday against Cleveland.

German appeared to be in for a short outing early on, as he allowed four hits and all three runs in his first inning of work. However, he bounced back to keep the Yankees in the game long enough to earn his first win of the season. German was demoted to the alternate site earlier in the season, but he figures to remain in the rotation now that the team is faced with a heavier schedule.

Javier (2-0) earned the win Thursday after holding the Angels scoreless across five innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out nine.

Javier was lights-out in his return to the rotation, recording a career-high nine strikeouts en route to the victory. The 24-year-old's longevity was limited because he ran his pitch count up to 98 -- 62 for strikes -- but he generated 21 swings and misses. Javier, making his first start in nearly two weeks due to Houston's light schedule, was recalled from the alternate training site ahead of Thursday's game. The right-hander will look to carry his momentum into a Tuesday showdown against Seattle.

Cobb (1-1) was charged with the loss Thursday against the Astros after surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out four across 2.2 innings.

Cobb got off to a rocky first inning, loading the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk with two outs. Luckily, the 33-year-old slammed the door by striking out Kyle Tucker to end the frame. Things proved tougher in the second inning, during which Cobb allowed the Astros to put three runs on the board, including giving up a triple to Myles Straw and walking a run in. It was a disappointing outing after the right-hander's 10-strikeout showing in his last start, but Cobb will look to bounce back when he takes the mound again Wednesday at Texas.

Urena allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two across seven innings Thursday against the Pirates. He did not factor into the decision.

It looked like it would be a hard day for Urena after he surrendered two runs in the opening frame. However, he allowed only three baserunners across the next six frames, resulting in his second consecutive seven-inning effort. Urena has a 4.57 ERA and 19:12 K:BB through four starts this season and is projected to draw his next start Tuesday at the White Sox.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Stripling (forearm) threw a bullpen session Thursday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Atkins went on to say that Stripling "could be back in the mix in days," suggesting that the Blue Jays are hopeful he'll spend the minimum 10 days on the injured list, or close to it. After Anthony Kay made an unsuccessful spot start in place of Stripling last week, the Blue Jays opted for a bullpen game in Stripling's most recent turn through the rotation Wednesday against the Red Sox. Trent Thornton pitched the first two innings of that game, while Tommy Milone followed him and served as the primary bulk reliever.

The Astros recalled Javier from their alternate training site ahead of his scheduled start Thursday against the Angels, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Javier will be making his first start in nearly two weeks after Houston's light schedule had allowed it to get by with a four-man rotation of late. Per McTaggart, Javier has kept his arm conditioned for starting duty while at the alternate site, with manager Dusty Baker indicating that the right-hander is ready to throw up to 100 pitches Thursday, if necessary. With that in mind, Javier shouldn't face any major restrictions as he rejoins Houston's rotation.

The Yankees recalled German from their alternate training site ahead of his scheduled start Thursday in Cleveland.

New York's fifth starter will return to the big club for his first start since April 10 after the Yankees parked him at the alternate site for two weeks in order to maintain more roster flexibility. Reliever Brooks Kriske was optioned to clear a spot on the 26-man roster for German.