MLB Player News

Rodrigues (illness) flew to Boston for a checkup, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez did not pitch this season due to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), an after-effect of COVID-19. He is set to undergo medical tests designed to gauge how well he is recovering. "Yeah, he's doing well actually," said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke. "He flew back to Boston, just got into town yesterday. I don't know what the results were on the tests that he took, but I can find that out, [and] he seems to be doing well." Teams generally have plans in place for pitchers coming back from injuries, but Rodriguez's condition presents a unique challenge. The Red Sox don't know what to expect from the left-hander, who threw 203.1 innings in 2019.

Mize (0-2) allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out one across 3.2 innings to take the loss Thursday against Cleveland.

Mize surrendered two home runs to Jose Ramirez, accounting for all three of his earned runs. He also battled his control throughout the outing, starting only seven of the 19 batters he faced with a strike and finding the zone on 41 of his 79 total pitches. It's been a disappointing debut for Mize, as he has worked at least five innings in only one of his first six starts. Overall, he has a 6.08 ERA with a 22:11 K:BB across 23.2 frames. He's currently projected to take his last turn through the rotation Wednesday at Minnesota.

Bieber (8-1) allowed three earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 across 7.2 innings to earn the win Thursday against the Tigers.

Bieber mowed down the Tigers' lineup, playing a key role in the team ending an eight-game losing streak. He held Detroit scoreless until his final pitch when he allowed a three-run home run. Despite the disappointing end, Bieber punched out at least 10 batters for the fifth time in his last seven starts. He has also maintained a stellar 1.74 ERA with a 112:18 K:BB across 72.1 frames for the season. He'll take his next turn through the rotation Tuesday against the White Sox.

Lyles (1-5) allowed two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two across seven innings to take the loss Thursday against the Astros.

Lyles surrendered a two-run homer to Kyle Tucker in the second inning, but kept the Astros' bats silent thereafter. While he generated only three swinging strikes, Lyles was efficient, getting his 21 outs on 97 total pitches. Particularly important was Lyles' ability to find the strike zone, as he had surrendered seven free passes across his last 18.1 frames. Even accounting for this strong outing, Lyles has an ugly 7.07 ERA with a 29:21 K:BB across 49.2 innings. He'll take his next turn through the rotation Tuesday at Arizona.

Valdez (4-3) allowed one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out 11 across 6.1 innings to earn the win Thursday against the Rangers.

Valdez bounced back from a couple shaky outings to dominate the Rangers. He racked up 21 called strikes and 15 swinging strikes across 100 total pitches, matching his season best with 11 punchouts. After allowing three home runs across his past two starts, Valdez limited the Rangers to only one extra-base hit and no long balls. For the season, Valdez now has a 3.82 ERA with a 68:15 K:BB across 63.2 frames. He currently lines up to take his next turn through the rotation Tuesday at Seattle.

Eovaldi (3-2) secured the win after allowing two hits and striking out seven over five scoreless innings Thursday against the Marlins.

Eovaldi displayed excellent control in this one, firing first-pitch strikes to 13 of the 19 batters he faced. The Red Sox scored two runs in the top of the sixth, putting Eovaldi in line for the victory. The right-hander has looked sharp over his last three outings, surrendering just two runs on eight hits while fanning 17 over 15 innings.

Canning (1-3) threw five innings Thursday, allowing one run on six hits while walking two and striking out seven during the Angels' 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Canning earned his first win of the season through 10 starts, matching his season high with seven strikeouts in doing so. It took him 104 pitches (64 strikes) to navigate five innings of work, but he should still be expected to take the mound Tuesday versus San Diego.

Maeda allowed two runs on five hits and struck out eight over five innings Thursday night against the White Sox. He didn't factor into the decision.

Maeda cruised through the first three innings before surrendering a solo homer in the fourth and a solo shot in the fifth. He'd exit with the game tied at two and without a chance to pick up the victory. Despite the no-decision, he's putting up a stellar season, posting a 2.52 ERA and 0.76 WHIP to go with 71 punchouts across 60.2 frames. Maeda's next start lines up for Wednesday against Detroit.

Stripling will start one of the games in Friday's doubleheader against the Phillies, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Stripling has surrendered six runs over 7.2 frames since being acquiring by the Blue Jays, and he'll receive another opportunity during Friday's doubleheader. Robbie Ray will start the other contest, though it's unclear who will start which game.

Sandoval allowed three runs on four hits over four innings of relief work against Arizona on Wednesday. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Sandoval's first appearance since Aug. 24 began well as the southpaw retired his first eight batters and kept the Diamondbacks off the scoreboard for three innings. However, Arizona got to Sandoval for a pair of homers in the seventh frame to account for all three runs scored against him. The 23-year-old began the season in the starting rotation but figures to fill a long-relief role moving forward.