MLB Player News

Ray allowed four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five across four innings Sunday against the Red Sox. He did not factor into the decision.

Ray surrendered two home runs -- including a three-run shot -- to sour his second outing with the Blue Jays. He did pitch fairly well otherwise, allowing only a solo home run across his final three frames. Still, long balls and control issues continue to be the demise of Ray on the mound, something that hasn't changed since he was dealt from Arizona. Overall, he has a 7.51 ERA with a 52:35 K:BB across 38.1 innings this season. His next outing is projected to come Saturday against the Mets.

Keuchel (6-2) was credited with the win before leaving Sunday's game against the Royals with lower-back stiffness and is day-to-day, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. He allowed two hits and struck out two over five scoreless innings.

This seems to be good news all things considered; it's not an arm injury, and the fact the White Sox used the term "day-to-day" suggests Keuchel could make his next start. That said, the team may want to wait and see how he feels in the coming days before making any final decisions regarding his status for next weekend.

Astros GM James Click said during a pregame interview Sunday that Verlander (forearm) has progressed to throwing off a mound, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

When Verlander hit the IL with a forearm strain in late July, he adamantly denied reports that his season was definitely over. Now that he's back throwing off a mound, a return this season seems well within reach. He does not have much time left to contribute during the regular season, but the Astros could expedite his return and have him build up on the job after he faces live hitters once or twice.

Keuchel left Sunday's game against the Royals with an apparent injury, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Keuchel was lifted early from his last start with a stomach illness, but this seems to be something new. Scott Merkin of MLB.com noted that Keuchel "looked to be in some discomfort" after a warmup pitch. The lefty completed five innings on just 49 pitches prior to exiting.

McCullers was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with neck nerve irritation, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Something seemed amiss after McCullers was lifted after 18 pitches Friday. McCullers said he had trouble warming up, but the Astros said initially that it was just a "dead arm" phase and that they still expected McCullers to take the ball Wednesday against Oakland. That won't happen after all, and it's uncertain if he'll be back after the minimum. It's tough to justify holding McCullers in fantasy leagues given his performance this season and the uncertainty surrounding a potential return.

Urquidy didn't factor into the decision in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Angels. He gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while fanning two across 3.2 innings.

Urquidy had been sidelined since the beginning of the season but made his season debut in Saturday's nightcap. He sailed through the first three innings before getting touched in the fourth and departing after 63 pitches. It wasn't an outing that the Astros' prospect will remember fondly, though, but the fact that he is healthy is a positive sign for Houston ahead of the final weeks of the regular season. Urquidy will look to get deeper Thursday on the road in Oakland.

Bubic (0-5) allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out four across seven innings in a loss to the White Sox on Saturday.

Things got ugly early for Bubic when Jose Abreu took him deep in the first inning for a quick 2-0 White Sox lead. He later would serve up his second home run of the game in the fifth after Maikel Franco extended the inning with a throwing error, leading to Yasmani Grandal's fifth long ball of the season the very next batter. Despite giving up the two home runs, Bubic lasted a career-best seven innings while throwing 74 of his 106 pitches for strikes. The southpaw is set to take the mound Friday in a favorable matchup against the Pirates.

Giolito (4-2) allowed three runs on five hits and did not walk a batter against the Royals on Saturday. He struck out nine across six innings and earned his fourth win of the season in the process

Giolito had a solid outing Saturday after he was roughed up in his previous start. The right-hander allowed a solo shot to Bubba Starling in the third inning and was eventually replaced in the seventh after surrendering back-to-back hits to begin the frame. Giolito is currently second in the majors with 75 strikeouts, and he has fanned at least eight batters in each of his last four starts. The 26-year-old is scheduled to take the mound next Saturday in what should be a favorable matchup with the Tigers.

Snell (3-1) allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out eight across five innings to take the loss against Miami on Saturday.

Snell was cruising until he found himself in a bit of a jam in the fourth inning with men on second and third and nobody out. He struck out the next batter, but the runner on third was able to score after Michael Perez had trouble blocking the pitch, leading to a passed ball and the first run of the game for the Marlins. Snell then allowed a second runner to score on an infield single before Corey Dickerson took him yard to make the score 4-0. The southpaw came back out for the fifth and gave up another run due to more fielding errors by his team but was able to finish the inning while limiting the damage. Snell has yet to record a quality start in eight attempts this season but owns a 3.74 ERA and an impressive 45:12 K:BB across 33.2 innings and is set to take the mound Friday in a favorable matchup with the Red Sox.

Kremer was recalled from the Orioles' alternate training site and will start Sunday against the Yankees, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Kremer was added to the 40-man roster last November after a successful run at the Double-A level and will now get a chance to make his major-league debut opposite Masahiro Tanaka. Part of the Orioles' return for Manny Machado in 2018, Kremer averaged 10.9 K/9 across four minor-league seasons. The 24-year-old may be here to stay, though it's unclear how built up he is at the moment.