MLB Player News

Glasnow, who allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks while recording five strikeouts over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against the Orioles on Saturday, is developing into one of the most uncomfortable pitchers for hitters to face, Matt Kelly of MLB.com reports.

As Saturday's line indicates, Glasnow still has some work to do on his control, which has often been an albatross during his first four seasons coming into 2020. However, Kelly points out the combination of Glasnow's 97 mph fastball with his towering 6-foot-8 frame and expansive wingspan make him quite the intimidating sight from a batter's box view. The right-hander's 7.6 feet of average extension from the pitching rubber to the plate before uncorking a pitch ranked tops in the majors last season by a comfortable margin, and his four-pitch arsenal, which includes a fastball that can either ride high in the zone or cut to his glove side, makes life all that more difficult on hitters. Glasnow's struggles Saturday largely stemmed from poor location, but he offered a glimpse of how dominant he can be by racking up nine strikeouts and allowing just an earned run on a solo home run over four innings to the Braves in his first start of the season Monday.

Lyles (0-1) was tagged with the loss to the Giants on Saturday when he allowed four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one in a 7-3 defeat.

Lyles, who made his first start of the season, was unable to consistently locate his pitches. He threw just 42 strikes among his 78 pitches and was particularly off target with his curveball, as just eight of 21 landed in the zone. All four runs allowed originated from runners who reached base via walk. Lyles will look for better results in his next scheduled start, Friday at home against the Angels.

Kikuchi allowed three hits and one walk over six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the A's on Saturday. He struck out nine.

This was a big improvement on Kikuchi's first start (five runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts over 3.2 innings in Houston). He induced 20 swinging strikes on 89 pitches and fell just one strikeout short of tying his career high. Kikuchi had some buzz back in spring training due to the increased velocity he was showing and indeed his fastball is up several ticks. The lefty is still probably best viewed as a streamer, but he could separate himself from the pack with a few more starts like this. Kikuchi gets the Rockies at home next week.

Greinke allowed two runs on three hits and didn't issue a walk over 5.2 innings during Saturday's extra-inning loss to the Angels. He struck out four and didn't factor in the decision.

The veteran right-hander didn't allow a baserunner through five innings, but the Angels strung together three singles and a sacrifice fly during the sixth inning to tally a pair of runs. Greinke struggled in his season debut and lasted only 3.1 innings, but he appeared noticeably sharper during his second outing. Monday's scheduled off day allows the Astros to keep him on a five-day schedule to potentially pitch Thursday at Arizona.

Canning allowed one run on six hits and two walks over six innings during Saturday's extra-inning win over the Astros, He struck out five and did not factor in the decision.

The right-hander was in line for the win until the ninth inning, but Hansel Robles was unable to secure the save. Still, it was a good performance for Canning, as he scattered five singles over six scoreless frames before giving up a leadoff double to start the seventh inning. The 24-year-old has a 3.38 ERA through two starts and lines up to pitch against the Rangers next weekend.

Maeda (2-0) picked up the win in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Cleveland, giving up just one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out six.

The 32-year-old has looked very, very good to begin his tenure with the Twins, posting a 1.64 ERA and 12:1 K:BB over his first two starts and 11 innings for the club. Maeda will take aim at his third straight win when he takes the mound next Friday in Kansas City.

Carrasco (1-1) took the loss Saturday as Cleveland dropped a 3-0 decision to the Twins, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out five.

All three runs scored on solo shots, as Minnesota's 2019 power surge has continued right into 2020. Carrasco still produced his second straight quality start to begin the season, an outstanding display from a pitcher whose career seemed to be in jeopardy after he was diagnosed with leukemia last year. He'll try to stay locked in for his next outing, a home start Thursday against the Reds.

Teheran (not injury related) is expected to throw at least once more at the team's alternate training site before joining the big-league club, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

A specific return date for Teheran remains undecided, though it appears unlikely that the right-hander will make his Angels debut before next weekend. Manager Joe Maddon did leave open the possibility that Teheran's arrival could be expedited if the need arises, though he would likely be on a limited pitch count if that situation were to occur. Teheran missed most of summer camp after testing positive for COVID-19.

Urquidy (undisclosed) could return in two weeks as a reliever or in three or four as a starter, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Urquidy missed the entirety of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and apparently wasn't able to ramp up at all while away from the team. The Astros have quite a number of injuries in both their rotation and bullpen, so it's possible they opt to bring Urquidy back in a bullpen role simply to get as many innings as they can from him as soon as possible.

Whitley has battled arm discomfort both during summer camp and during recent throwing sessions at the Astros' secondary training site, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Whitley's bad luck continues, as he battled shoulder problems for much of last season and struggled to a 7.99 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP over 59.2 innings across four levels when he was able to take the mound. The Astros have far more than their fair share of injuries to their pitching staff at the moment, which would theoretically provide an opportunity for Whitley to make his big-league debut, but he'll need to prove both his health and effectiveness before earning that chance, and it's not clear when he'll be able to do either one.