MLB Player News

Bundy (1-0) struck out seven and earned the win Saturday, giving up just one run on three hits over 6.2 innings in a 4-1 victory over the A's.

Bundy retired the first eight batters he faced and looked impressive throughout the entire game, allowing two singles and a double before departing the game in the seventh inning. He had a 4.79 ERA in 2019, but he will undoubtedly try to build on this performance ahead of his next outing. He is tabbed for a home start against the Astros on July 31.

Manager Aaron Boone said Paxton's velocity was down throughout summer camp and remained there for Saturday's start against the Nationals, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports. The left-hander took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while recording one strikeout over one inning.

The 31-year-old's fastball velocity sat around 92 mph Saturday, about three mph slower than his velocity over the past three seasons. Paxton underwent back surgery in February and he's apparently still attempting to fully get comfortable in his delivery. Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Boone said after Saturday's game, "I'm not alarmed, but I feel like physically he is sound. I think it's just a matter of really getting in his delivery and finding that click where he's really extending through the ball." Hopefully Paxton will return to form as he gets more time on the mound, but in a shortened season the clock is ticking on ironing out any kinks.

Walker (0-1) gave up five runs on seven hits and a walk in 3.1 innings. He struck out one and took the loss Saturday versus the Astros.

Walker wasn't particularly bad until the fourth inning. He gave up a solo home run to Yuli Gurriel and an RBI double to Kyle Tucker before Scott Servais pulled him from the game. Reliever Brandon Brennan allowed two inherited runners to be tacked onto Walker's line. It was an ugly start to Walker's second stint as a Mariner after three years with the Diamondbacks, two of which were mostly wiped out by Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old right-hander will search for his first win Friday at home against the Athletics.

Keuchel (1-0) earned the win Saturday against the Twins after giving up two runs on three hits and zero walks over 5.1 innings. He recorded one strikeout.

The veteran southpaw was on cruise control through five innings, but he was removed at 73 pitches with runners on first and second with one out in the sixth inning. Nelson Cruz then clubbed a three-run homer on the second pitch from Steve Cishek. Still, it was a good first outing of the season for Keuchel, who has a solid matchup Friday at Kansas City for his next start.

McCullers (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six over six innings in Saturday's win over the Mariners.

McCullers made his first regular-season appearance since 2018, as he missed all of last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. His control wasn't at its best Saturday, but that's usually a given for the 26-year-old lefty with a career 1.27 WHIP. McCullers threw 55 of his 92 pitches for strikes, so it doesn't appear he'll have any workload limitations in 2020. Expect to see the southpaw on the mound for a road start versus the Angels on Friday.

Perez (0-1) took the loss Saturday against Baltimore after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks across five innings. He recorded two strikeouts.

The southpaw struggled right out of the gate Saturday and allowed all five runs during the first two frames before finding a rhythm, but the damage was already done. Perez will look for a rebound performance when he faces the Mets on Thursday.

Cobb (1-0) earned the win against the Red Sox on Saturday after allowing one run on four hits and zero walks while striking out six over 5.1 innings

The veteran right-hander cruised through five frames with a three-hit shutout, but he was pulled at 78 pitches with one out during the sixth inning after surrendering a solo homer to Mitch Moreland. It's his first victory since 2018 after making just three starts last season before going down with an injury. Cobb will look to secure his second victory of the young season Friday against the Rays.

Rodriguez (illness) feels good but continues to rest as he recovers from a heart condition, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Rodriguez has been cleared to return to the team following his battle with COVID-19, but he remains sidelined after developing myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, as a result of the virus. It's certainly a positive that he's feeling good, but strenuous exercise could be dangerous to his heart, so there's little for him to do but rest until the inflammation subsides. He's expected to speak to the media in a few days, at which point his return timeline could become more clear.

Hill threw a bullpen session Saturday without any issues, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Hill was scratched from Saturday's start for an undisclosed reason, but manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday that the move was made to give the 40-year-old a few extra days of rest. The Twins initially planned to start Hill in the fifth game, and Baldelli determined that it was best to keep him on the team's initial schedule rather than rushing him out for the second game of the year. His bullpen Saturday is more evidence his health isn't an issue despite the last-second change of plans.

Singer was activated by the Royals on Saturday ahead of his scheduled start.

The move was expected as Singer is set to make his MLB debut Saturday. Although he logged a 2.85 ERA over 26 starts at the High-A and Double-A levels last year, he relies on his sinker and slider to force high groundball rates. He hasn't proven himself against upper-level competition, making him a risky option early on.