MLB Player News

Sale will next start Saturday against the Indians, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Sale will be given five days of rest between starts, but manager Alex Cora was quick to point out the extra rest is about scheduling, not health, which we presume means the manager is trying to set his postseason rotation. The left-hander will throw 65 pitches Saturday against Cleveland, and then his next scheduled turn would be during the final series of the season, against the Yankees. The Red Sox may want to avoid using Sale against New York, an opponent they could potentially face in the ALDS. So, we could see Sale throw a simulated game, lasting 80 pitches or around six innings, perhaps making Saturday's start at Cleveland the final one that counts.

Odorizzi (7-10) allowed two runs on four hits and one walk across 6.1 innings Tuesday to earn the win over the Tigers. He struck out six.

Odorizzi scattered baserunners well throughout the outing and wasn't scored upon until the seventh inning, when he allowed a pair of singles before a two-run triple by Mikie Mahtook. He was removed at that point but already had enough run support to earn his seventh win of the season. Odorizzi needed just 84 pitches in this outing, throwing 67 percent for strikes in what was his second straight quality start. He'll take a 4.35 ERA into his scheduled appearance next week against this same Detroit club.

Rodon (6-6) allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk across seven innings Tuesday to take the loss against the Indians. He recorded one strikeout.

Rodon struggled to throw strikes at times as he tied his highest earned run total of the season. He conceded two runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman in the second inning and yielded three more on three hits in the fifth. Rodon has struggled in the month of September, posting a 5.63 ERA across 24 innings in four starts. He'll look to bounce back this weekend against the Cubs.

Kluber (19-7) allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks across eight innings to earn the win Tuesday against the White Sox. He struck out 11.

Working on three extra days' rest, Kluber delivered his longest outing since Aug. 4. He threw 70 percent of his pitches for strikes while inducing a whopping 24 swinging strikes and recording 11 groundball outs. Kluber allowed a pair of solo home runs in the sixth inning before allowing a run on two hits in the seventh, but he already had enough run support to lock down his 19th win. He will look to build on this strong outing this weekend against the Red Sox.

McCullers (forearm) will throw another simulated game Friday or Saturday, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers tossed about 30 pitches in a simulated game Tuesday, but manager A.J. Hinch is not at the point where he feels confident setting a return date. "We're running out of schedule so we need to push him a little bit, but it will all depend on how things go this week," Hinch said. The manager said all of McCullers' pitches were back to normal, characterizing the session as a "good step forward." If this weekend's simulated game is as positive as Tuesday's, there's a chance the right-hander can return for the series in Toronto that kicks off Monday.

Snell (20-5) allowed one hit in five scoreless innings in a win over the Rangers on Tuesday, striking out five and walking two.

Snell was stellar once again, earning his eighth consecutive win and his 20th win on the year. He becomes just the second Rays pitcher to tally 20 wins in a season (David Price won 20 games in 2012) and he's the only pitcher thus far to reach the mark in the majors this year. Snell also became just the 12th pitcher this year to break the 200-strikeout threshold, doing so in only 169 innings pitched. The left-hander's 1.97 ERA trails only Jacob deGrom (1.78) in the majors and his .179 batting average against leads all starting pitchers. His next start will be a matchup with the Blue Jays in Toronto this weekend.

Bundy (8-15) gave up five runs (two earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six in 6.2 innings Tuesday against the Blue Jays. He took the loss.

This was the first start since June 23 where Bundy did not allow a home run -- a span of 13 starts. He lines up to start Sunday on the road against the Yankees and next Friday at home against the Astros before Baltimore's disappointing season comes to an end.

Eovaldi allowed two hits and two walks over six shutout innings during Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees. He struck out five and did not factor in the decision.

Eovaldi pitched fantastic against the Yankees but was pulled at 83 pitches (52 strikes), only for the bullpen to allow three runs during the seventh inning. The 28-year-old worked beyond the fourth inning for the first time since Aug. 21 and now has a 3.98 ERA and 1.15 WHIP this season.

McCullers (forearm) threw a 30-pitch simulated game Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The workout was another positive step for McCullers, though he remains without a clear return date. He appears to be making progress to return before the playoffs start, especially as he's expected to return in a bullpen role and thus won't be required to build all the way back up to 100 or so pitches.

Cobb (finger) threw off a mound without issues Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Cobb missed his last start due to a blister. It sounds as if he's on track to start sometime over the weekend against the Yankees, though his exact return date has yet to be announced.