MLB Player News

Snell (16-5) allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out eight over six innings as he secured the victory Sunday against Boston.

Snell tossed a gem against a tough Red Sox lineup, giving up just one run in the sixth inning as the Rays cruised to a 9-1 win. Since returning from the disabled list Aug. 4, he's gone 4-0 while allowing three runs and piling up 34 punchouts across 26 innings (five starts). Snell owns a sparkling 2.05 ERA with a 168:53 K:BB through 145 frames this season.

General manager Jeff Luhnow said that Whitley (lat) could've started Friday if the game was more meaningful, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Luhnow also stated the scratch was "very precautionary," so it's unlikely that he'll miss too much time as a result of this issue. The Astros intend to pitch Whitley somewhere during the fall, whether it be in an instructional league or perhaps even in the Arizona Fall League. Those plans haven't been disclosed at this point, however.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday that McCullers' (forearm) throwing program has been slowed down and noted that the right-hander won't throw off a mound "any time soon," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers originally was going to throw a bullpen session this weekend, with a loose goal of returning in early September, but that seems to be pushed back some. Per Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston, Hinch said that the delay in McCullers' program coupled with the limited time remaining in the regular season will make it difficult for the 24-year-old to build up to a starter's workload. If McCullers makes it back before the postseason, he could be limited to a multi-inning role as an opener or out of the bullpen, in a role similar to the ones occupied by Collin McHugh and Brad Peacock.

Nicasio is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on his right knee in the upcoming days, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Per Corey Brock of The Athletic Seattle, Nicasio's surgery is characterized as a cleanup procedure to address inflammation in his knee, so he should make a full recovery by the time spring training opens. The 31-year-old had been sidelined since Aug. 2 due to the latest setback with his knee, which also resulted in a DL stint in June. Nicasio will finish up his first season in Seattle with 19 holds and a 6.00 ERA (3.03 FIP), 1.38 WHIP and 53:5 K:BB across 42 frames.

McGuire was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

McGuire was recalled 10 days ago to replace Hansel Robles on the active roster, but with Robles returning, McGuire was no longer needed in the big leagues. He'll head back to the minors for a brief amount of time before likely returning when rosters expand in September.

Gonzales will start Wednesday's game against the Padres, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander will have another opportunity to break out of an increasingly concerning late-season funk that's seen him drop four straight starts. Gonzales will be pitching on six days rest versus San Diego, which could potentially help lead to a sharper performance on his part. It's worth noting that the Mariners will have six healthy starting-capable pitchers once James Paxton (forearm) is activated from the disabled list Tuesday, meaning that Gonzales may need to snap back into form sooner rather than later to avoid a demotion to the bullpen.

The Tigers recalled Smoker from Triple-A Toledo on Sunday.

Detroit picked up Smoker in late July in a waiver claim and immediately optioned him to Toledo, where he tallied a 3.86 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in nine appearances before earning a callup. He'll likely work in a middle-relief role initially with Detroit, but could work his way up the bullpen depth chart quickly if he's able to avoid blowup outings.

The Athletics recalled Bassitt from Triple-A Nashville ahead of his scheduled start Sunday against the Twins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bassitt is likely just making a spot start for the Athletics, as manager Bob Melvin simply wanted to give all five of his rotation members an additional day of rest between starts. The 29-year-old has previously made six starts for the big club this season, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 25 strikeouts over 32 innings.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister is considering using an opening reliever in front of Perez on future days the left-hander is scheduled to pitch, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports. "It's an option," Banister said after Saturday's game against the Giants, during which Perez allowed four first-inning runs. "We've talked about it, and we're going to continue to have those conversations...the challenge for us was to give them four runs in the first inning. It seemed all the hits came on fastballs; we've got to be able to mix pitches."

Perez has allowed 11 first-inning runs in 13 starts, with opponents hitting .352 against him in the opening frame. Over Perez's last eight starts, the Nos. 1 and 2 hitters are a combined 7-for-15 (.467) with five extra-base hits and a sacrifice fly in the first inning. While the skipper thinks using another pitcher to give lineups a different look early on before inserting Perez in the game might yield better results, Banister's comments about mixing pitches may be the real culprit behind the southpaw's struggles. Batters are raking against Perez's fastball early, hitting .583 off his four-seamer the first time through the order, per Brooks Baseball.

Verlander (13-8) allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six across six innings to earn the win Saturday against the Angels.

Verlander had little trouble working through the Angels lineup until Shohei Ohtani took him deep in the fourth inning for a two-run homer. He still managed to get his 13th win of the season and record his third quality start in his last six outings. While his 2.72 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 175.2 innings reveal little cause for concern, Verlander has a 4.26 ERA over seven second-half starts. Those relative struggles have been caused by the long ball, as he has now surrendered at least one home run in six consecutive efforts, including three in which he has allowed multiple home runs.