MLB Player News

Mejia appears to be the most likely candidate to replace Fernando Romero in the Twins rotation, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Mejia has a 2.91 ERA and 9.6 K/9 at Triple-A Rochester.

Mejia is likely to be called up to start June 30 when the Twins next need a fifth starter. He has a 1.38 ERA in four June starts.

Rodriguez (9-2) was charged with five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out two over four innings in a loss to the Mariners on Saturday.

This was a rare stumble for Rodriguez following a streak of six consecutive appearances in which he earned a win. Afterward, he told the Boston Globe that he battled a lack of command, most notably with his cutter and changeup. He has struggled with efficiency this year, but Rodriguez is missing bats at a good clip and the team context is certainly favorable. Next up: Rodriguez heads to the Bronx for the second time this season.

Stroman allowed six hits and one walk while striking out five over five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Saturday.

Making his return from a bout of shoulder fatigue, Stroman threw 81 pitches (51 strikes) and did not allow an extra-base hit. It was an encouraging performance after he struggled to a 7.71 ERA in his first seven outings before landing on the disabled list May 11. He will look to build on this momentum next weekend at home against the Tigers.

Bundy (6-7) struck out eight and picked up the win in Saturday's 7-5 victory over the Braves, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks over 6.1 innings.

The right-hander cruised to an easy win after being staked to a 4-0 lead before he even took the mound thanks to Mark Trumbo's first-inning grand slam. Bundy threw 67 of 99 pitches for strikes en route to his 10th quality start of the season, and he'll take a 3.75 ERA into his next outing Thursday at home against the Mariners.

McCullers allowed three runs on four hits -- including a home run -- over six innings in a no-decision against the Royals on Saturday. He struck out nine.

While he didn't get the win in what looked like a layup, McCullers was still very good, inducing 16 swinging strikes on 103 pitches. Since his seven-run outing against Cleveland on May 26, McCullers has posted a 3.48 ERA and 31:11 K:BB over 31 innings. Next up is a road start against the Rays.

Gray (5-5) allowed four earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out seven across 6.2 innings to take the loss Saturday against the Rays.

The Rays got to Gray early, scoring three runs in the first two innings on the strength of two doubles. From there, Gray settled in to record 15 straight outs before surrendering a solo home run to Willy Adames to end his day. In spite of the four earned runs, this start can be considered another step forward for him, as he generated 17 swinging strikes and seven groundballs.

Odorizzi fell to 3-5 on the season with a poor performance Saturday against the Rangers. He lasted just 1.2 innings and allowed six runs on six hits and a walk, striking out three.

Odorizzi started strong, retiring the side in order in the first inning, but the wheels came off in the second. He faced 10 batters in the frame but couldn't get three outs and was pulled in favor of Matt Magill after allowing six runs. He's now allowed 22 earned runs in 20.1 innings over his last five starts, dropping his season ERA to a disappointing 4.97. The righty will try to get back on track Thursday against the White Sox.

Stroman (shoulder) was activated from the disabled list Saturday and will start against the Angels, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Stroman hasn't pitched since May 8 after hitting the disabled list with shoulder fatigue. Prior to the injury, he recorded a 7.71 ERA in seven starts, though he may have been dealing with the issue all season, as he also battled shoulder inflammation in spring training. If Stroman is finally fully healthy, he'll hopefully return to the form which saw him post a 3.09 ERA in 2017.

Chirinos was placed on the minor-league disabled list Saturday due to a shoulder issue, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Chirinos missed a month of action earlier this season due to a forearm strain and is now staring at an extended period of time on the shelf. The Rays have yet to describe the severity of the injury, but a timetable will likely come to light within the next few days.

Bassitt was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.

Bassitt will return to the minor-league level after taking the loss during Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out four across 5.1 innings. This move comes as a slight surprise since it was figured that Bassitt would continue to fill the rotational void left by Trevor Cahill (Achilles), so the Athletics will need to find another starter for their upcoming series in Detroit next week. Josh Lucas could be a candidate to make a spot start or Andrew Triggs (forearm) may be available to return from the disabled list, though an answer should come by the end of this weekend.