MLB Player News

Paxton lasted just 2.1 innings in a no-decision against the Red Sox on Friday, giving up six runs (five earned) on six hits, striking out four and walking one before the Mariners rallied for a 7-6 victory over Boston.

The big left-hander has been performing like an ace this season, but he didn't have it in this contest, with most of the damage against him coming courtesy of the three-run homer he served up to Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Paxton is still having a great year, with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP and 115 strikeouts over 91.2 innings, so this should be considered a bump in the road for the time being. He'll look to right the ship in a tough matchup against the Yankees on the road next Thursday.

Eovaldi (1-2) took the loss Friday, giving up five runs on eight hits and a walk over 7.1 innings while striking out five as the Rays fell 5-0 to the Yankees.

The right-hander kept things close until the eighth inning, when he loaded the bases with one out before getting the hook and watching Jonny Venters serve up a bases-clearing double to Gary Sanchez. Eovaldi has a 4.63 ERA through three starts, a figure he'll have a tough time improving upon in his next outing Wednesday in Houston.

Gausman (3-6) struck out seven but took the loss Friday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings as the Orioles fell 2-0 to the Marlins.

The right-hander fell one out shy of his eighth quality start of the season, throwing 71 of 107 pitches for strikes, but another feeble effort from the O's offense kept Gausman out of the win column. He'll face a tougher test in his next outing Wednesday on the road against the Nationals.

Bassitt (0-2) got the loss against the Angels on Friday, giving up six runs (two earned) on seven hits over four innings, striking out three and walking one as Oakland eventually fell 8-4.

Bassitt had a great outing in first go-around in the rotation with Trevor Cahill (Achilles) on the 10-day disabled list, giving up just one earned over seven innings, but he couldn't follow that up with a similar effort in his second attempt. He hurt his own cause in this contest, committing one of Oakland's two errors that led to the Angels plating six runs, only two of which were earned. Bassitt will probably continue to occupy a rotation spot while Cahill is out, but his career ERA of 4.00 through 150.2 innings suggests his current mark of 2.45 stands to rise as he throws more innings.

Nicasio (knee) threw a bullpen session before Friday's game and could be activated as early as Tuesday when the Mariners begin a road trip in New York, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "I'm feeling good," Nicasio said after his first time throwing off the mound since he landed on the DL last Thursday. "I'm happy right now because my knee is fine. It's hard when you pitch with one knee."

Nicasio stated he didn't expect to miss more than the minimum 10 days when he first went on the disabled list, and he seems to be on track to meet that goal. The right-handed reliever's knee issues limited his fastball in his last outing June 6 against the Astros, when he failed to record an out. The knee was considerably swollen by the following day, and a subsequent MRI led to the discovery of a pair of bone chips. The hope is the cortisone injection Nicasio has already received as part of his recovery process -- as well as the down time his knee has enjoyed -- will be sufficient to allow him to resume pitching without any limitations. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that Nicasio will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, which will likely serve as his final test before he's officially deemed ready for activation.

Lewicki was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after Friday's game, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Lewicki made two starts while Jordan Zimmermann was out with an inujred shoulder and allowed five earned runs on 11 hits and four walks over just 8.2 innings. Zimmermann will make his return to the Tigers rotation Saturday, and he will take Lewicki's roster spot upon activation. Lewicki had some success in a swingman role and may be back, but seeing as he has options remaining, he was the most expendable player on the 25-man roster to make space for Zimmermann.

Perez was moved to the 60-day disabled list Friday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

This is strictly a housekeeping move for the Rangers as it won't impact Perez's return date. The left-hander was put on the disabled list in late April and is expected to begin a rehab assignment within the next couple of weeks after tossing another successful bullpen session recently.

McGuire was claimed off waivers by Texas and will report to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

McGuire was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Saturday after posting a 6.48 ERA across 8.1 innings of relief with the club through four appearances this season. He will likely stay at the minor-league level for the foreseeable future while working out of the rotation.

Nuno, who fired 3.1 scoreless innings in which he allowed a hit and recorded three strikeouts during Thursday's loss to the Yankees, now has three scoreless multi-inning outings over his six appearances with the Rays in 2018.

The 30-year-old southpaw is proving increasingly valuable, particularly on a squad where the pitching staff is deployed as liberally as the Rays' is. Nuno boasts a big-league resume that includes 42 career starts, so he's able to essentially fill any role manager Kevin Cash can conjure up. He's been utilized exclusively out of the bullpen thus far in his brief Tampa tenure, although a "bullpen day" start certainly wouldn't be out of the question at some point. Factoring in Thursday's line, Nuno sports an impressive 1.35 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 13.1 innings.

Stroman (shoulder) threw 4.1 innings in a rehab start Wednesday for High-A Dunedin, giving up two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out three.

After completing a three-inning simulated game last weekend without issue, Stroman raised his pitch count to 60 while pitching in an uncontrolled setting for the first time since May 8. The Blue Jays have yet to announce the next step for Stroman, but it's possible that he could be activated from the 10-day disabled list early next week to rejoin the rotation for the team's two-game set against Atlanta. Stroman likely would have a restricted pitch count if he were to start Tuesday or Wednesday, however, which could make the Blue Jays more inclined to have him take the hill once more in the minors before returning from the DL. Expect the Blue Jays to clarify their plans for Stroman at some point over the weekend.