MLB Player News

Giolito (0-1) dropped the decision in his 2017 debut, allowing four runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- over six innings while striking out four in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Twins.

He threw 64 of 99 pitches for strikes and was scraping 96 mph with his fastball in the first inning, but by the end of his night Giolito's fastball could barely break 93 mph and his lack of confidence in his offspeed pitches was exposed. The right-hander's upside is still high, but don't expect him to be an immediate success. He'll next take the mound Sunday at home against the Tigers.

Gibson (7-10) earned the win over the White Sox on Tuesday, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out eight.

The righty recorded a season high in strikeouts en route to just his fifth quality start of the year. Gibson still carries a 5.76 ERA, and he'll need more than one good start against a rebuilding foe to earn the trust of fantasy GMs. He'll next take the mound Sunday in Toronto.

Cobb (toe) stated that he is "good to go" and ready to start Thursday against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cobb has been out since Aug. 5 but will make his return to the rotation without the need for a rehab start. The 29-year-old right-hander turned in a quality start against the Brewers in his last outing before the injury, firing six innings of one-run ball.

Gonzales (0-1) took the loss against the Braves on Tuesday, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings while striking out five.

The lefty needed 99 pitches (59 strikes) to record 14 outs but was able to avoid serious damage in a 4-0 defeat. Gonzales has now failed to complete five innings in any of his four starts since joining the Mariners, putting even more pressure on an over-taxed bullpen, and he'll likely shift into a long-relief role once the team's rotation gets healthier. For now, though, he'll take his next turn Monday on the road in Baltimore.

Melville was designated for assignment Tuesday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Melville was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday to take the mound against the White Sox. He turned in a miserable outing (five runs over 3.1 innings) and will now be cast off the 40-man roster. Minor-league arm John Curtiss is expected to occupy the open spot on the roster.

Asher was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday.

Asher was promoted to the majors on Sunday to take the roster spot of Miguel Castro, who was recently placed on the bereavement list. With Castro set to rejoin the active roster Wednesday, Asher will be sent back to the minors to rejoin the starting rotation for Norfolk. The 25-year-old tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in his short time up this week.

Blackburn, who exited Tuesday's game early, was diagnosed with a bruised right wrist, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Blackburn was forced to exit Tuesday's game against the Orioles early after being struck on the right wrist by a comebacker in the fifth inning. Preliminary tests revealed no structural damage to the injured wrist, so it sounds like Blackburn may not require a trip to the DL. His availability for his upcoming start will depend on how quickly the bruise heals.

Blackburn exited Tuesday's game against the Orioles in the fifth inning after being hit by a comebacker on his right wrist/hand area, Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports California reports.

Blackburn tossed four scoreless frames before being struck by a Trey Mancini line drive in the bottom of the fifth inning. He appeared to be in quite a bit of pain and quickly exited the game with team trainers. An update on his condition should become available following Tuesday's contest.

The White Sox recalled Giolito from Triple-A Charlotte ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday against the Twins.

Widely viewed as the top pitching prospect entering the 2016 campaign when he was member of the Nationals, Giolito has lost a bit of luster in the last two seasons, but still ranks as one of the better young arms in the White Sox system. The right-hander turned in a middling 4.48 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 128.2 innings with Charlotte, but showed much improvement in his final eight outings with the Triple-A club, submitting a 2.86 ERA and 9.6 K/9 rate over that stretch. He'll now get his first chance to settle into a rotation spot with the White Sox, replacing Reynaldo Lopez (back), who was moved to the 10-day disabled list last week. Giolito could be a fixture in the rotation for the rest of the season for the rebuilding White Sox in what amounts to an audition for a full-time role in the big leagues in 2018.

Ramirez, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Monday with a right forearm strain, is without a timetable for a return, J.P. Hoonstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. "[Ramirez is] in a no-throw situation as we assess his strength," Angels general manager Billy Eppler said.

After working out of the bullpen in his first three seasons in the big leagues, Ramirez has surprisingly emerged as a key cog in the Angels' rotation while converting to a starting role in 2017. Though his 4.15 ERA and 6.4 K/9 rate aren't anything special, Ramirez's mere competence while eating 147.1 innings for the Angels has been quite valuable for a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries. It now looks like the Angels will have to dig further into their limited starting pitching depth to replace Ramirez, whose potential return date likely won't be established until he's cleared to start throwing again. Triple-A Salt Lake starter Troy Scribner could be the top candidate to fill the void when Ramirez's next turn in the rotation comes up Thursday against the Rangers.