MLB Player News

Bridwell (2-1) allowed five runs on 11 hits and one walk in Friday's loss to the Mariners. He struck out two.

The long ball caught up to Bridwell in this one; he allowed two homers en route to his first loss in four spot starts this season. While he carried a shiny 2.95 ERA into Friday's contest, his 1.31 WHIP and .261 BABIP suggested there may have been a little luck attached to it, and the Mariners helped prove that. After getting knocked around Friday, Bridwell saw his ERA and WHIP rise to 3.95 and 1.48 on the season. It looks like he'll get at least one more start Wednesday against the Twins while Matt Shoemaker (forearm) continues to work his way back.

Gray (3-4) allowed just one run on two hits and a walk in eight innings during Friday's loss to the Braves. He struck out four.

It was an unfortunate result for Gray, who found himself on the losing end thanks to a Mike Foltynewicz eight-inning one-hitter despite tossing an eight-inning gem himself. The 27-year-old has now strung together a pair of strong outings, lowering his ERA from 4.84 to 4.09 in the process. He'll look to keep it rolling when he toes the rubber next Wednesday against the White Sox.

Perez (thumb) threw a bullpen session with an "engineered" glove, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Perez was unable to squeeze his normal glove shut due to the combination of a fractured thumb and torn fingernail, but this specially engineered glove is supposed to help him get around that pain. If the 26-year-old is able to defend himself on the mound with his new glove, he could still make his scheduled start against the Red Sox on Monday.

Blackburn will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday's game against the Braves, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

With Jharel Cotton unable to make his scheduled start due to a lingering blister on his finger, Blackburn is set to make his MLB debut. The 23-year-old posted a 3.05 ERA in 14 starts for Nashville in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, though he may not be the most attractive streaming option given his 56 strikeouts in 79.2 innings.

Boyd is no longer in line to start a game Saturday following Friday's postponement.

The Tigers will go with Anibal Sanchez in the matinee and Jordan Zimmermann in the nightcap against Cleveland. There's still a chance Boyd could come up, but it would merely be to provide bullpen help, likely as the 26th man for the twin bill.

Morton (lat) is expected to make one more rehab start before coming off the disabled list, Julia Morales of Root Sports Southwest reports.

While there was a possibility that Morton would make his next start for the Astros, it appears the team will send him for another tune-up game before activating him. The 33-year-old is scheduled to make a rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi before returning to the big-league rotation next week against the Blue Jays.

Farrell is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to start Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Twins, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Farrell has pitched well for Triple-A this season, compiling a 3.83 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 82.1 innings of work (14 appearances, 13 starts). He's expected to take the mound for his MLB debut Saturday, but he'll likely head back to Omaha afterwards as there is no room for him in the rotation at the moment.

Perez (thumb) is still unable to squeeze his glove shut and won't be activated until he can defend himself on the mound, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Perez, in addition to his fractured thumb, is dealing with a torn nail on his right hand, a painful combination which is serving to delay his comeback. The southpaw was initially slated as a candidate to start Monday's game against the Red Sox, but it appears he'll need a bit more time to recover beyond the 10-day minimum. Yu Darvish will likely receive the starting nod instead.

Kopech has been selected to participate in the All-Star Futures Game as part of the festivities leading up the All-Star Game.

Kopech has struggled to give Double-A Birmingham length this season, having completed six innings just five times in 15 starts and once over his last seven outings. He's walked 49 batters over 75 innings while averaging just five innings per start, but an electric fastball and high strikeout numbers (11.6 K/9) make him a top prospect. The right-hander needs to clean up his control or he'll be headed to the bullpen.

Ramirez (7-6) surrendered six runs (five earned) on seven hits while striking out three over 5.2 innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Thursday.

The 28-year-old held the Dodgers to one run through four frames and appeared to be on his way to another quality start before a barrage of home runs in the fifth and sixth innings derailed his outing. Ramirez admitted that his inability to use his curveball effectively was the main reason for his rough night. Not having an effective offspeed pitch against a loaded lineup will eventually burn a starter, and the Dodgers made the converted reliever pay in his third turn through the lineup. Ramirez posted a 7.04 ERA in six June starts, making him a risky play going forward.