MLB Player News

Perez tossed 6.1 innings in Boston on Wednesday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four.

He had a 3-1 lead up until the seventh inning, when Perez and reliever Sam Dyson combined for a seven-run implosion. Perez would have a much shinier line if he'd been pulled after six frames, but so it goes. He's been surprisingly effective this year, posting a 3.77 ERA, but that statistic doesn't get along at all with Perez's 1.53 WHIP. An improvement in BABIP luck should help a bit, but Perez still walks too many hitters and doesn't strike enough out.

Sale (5-2) gave up four runs (three earned) over 7.1 innings in a win over the Rangers on Wednesday. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out six.

Sale's offense had lain dormant for much of the game, but it awoke with a seven-run seventh inning that allowed him to leave a winner. His first season in Boston has been incredible so far -- this game broke a string of eight consecutive double-digit-strikeout efforts that stretched all the way back to April 10. Sale is the MLB leader in strikeouts by an enormous margin, as he has 101; the second-ranked Zack Greinke has just 78.

Gray (2-1) gave up one run on three hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out 11 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Marlins.

It was by far Gray's best start since coming off the DL, and the right-hander now has a dominant 19:3 K:BB in 13 innings over his last two outings. He'll face a much tougher test Tuesday on the road in Cleveland.

Stroman (5-2) allowed four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out five batters over 5.2 innings during Wednesday's win over Milwaukee.

While it wasn't Stroman's sharpest outing, the Brewers are a tough matchup at home with a .344 team wOBA at Miller Park. He's also held opponents to two runs or fewer in seven of 10 starts, so escaping with the win without his best stuff was a nice fantasy bonus. Stroman sports a serviceable 3.30 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 7.3 K/9 for the year, and with the Blue Jays starting to provide more run support over the past few weeks, he should continue padding the wins column. Another difficult matchup against the Reds is on deck for Storman.

Quintana allowed eight runs on eight hits and struck out seven over 4.1 innings in Wednesday's 8-6 loss to Arizona.

Quintana entered Wednesday's game on a pretty good roll, posting a 2.70 ERA over his previous six starts. And it looked like he was heading for a second consecutive gem when he retired the first 10 Diamondbacks he faced, but he couldn't make it through the order a second time. The eight runs allowed were the most Quintana's given up in over two years while Jake Lamb's homer in the fifth inning was the first Quintana had allowed to a left-handed hitter since last September. He'll carry a 4.82 ERA into his next start expected either Monday or Tuesday at home against Boston.

Keuchel (neck) played catch Wednesday and said he's on track to start Saturday, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Keuchel, who is eligible to return from the disabled list Saturday, has picked up his activity this week after missing a start Monday. Manager A.J. Hinch isn't ready to commit to him starting Saturday but told reporters that the left-hander is "going in the right direction" and that there's nothing to "decide until Friday."

Berrios (3-0) allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over 6.1 innings during Wednesday's win over Baltimore.

All three runs were the result of solo home runs, so Berrios was fortunate that he limited the baserunners he allowed Wednesday. The three round trippers were the first of the season given up by Berrios, and he surrendered just two through 39.2 innings with Triple-A Rochester. However, after allowing 1.9 HR/9 during his debut trip through the majors last year, the long ball has hindered Berrios' fantasy value in the past. It'll be a trend to watch over his upcoming starts. He now sports a 1.66 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 through his three outings this season, and it isn't out of the question to view the 22-year-old righty as a set-and-forget starting pitcher going forward. Berrios faces a tough test against the league-best Astros in his next start.

Meyer (back), who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday, doesn't expect to miss more than one start due to his injury, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Meyer's back reportedly has been flaring up on-and-off over the past week or two, but he doesn't seem too concerned about the ailment. More information should come forth regarding his potential return date, but if he does in fact miss just one start, he would likely return Tuesday against the Braves. Daniel Wright is expected to fill his turn in the rotation Thursday.

Clevinger has pitched so well that manager Terry Francona is toying with the idea of potentially keeping him in the starting rotation, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Clevinger has dealt his way to a 1.59 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in three starts this season, forcing Francona to sift through options for his struggling rotation. As a starter for the Tribe, the right-hander has held opposing hitters in check (.113 BAA) while posting a 9.5 K/9 over 17 innings. Francona turned down the notion of moving to a six-man rotation, and Clevinger's future is not as a reliever, so the 26-year-old will either stick as an MLB starter or return to Triple-A Columbus and provide rotation depth.

Meyer will be placed on the 10-day disabled list with back spasms, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

The Angels have yet to formally announce the move, but Meyer will hit the DL after experiencing tightness following Tuesday's bullpen session. General manager Billy Eppler said he's unsure how much time Meyer will miss. Brooks Pounders is on his way to join the major-league club, but it may be a short stay, as the team will need to clear a spot for Daniel Wright (Meyer's replacement in the rotation) prior to Thursday's game.