MLB Player News

Bassitt was torched for seven runs on 10 hits and three walks over 3.2 innings in a loss to the Tigers on Thursday. He struck out five.

All seven runs against Bassitt came in the third and fourth innings, with the Tigers accounting for seven total hits and four extra-base hits against the right-hander in those two frames. After a second straight quality start lowered Bassitt's ERA to 2.79 back on April 17, his mark has ballooned to 6.11 with back-to-back poor performances. Bassitt told the San Francisco Chronicle after the game that he feels fine physically, but he needs to make some adjustments.

Alvarez (shoulder) is expected to throw 60 pitches or four innings in a rehab start for High-A Stockton on Saturday, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Alvarez is set for a big step forward after throwing just 40 pitches in Monday's rehab outing for Triple-A Nashville. He's still at least a couple weeks away from joining the big club, but it does appear Alvarez is on track for a debut by the end of May. Previous reports suggested that he's expected to be ready in late May or early June.

Berrios (0-1) was tagged for five runs on six hits over four-plus innings Wednesday in his MLB debut against the Indians. He struck out five, walked a pair and hit a batter.

Four innings in, Berrios had had some shaky moments, but was still sitting on a 3-2 lead. The fifth was the end of him, though, as he gave up a single, a walk and a double before being pulled, then had to watch his runners come around and score. Although Berrios has about as much buzz as any pitching prospect, this game provides fantasy owners with a solid reminder about the lack of guarantees with young players. With his minor league track record -- including a 1.06 ERA over his first three starts this year -- Berrios has as good a chance to succeed as anyone, but he's still a month shy of turning 22. A converted shortstop, Berrios also has only been pitching for a few years, so he might be best served getting some more experience in the minors, but with the Twins hard up for starters (and talent in general), they may let him figure things out at baseball's highest level.

Perez (1-2) gave up six hits (including a homer) and two walks in six innings, but limited the damage to just two runs and picked up the win Wednesday against the Yankees.

He struck out just three, but that's old hat for Perez at this point -- he owns a simply hideous 14:15 K:BB on the season. That ratio's never been pretty for the lefty, who at age 25 has yet to quite figure it all out despite getting multiple opportunities in the Texas rotation. On the bright side, he's somehow turned in four quality starts in five outings, but with a FIP almost a full point higher than his ERA (5.17 to 4.20), that unlikely string of success doesn't seem destined to continue even if Perez continues generating a solid number of ground balls.

Gray (3-2) lasted just two innings against the Tigers Wednesday, allowing four runs on two hits.

It was a miserable start for the righty after entering the contest with wins in back-to-back outings. He got through the first inning unscathed, but allowed a big second inning by the Tigers, highlighted by a J.D. Martinez three-run homer. With the poor showing, Gray saw his ERA jump more than a full point to 3.81. Oakland will need much better performances from its ace moving forward this season.

Quintana pitched six shutout innings, striking out 10 and walking three, in a 4-0 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

He had the Blue Jays hitters guessing all night, as 31 of his 63 strikes were called. The 10 strikeouts were the most in a game for Quintana since May 13, 2015. He has 32 strikeouts and just eight walks in 30.2 frames this season. Quintana will make his next start Tuesday against the Red Sox.

Verlander (2-2) had six strikeouts, two walks, and allowed three runs in 6.1 innings of work in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Oakland.

It's been a struggle for the right-hander, but he's leveled his record for the season and lowered his ERA to a still mediocre 5.46. Verlander does have 24 strikeouts in his last three starts, but he's already allowed 18 earned runs in five starts. He's definitely not the same pitcher he was a few years ago, so use caution when inserting him as a starting pitcher in all fantasy formats.

Heaney is seeking another opinion on his strained forearm, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports.

Heaney had another MRI done one his forearm Monday, which confirmed his diagnosis of a strained left flexor tendon. Unfortunately, it appears his recovery has slowed. He will be checked out by a different doctor. More should be known about his status in the coming days.

Hamels (groin) threw a successful bullpen Wednesday and is aiming to make his next start Sunday against the Angels, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Hamels has been able to log bullpen sessions in two of the last three days, and each bullpen has gone without incident. He was scratched from his scheduled start Monday, but Wednesday's session shows that Hamels is trending in the right direction and could very well make his next start over the weekend. Initial reports suggested Saturday as Hamels' target date, but Sunday appears to be the more likely scenario now.

Darvish (elbow) will begin his rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Sunday and he will be on a 30-pitch limit, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The Rangers' ace has had some starts and stops along the way during his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but it appears that he's finally ready to move on to a rehab assignment at the end of the upcoming weekend. He will only throw 30 pitches or two innings Sunday, so he'll likely need several more rehab outings to stretch out before returning to the Rangers. There is still optimism that he could come off the disabled list at some point in mid-to-late May, but given his expected workload for Sunday, it could be on the latter end of that timetable.