MLB Player News

Mariners starter Vidal Nuno did not make anyone forget Felix Hernandez on Monday, but he performed well enough against visiting Baltimore to make a case for remaining in the rotation.

Nuno gave up two runs on five hits in five innings with no walks and five strikeouts, but was saddled with the loss.

He battled back after allowing a solo home run to Adam Jones in the first. A single in the fourth by Chris Davis tallied the only other run he surrendered.

Nuno pitched poorly in his first start with Seattle, but his effort Monday proved encouraging and lowered his ERA since joining the team to 3.00.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale earned his 10th win of the season during Monday's 8-2 win over the Angels.

Sale allowed two runs on five hits over 7 1/3 innings. He also struck out seven and walked two. He is now 10-7 with a 3.47 ERA.

Sale broke his two-game losing streak with the win. He has earned a quality start in two of his last five outings.

Tigers starter Matt Boyd gave up two runs before recording an out Monday in Kansas City. His mound opponent was Johnny Cueto.

Game, set, match.

Boyd recovered to allow three runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, but he was destined from the start to take his third loss in four decisions. He walked one and struck out six.

The left-hander was doomed when he surrendered two singles and two-run double to Lorenzo Cain to start the game. A Kendrys Morales single made it 3-0 later in the inning. Boyd retired the Royals in order only once, but managed to keep them off the board thereafter.

"Mainly I was trying to locate down," Boyd told MLB.com about the ill-fated first. "I just threw them down the middle."

Boyd has just one quality start in four outings and is saddled with a 7.11 ERA.

Royals fans have embraced starting pitcher Johnny Cueto from the moment he was traded from Cincinnati to Kansas City. Cueto returned the favor Monday night.

The right-hander excelled in his home debut against Detroit by hurling a complete-game shutout. He allowed just four hits, walked none and fanned eight for his finest performance in five weeks.

Cueto retired the side in order five times in taming the Tigers. Only J.D. Martinez, who doubled in the first, reached second base against him.

"He actually heard [the crowd] in the eighth and that's when he was excited to go back out for the ninth," Cueto told ESPN through a translator. "That's when he asked Ned (Yost) to please send him back out."

The right-hander has been tearing it up since a mini-slump in mid-July. He has given up only five runs in his last 30 innings in reducing his ERA to 2.05, which ranks second in the majors behind Zack Greinke.

Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman is scheduled to throw off a mound Tuesday, reports MLB.com.

Stroman has not pitched this season due to a torn ACL in his knee. If he continues to progress, he could begin his rehab assignment later this month.

Athletics starter Chris Bassitt allowed one run on 6 2/3 innings in a no-decision against Houston on Sunday. 

Bassitt allowed three hits, his fewest in a start this season, and struck out a career-high 10 batters. 

One bad inning was enough to saddle White Sox starter Jose Quintana with a no-decision Sunday in Kansas City.

That it was the first frame gave him time to recover, which he did. He finished having allowed four runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked two and fanned four.

Quintana was rocked in the first by an RBI double by Eric Hosmer and two-run homer by Kendrys Morales. He allowed just three more hits into the fifth before a single by Ben Zobrist put another run on his ledger. He retired the next seven straight batters.

The outing was his worst since July 18, after which he had surrendered just four runs in 21 1/3 innings until the poor start Sunday.

Veteran right-hander Justin Masterson has been designated for assignment by the Red Sox, the Boston Globe has reported.

The sidearming right-hander has been a bust in his return to Boston and has struggled since 2013. He spent six weeks on the disabled list, lost his spot in the rotation in early July, and has compiled a 4-2 record and 5.55 ERA on the year.

The 30-year-old Masterson has been particularly bad lately. He has allowed six runs on 13 hits and five walks in his last 10 1/3 innings.

Tigers starter Justin Verlander fell to 1-5 on the season with a loss to Boston on Sunday. 

Verlander lost despite not allowing any earned runs. It's the first time Verlander has not given up an earned run in a start since April 17 of last season. 

An error led to two unearned runs, sending Verlander to defeat. He allowed four hits and three walks while matching a season high by striking out seven. 

Mariners pitcher James Paxton will conduct his first bullpen session Sunday since suffering a finger injury, reports 710 ESPN Seattle. Paxton has been sidelined since May 28 with the injury.