MLB Player News

Valdez (4-6) took the loss against Texas on Thursday, allowing five runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out one batter over five innings.

Valdez was hit early and often, as the Rangers built a 5-0 lead through four frames. The left-hander threw 17 of 26 first pitches for strikes but had trouble putting batters away -- he notched only three whiffs and one punchout. Valdez completed at least six innings in 22 of 31 regular-season starts while going 13-11 for the Astros last year, but it's been a different story during his first campaign in Detroit. He's tossed six-plus innings in a more modest 11 of 18 starts in 2026 and is now 4-6 on the season. Valdez's next start is lined up to be a home matchup against the Athletics.

Eovaldi (9-7) earned the win over Detroit on Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out nine batters over five innings.

Eovaldi began his outing with four scoreless frames and took a 5-0 lead into the fifth. A pair of Tigers homers in that inning trimmed Texas' advantage to 5-3 and resulted in that being Eovaldi's final frame, but the right-hander still emerged with his ninth win. Despite his rough final inning, Eovaldi was mostly dominant, racking up 18 whiffs and tying his season high with nine punchouts -- a mark he has reached in three consecutive contests. The veteran hurler has won four straight starts and will look to extend that streak the next time he takes the mound, which is tentatively slated to be at home against the Angels.

Martin took a no-decision Thursday against the Guardians, allowing two runs on six hits and five walks in 3.1 innings. He failed to record a strikeout.

Martin couldn't find the plate during a laborious outing at sweltering Progressive Field on Thursday, landing only half of his pitches for strikes and walking a season-high five. Additionally, the 74 pitches represent a season-low figure for the 29-year-old right-hander, who also matched his shortest start of the campaign in terms of innings. Martin still holds a strong 3.08 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 90:29 K:BB over 96.1 innings.

Cecconi took a no-decision Thursday against the White Sox, allowing five runs on nine hits and one walk in five-plus innings. He struck out three.

A staggering six of Cecconi's nine hits allowed went for extra bases, three of which came in the fifth inning alone, and a Chase Meidroth two-run home run chased the hurler from the outing in the sixth frame. The 27-year-old right-hander stumbled dramatically Thursday, as he worked at least five innings while yielding two runs or fewer in all five of his starts in June. Cecconi will take a subpar 4.44 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 73:30 K:BB over 95.1 innings into his next scheduled outing against the Twins.

Kolek (4-3) took the loss Thursday against the Rays, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk in two innings. He failed to record a strikeout.

Pitching on 10 days' rest following stints on the paternity and family medical emergency lists, Kolek showed signs of rust in an abbreviated start Thursday. The 29-year-old right-hander has now been unable to register a single punchout in back-to-back outings, watching his season ERA balloon from 2.68 on June 18 to 4.50 after coughing up 12 runs in his last two appearances. Kolek, who has a 1.24 WHIP and 34:12 K:BB over 54 innings this year, will be aiming to steady the ship against the Mets his next time out.

Bubic (elbow/shoulder) received a cortisone injection Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Bubic will be shut down for 7-10 days before the team will reevaluate where he's at. The southpaw has been sidelined since mid-May while nursing left elbow and shoulder discomfort, and he was shifted to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Lagrange was placed on the 7-day injured list with a right shoulder injury Thursday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Lagrange has not pitched with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since he allowed five runs on four hits and two walks while tossing two-thirds of an inning June 28. His lack of action can now be traced back to a shoulder issue, and he is expected to undergo an MRI in the near future. The right-hander had begun the process of transitioning from being a starter to working out of the bullpen, and he was on track to potentially join the major-league roster in the near future. His major-league debut will now have to be pushed further down the road.

Hancock will piggyback starter Logan Gilbert against the Blue Jays on Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Hancock was set to follow Gilbert out of the bullpen last Saturday, but the Mariners decided shortly before the game to give them both their own separate starts during the weekend. The team will now revive their original plan this Saturday, which presumably involves Hancock remaining on the mound through the end of the game once Gilbert's day is done. The 27-year-old Hancock posted a 5.19 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 26 innings in June, but he ended the month on a strong note while allowing just one earned run in 5.2 frames against Cleveland.

Gilbert will be piggybacked by Emerson Hancock during the former's start against Toronto on Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Gilbert and Hancock were originally supposed to work together in a piggyback game last weekend, but a last-minute change allowed the two pitchers to both make their own traditional starts. Now back in a piggyback plan, Gilbert could be limited to roughly five innings Saturday before Hancock steps in to potentially close out the game.

The Rangers optioned Santos to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

Santos will head down to Triple-A after making his MLB debut Wednesday, when he gave up two earned runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one batter across two innings. His move to Triple-A will work as somewhat of a promotion, as he spent most of the first half at Double-A Frisco, posting a 7.44 ERA and 1.78 WHIP over 42.1 frames. Ben Peoples was selected to the active roster in a corresponding move.