MLB Player News

Athletics ace Sonny Gray is set to start Friday night against the Yankees despite a right ankle issue.

Gray has been a victim of non-support lately from a meager Oakland offense. He has allowed five runs in 23 innings over his last four starts, but has just one win to show for it. He is, however, 5-2 with a 1.77 ERA on the year.

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber earned a win on Thursday, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and one walk in seven innings while racking up 13 strikeouts in his team's 5-3 victory over the Mariners.

Kluber (3-5) had given up just two runs in 25 innings over his last three starts, but he was gifted enough run support to keep ahead of the Mariners on Thursday. He surrendered two homers on the day: a solo shot that evened the score at 1-1 in the third inning and a two-run blast in the sixth inning to reduce his lead to two runs.

Kluber owns a 3.52 ERA and 96:13 K:BB ratio in 76 2/3 innings. He's slated to face the Royals in Kansas City on Wednesday.

Mariners pitcher James Paxton left Thursday's start against the Indians due to discomfort in his left middle finger, the team announced.

"Obviously I'm not happy about it, but I'm staying positive and I don't think it's going to be anything too big, hopefully," Paxton said after the game, per MLB.com. "We'll find out tomorrow. Right now it has pretty good movement and it already feels better than it did an hour ago. Hopefully by tomorrow it'll feel much better."

Paxton gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk in 4 2/3 innings while striking out four before being removed after striking out a batter in the fifth with none on and two outs. He came into the game on a three-start winning streak having allowed two runs or less in six straight starts, but he ran into trouble on Thursday, serving up a solo homer in the second inning before the Indians pushed three runs across in the fourth.

Paxton owns a 3.70 ERA and 45:22 K:BB ratio in 58 1/3 innings. He's slated to face the Yankees on Tuesday if he can make his scheduled start.

Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday, the Providence Journal reports.

Masterson will throw three innings in the start as he continues to recover from shoulder tendinitis. He's 2-2 with a 6.37 ERA and 24:19 K:BB ratio in 35 1/3 innings across seven starts.

White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale was dominant in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Orioles, as he struck out a season-best 12 in a 3-2 win. The left-hander allowed just four hits and no walks in 7 2/3 scoreless innings.

"Historically, I have been pretty terrible against this team," Sale said, per the Chicago Sun Times. "So it was nice to be able to turn that around."

Sale (4-2) got off to a blistering start Thursday. He struck out the side in the first inning and retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up a two-out single to Everth Cabrera in the third inning.

Sale gave up another two-out single in the fourth inning, and two more singles in the seventh inning.

He was lifted after striking out the first two batters in the eighth. Sale also struck out five straight batters at one point, with the streak starting in the bottom of the fifth.

Sale has at least 10 strikeouts in three of his last four starts. He had no 10-plus strikeout games in his first five starts.

Thursday also marked the first time Sale beat Baltimore in four starts. The Orioles were the only AL team he did not have a win against.

He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at Texas.

Orioles pitcher Kevin Gausman is expected to make a couple of starts with Triple-A Norfolk in the coming weeks. Gausman, who is on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, will start on June 6 and June 11 with Norfolk.

These will not be rehab starts, as the Orioles plan to option him to Triple-A, according to MASNSports.com. Gausman will throw three innings or 45 pitches on June 6, and then four innings on the 11th. 

Gausman has been out of action since the beginning of May with the shoulder injury. The team has not indicated when they expect him to rejoin the team. 

Indians starter Carlos Carrasco was dominant in Wednesday's win over the Rangers. Carrasco threw eight solid innings, allowing just one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out eight, throwing 70 of his 105 pitches for strikes.

The only blemish on Carrasco's day was a solo home run from Robinson Chirinos in the fifth inning. Otherwise, he silenced the Rangers' offense and cruised to his sixth win of the season.

Carrasco (6-4) lowered his ERA to 4.24 on the season, and he's schedule to make his next start Tuesday in Kansas City.

Athletics starter Sonny Gray threw a bullpen session on Tuesday after he left his last start with an ankle injury. On Wednesday, Gray indicated that he still had some soreness in his right ankle when he threw off the mound, but he is still expected to make his next start on Friday.

Justin Verlander will make his first rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Toledo, according to MLive.com. The Tigers' right-hander threw a simulated game on Tuesday and seems to have come out of it with no issues, leading to his rehab start.

Manager Brad Ausmus said Verlander would be limited to 80-85 pitches on Sunday. He wasn't sure if Verlander would need to make more than one rehab start. 

"It’s all going to depend on how the first one goes. Then we’ll make a decision," Ausmus said, per the Detroit Free Press.

Verlander is working his way back from a triceps injury that has kept him out of action all season so far.

Without an off-day on Thursday, Red Sox manager John Farrell wanted to give his starters an extra day's rest heading into the weekend. So, the team will call up prospect Eduardo Rodriguez to start Thursday's game against the Rangers, with the rest of the rotation being pushed back a day.

Steven Wright, who was originally scheduled to go on Thursday, will now pitch Friday. He will be followed by Wade Miley and Joe Kelly. Clay Buchholz will open the three-game set with the Twins at home on Monday. 

The Red Sox don't have a scheduled off-day until June 8.