MLB Player News

Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman will be called up to make a start Sunday in Boston. It remains to be seen if this promotion is permanent.

Gausman has been up and down from Triple-A Norfolk this season. A poor performance against Tampa Bay in his last outing ended a streak of three consecutive quality starts.

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel, who was scratched from his previous start with a wrist injury, doesn't expect to have any problems when he takes the hill Friday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

"It was just a matter of rest and treatment," Keuchel said. "Those two days of rest were really good for me. Then I started throwing again and nothing hurt and nothing was sore. I’m ready to go. I didn’t lose anything. Maybe a little bit of strength wise, but throwing the baseball I have no concerns about finishing my pitches or if I’m going to have any strength. My endurance is still there. I was still biking and running and stuff like that, so none of that will affect me."

Keuchel initially suffered the injury sleeping awkwardly on his hand. He'll return to a 2.78 ERA and 83:26 K:BB ratio in 103 2/3 innings.

Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray earned a win Thursday after giving up just one earned run on four hits and three walks in seven innings and striking out five in his team's 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays.

Gray (8-3) surrendered his only run on a questionable call in the second inning when the Blue Jays successfully overturned a ruling on a challenge to get their runner called out on a tag between first and second, which allowed the play at the plate to be a non-force and the lead runner to score on the non-tag. The A's formally played the game under protest after the ruling, though their win wipes out the protest.

Gray owns a 3.08 ERA and 95:40 K:BB ratio in 111 innings. He's slated to face the Giants Tuesday.

The Rangers have decided to turn to Scott Baker to start Thursday's game against the Orioles with the high chance of inclement weather on the horizon, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Yu Darvish, the team's probable starter Thursday, will instead pitch Friday against the Mets in New York. The team was reluctant to go with Darvish on his regular schedule with the chance that he may be limited to only a few innings due to the weather. New Thursday starter Baker owns a 5.80 ERA and 27:6 K:BB ratio in 40 1/3 innings over 11 appearances (two starts).

With a 90 percent chance of rain in Baltimore, the Rangers will likely not start Yu Darvish Thursday against the Orioles as planned, the Dallas Morning News reports.

The team is worried that a weather day could cost Darvish a rain-shortened turn in the rotation, so they are planning to push him back to Friday's game in New York unless the weather clears up considerably before first pitch Thursday. Scott Baker would fill in on the mound Thursday if the window of decent weather to play remains relatively short.

Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander appeared doomed for disaster after surrendering home runs to Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss in the first inning. But it was the Athletics who were doomed.

Verlander, who has bounced back from a miserable slump in his last three starts, pitched shutout ball in the last five innings despite giving up six more hits, including four in the third inning. He finished with two earned runs allowed on nine hits in six innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

He has not been dynamite lately, but he has yielded seven earned runs in his last 19 innings. His win Wednesday was his first since May 30. He will try to make it two in a row Tuesday against the Dodgers.

Terry Francona is blaming command rather than any physical problem for the struggles of one-time Indians ace Justin Masterson.

The right-hander lasted just three innings Tuesday night despite seven strikeouts against the Dodgers. That start had been pushed back two days so he could overcome knee soreness. Masterson has given up 16 runs in his last 21 2/3 innings covering five starts as his ERA has climbed to 5.16.

"I think he actually feels OK," Francona told MLB.com. "I think it's some command that he's going to have to fight through. I think he physically feels pretty good. ... I think he's open to working with [pitching coach Mickey Callaway) a lot.

"...There's times right now where he's throwing it and hoping it'll have some natural movement that'll get him out of a jam, as opposed to commanding. I think some of that is confidence. Some of that is repeating. Because, when he gets on a roll, we've all seen [how good he can be]."

Masterson can be quite good, it seems, in alternate years since 2010. His current ERA, however, would be the highest of his career, not a good sign considering this is his free agent year.

Rays starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi won for the second time in three starts during a 6-3 win Wednesday at N.Y. Yankees. He allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk, while striking out four in 5 2/3 innings.

Odorizzi's day got off to an ominous start, as he allowed a leadoff home run to Brett Gardner in the bottom of the first inning. He allowed two more hits -- both singles -- in the inning, but he limited the damage to one run.

The Rays tied the game before Brian McCann put New York ahead 2-1 in the third inning with a solo home run. The Rays tied the game again in the top of the fourth before Gardner had a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the inning to put New York back on top. The Rays tied the game in the fifth before taking the lead for good with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Wednesday was the first time in five starts Odorizzi (4-7) allowed more than two earned runs. He's expected to make his next start Monday against the Royals.

Astros ace Dallas Keuchel has recovered from a wrist injury and is expected to start Friday against the Angels. He was originally slated to pitch Thursday, but Brett Oberholtzer will do so instead.

Keuchel, who missed his last start, had slumped after a brilliant run. He gave up eight runs in his last 13 innings. Oberholtzer earned another outing with a strong performance Saturday against Detroit.

Indians starter Justin Masterson lasted just three innings in his return to the rotation Tuesday, in a 10-3 win over the Dodgers.

Masterson got plenty of support, but tossed 85 pitches in three innings before he was lifted, ineligible for a win. He was charged with three runs on seven hits and three walks in his three innings of work, though he also struck out seven in the no-decision.

Masterson remains winless in his last four trips to the mound, giving him a 4-5 record through 18 starts. He carries a 5.16 ERA into his next start, set for Monday against the Yankees.