MLB Player News

White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana was stuck with a loss Wednesday after giving up three earned runs on eight hits and one walk in 7 1/3 innings while striking out four in his team's 3-1 loss to the Royals.

Quintana (2-4) entered the eighth inning Wednesday locked in a 1-1 tie, but he had runners on second and third with one out before issuing an intentional walk and being removed. Two of the runners he left on base came around to score after he exited, leading to his loss. Quintana owns a 3.67 ERA and 49:16 K:BB ratio in 61 1/3 innings. He'll take on the Indians Monday.

With his disastrous start against the Athletics Tuesday in which he allowed three runs on four hits with five walks and eight strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings, you might assume whatever progress Jake Odorizzi had made in his previous two starts, allowing no runs on six hits with four walks and 18 strikeouts in 11 innings, was lost. But that's probably not the case.

As I pointed out after his last start, his success coincided with a change in his arsenal. Specifically, he began throwing his breaking balls 25-30 percent of time, or about twice as often as before. Leading up to Tuesday's start, The Tampa Tribune provided the backstory for the change, noting that pitching coach Jim Hickey and catcher Ryan Hanigan believed Odorizzi had become too predictable and urged him to mix it up.

Hanigan, as the one calling the pitches, helped make it happen, but with him sidelined by a hamstring injury Tuesday, Odorizzi was forced to work with Jose Molina. And his old habits returned. He threw his slider and curveball only 15 percent of the time.

If Hickey and Hanigan figured it out the first time, you can trust them to figure it out again. The turnaround for Odorizzi should be a quick one.

The absence of White Sox ace Chris Sale from the rotation will finally end Thursday when he starts against the Yankees.

Elbow soreness has prevented Sale from pitching since April 17, before which he was on a roll. He had won three of his four starts and compiled a 2.30 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. All but one of the outs he recorded in his last rehab start covering four innings was a strikeout.

Mariners rookie left-hander James Paxton is set to make his first rehab start Sunday in Tacoma, MLB.com has reported.

Paxton is recovering from a lat strain that has limited him to two starts this season. Barring a setback, he should return to the Seattle rotation in early June.

Rays pitcher Jake Odorizzi couldn't complete five innings despite throwing 113 pitches Tuesday, giving up three earned runs on four hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings while striking out eight in his team's 3-0 loss to the A's.

Odorizzi (2-4) had been brilliant in his previous two starts, striking out 18 in 11 scoreless innings, but while the Ks remained high, he struggled through the first two innings Tuesday, ultimately giving up all three runs in the second inning. He owns a 4.98 ERA and 52:23 K:BB ratio in 43 1/3 innings. Odorizzi is slated to face the Red Sox Sunday.

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb is slated to make his return Thursday against the A's, MLB.com reports. He has been out since April 13 while recovering from an oblique strain.

Cobb has made just one rehab start, but he feels ready to return after seeing the results of that rehab outing. "Yeah, I do," Cobb said. "Stuff-wise, it was all there. Fastball location was pretty much on par for where it's been leading up to the injuries. I think the only thing that we were worried about was the amount of pitches we could go. After getting through 65 in a game situation in the rehab start, then finishing up [throwing more pitching in the bullpen], I think we're going to be good to go. Not sure on the total number, but enough to be able to go out there and get a good effort going deep into the game."

Cobb made three starts before suffering the injury, going 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 14:5 K:BB ratio in 19 innings.

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander wasn't at his best in Tuesday's loss, giving up five earned runs on 11 hits and three walks in six innings while striking out two in his team's 6-2 loss to the Indians.

Verlander (5-3) surrendered one run in the first inning before getting tagged for four more in the second. He settled down after that, but it was his second straight outing giving up five runs in six innings. Verlander owns a 3.55 ERA and 49:27 K:BB ratio in 66 innings. He'll look to bounce back Sunday against the Rangers.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale threw "free and easy" in Tuesday's bullpen session, CSNChicago.com reports.

Sale is a candidate to pitch this weekend against the Yankees, though the team will likely see how he feels Wednesday before making a decision. Sale, who is on the disabled list with elbow soreness, is 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA and 29:7 K:BB ratio in 27 1/3 innings over four starts.

Mariners pitcher James Paxton threw a 53-pitch simulated game Tuesday and reported no issues, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Paxton will likely next be sent on a rehab assignment as he moves closer to returning to the Seattle rotation. He went 2-0 in two starts before suffering a lat strain that has kept him sidelined since early April.

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez has been moved to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday.

Perez underwent Tommy John surgery earlier in the week, and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The club needed to make room on the 40-man roster, which is why Perez was transferred to the long-term DL.