MLB Player News

Rays manager Joe Maddon told the Tampa Bay Times that he's still debating between right-handers Jeremy Hellickson and Jake Odorizzi for Friday's game at Toronto.

Hellickson has been a regular member of the Rays rotation all season but pitched in relief Sept. 20 after going 1-6 with a 7.75 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in his previous nine starts. Odorizzi, a 23-year-old prospect, has spent most of this season at Triple-A Durham but allowed just one hit and one walk in 3 2/3 innings of relief in that same extra-inning game.

Athletics starter Sonny Gray moved to 4-3 with a victory over Minnesota on Sunday.

Gray served up seven hits and four runs over five innings. He wasn't at his sharpest, as he struck out three against two walks and gave up a home run to Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia. Still, Gray has been excellent in his first major league stint, as he owns a 2.90 ERA.

Indians pitcher Corey Kluber moved to 10-5 Sunday after holding the Astros to two earned runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in his team's 9-2 win.

Kluber hasn't lost a game since June 27 and is 3-0 in four September starts. He brings a 3.61 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 131:32 K:BB ratio into Saturday's start against the Twins.

White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale enjoyed another dominant outing but had to settle for a no-decision Saturday night against the Tigers. The left-hander permitted four hits and one walk while striking out seven over 7 2/3 scoreless innings before the bullpen coughed up the lead.

Sale has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. He is scheduled to make his next start Friday at home against Kansas City. He is 1-1 with a stellar 0.75 ERA in three starts against the Royals.

Indians pitcher Justin Masterson is expected to return temporarily as a reliever until he is deemed capable of handling a full workload, MLB.com reports. He will throw a simulated game either Sunday or Monday before returning to action. The Indians hope to have Masterson ready to start in the playoffs, if needed.

"We'll see where that leads," manager Terry Francona said. "I just think it's a little unrealistic to expect him to get deep into a game. ... We're recognizing who we're dealing with here. He's been our best pitcher all year. But he has thrown out of the bullpen, and he can impact us positively while he's also, hopefully, getting somewhat stretched out."

Rangers starting pitcher Martin Perez took a line drive off his left forearm Friday, but had no lingering effects as of Saturday afternoon. That is a good sign for Perez, who suffered a fractured forearm in spring training in a similar spot. 

"When I saw the ball come to me and felt the ball on my arm, I thought, 'again?'" Perez told ESPN.com. 

Perez able to stay in the game, and should not be forced to miss his next start, Wednesday against the Astros. 

The only thing Rays starter Alex Cobb couldn't do Saturday against the Orioles was go the distance in the game.

Cobb managed 8 1/3 innings before a freak triple from Chris Davis and an RBI single from Adam Jones chased him after 117 pitches.

Still, Cobb was dominant against Baltimore as he held them to just one run on five hits and two walks over his time on the mound. He struck out 12 batters, his second straight double-figure strikeout game. His ERA is now at 2.90 as his record moves to 10-3 on the year.

The 25-year-old Cobb has been about as good as it gets his last two starts. He's given up three runs over a span of 16 1/3 innings with 22 strikeouts over that stretch. Cobb has 130 Ks on the year over 136 1/3 innings. He will make his next start for the Rays Thursday at the Yankees.

The Rays recalled pitcher Jake Odorizzi prior to Friday's 18-inning marathon win over the Orioles. Odorizzi pitched in the game for Tampa Bay.

The 23-year-old was impressive in his first action for the Rays since the end of August. He went 3 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. His ERA is at 4.39 for the year for Tampa over 26 2/3 innings.

Orioles pitcher Jason Hammel turned in a decent outing but failed to factor into the decision during Friday's marathon game against the Rays. The right-hander permitted three runs -- two earned -- on six hits and no walks while striking out three over five innings pitched.

Hammel has allowed three runs in each of his last four starts. His ERA has gone down from 5.24 to 5.03 over that span. He is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday at home against Toronto. He is 0-1 with a 6.88 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays.

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez didn't factor into the decision in his team's 2-1 loss to the Royals Friday, giving up one earned run on seven hits and four walks while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings.

Perez worked in and out of trouble all night but couldn't manage to secure his 10th win. He goes into his final start Wednesday against the Astros with a 9-5 record, 3.54 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 71:34 K:BB ratio.