MLB Player News

Rays pitcher Alex Cobb threw four innings in a simulated game Thursday and said it went well, the Tampa Tribune reports. He is returning from a concussion suffered in mid-June.

Cobb is 6-2 with a 3.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 76:23 K:BB ratio in 83 2/3 innings.

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish threw a bullpen session Thursday and is expected to return to the Rangers to start Monday's game against the Yankees, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Darvish was placed on the 15-day disabled list with trapezius muscle fatigue last week. Should he return Monday, he'll have missed just one turn in the rotation due to the All-Star break.

Rangers pitcher Martin Perez will start Sunday against the Orioles. 

Perez has been solid in six starts, posting a 3.00 ERA. The Rangers will toss Ross Wolf in between Derek Holland and Perez during their first series after the All-Star break. 

Twins pitcher Vance Worley has been placed on the minor-league disabled list with a shoulder issue.

Worley opened the season in the majors, but he's posted an ugly 7.21 ERA in 10 starts. Things were a better at Triple-A Rochester, where he had a 3.88 ERA in nine starts. 

Rays starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi has pitched well since his latest demotion to Triple-A Durham in mid-June. Odorizzi is 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in his last four starts.

Odorizzi also has 23 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings since his demotion. He's 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 14 starts for Durham. He has 83 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings.

The White Sox will start Jose Quintana in Sunday's series finale against Atlanta, ESPN Chicago reports. Quintana owns a 3.71 ERA on the year with 90 strikeouts in 114 innings and a 4-2 record.

White Sox starter Chris Sale went two innings in Tuesday's 3-0 All-Star Game win over the National League at Citi Field in New York.

Sale was the only American League pitcher to go more than an inning and he earned the win. He struck out two in two perfect innings on 24 pitches.

Despite a 6-8 record in 17 starts, Sale has struck out 131 in 120 innings with a 2.85 ERA, which is fifth in the AL. He has a 1.01 WHIP and two complete games.

Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber wrapped up the first half with 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Royals and has 18 strikeouts in his last two starts (14 innings). 

While Kluber has a decent stat line -- 7-5 record, 3.88 ERA, 1.24 WHIP -- and solid strikeout rate (8.9 K/9), he's just too inconsistent. He will throw together a few good starts, then a few bad ones. 

I think Fantasy owners have his ownership (57 percent) spot on. Kluber is mid-level Fantasy player to consider during two-start weeks or if he has a favorable matchup.

The Rangers have been mentioned as a popular landing spot for Cubs pitcher Matt Garza, but they aren't willing to give up pitcher Martin Perez, according to MLB.com.

A previous report had mentioned Perez as a potential trade candidate, but the Rangers are not willing to make that move. Perez has been solid this season, with a 3.00 ERA in six starts. Garza is said to be traded soon, and could be moved before his next start. If he goes to the Rangers, it would have to be for another set of prospects. 

White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana has seen an uptick in his strikeout rate this season due to increased velocity with his fastball.

Quintana's fastball has jumped from 91.05 mph to 92.25 mph in 2013. The increased velocity has helped Quintana get more strikeouts. His whiff rate has jumped from 6.75 percent to 10.57 percent with the pitch. It's become his main two-strike pitch against both righties and lefties. 

Quintana's improvements have led to solid Fantasy output, with a 3.71 ERA in 114 innings.