MLB Player News

Indians starter Justin Masterson breezed through the first three innings Wednesday during a home start against the Athletics. He didn't give up a hit.

Things changed in the fourth, however, as Masterson gave up three runs on four singles. In fact, those were the last runs and hits he would allow on his night. Masterson earned the win to improve to 5-2 for the Tribe, as he allowed just three runs on four hits and two walks over seven solid innings. He threw 100 pitches and struck out seven.

It was good to see Masterson with a solid effort Wednesday considering he'd allowed 12 earned runs in his previous two starts over 13 frames. He bounced back Wednesday with six no-hit innings with one hiccup frame.

He has a solid 3.67 ERA on the year with 51 Ks in 54 innings and will look to stay sharp when he next takes the hill during a doubleheader against the Yankees Monday.

Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel will replace Philip Humber in the rotation for Friday's start against the Rangers, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Keuchel has made six relief appearances for the Astros this season, going 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and 10:8 K:BB ratio in 16 1/3 innings. He started 16 games for the team in 2012, posting a 3-8 record and 5.27 ERA.

Orioles starting pitcher prospect Kevin Gausman has lost his last three starts for Double-A Bowie. Gausman is now 1-4 with a 3.53 ERA and .264 opponents' batting average through six starts.

He's managed a pretty good strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's struck out 32 batters and walked just one in 35 2/3 innings. Gausman has gone at least seven innings in his last two starts and has allowed just three runs in 14 2/3 innings in that span.

Astros starting pitcher Jordan Lyles flopped in his first two seasons in the majors, to the point that he did not even earn a spot in the rotation despite making 25 starts a year ago. In two starts since being recalled, however, he has looked more major-league ready this time around, racking up big strikeout numbers in his first two starts.

Lyles has 12 strikeouts and just three walks in his first 10 innings of work after posting just 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings last year and 6.41 in 2011. The key for Lyles will be whether he can sustain this strikeout rate, as his minor-league numbers have not hinted at dominant swing-and-miss potential in the past few years.

When Lyles established himself as a prospect worth watching, he put together consecutive seasons of at least 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings. He has been below 7.0 in each full season since, in both the majors and minors. It is a good sign that he has induced a swinging strike on 14.1 percent of his pitches so far, compared to just 6.9 percent a year ago.

Lyles is worth a look in AL-only Fantasy formats at this time, but he will need to keep generating plenty of whiffs to be someone who should draw interest in mixed-league formats. 

Making only his second start after replacing Brad Peacock in the rotation, Astros starter Jordan Lyles earned his first win Tuesday at home versus the Angels. 

Lyles struck out six batters and gave up just three earned runs over five innings on four hits and two walks to move to 1-0. He threw 82 pitches and gave up all three runs on Mark Trumbo's first-inning three-run homer. 

Lyles, 22, has given up five runs over his first 10 innings spanning two starts but has 12 Ks over that stretch. He's pitching well and will make his next starting appearance Sunday against Texas. 

Athletics starting pitcher Sonny Gray spoiled his status as a top prospect last year in 27 decidedly mediocre starts between Double-A and Triple-A. Now, he looks like the next A's pitcher in line in the event of an injury to the rotation.

Gray's name came up Tuesday as a possible replacement for Jarrod Parker, though it looks like Parker will be able to pitch through his minor neck injury at this point. Even if Gray does not get the call this week, it looks like he should be up at the majors sometimes this season. What kind of output should we expect from the 2011 first round pick.

Gray's calling card, even in his poor 2012 season, has been his heavy groundball tendencies. He has a 55.2 percent groundball rate for his career and has allowed just eight home runs in 205 innings of work, which has helped him to a 3.64 ERA despite striking out just 6.32 batters per nine innings. He has improved his strikeout rate to 7.3 per nine innings this season, but the early returns on his minor league career indicate that he is going to be a guy who relies on keeping the ball in the yard.

That obviously limits his Fantasy upside, though it could make him incredibly stingy at the A's cavernous home park. Gray is a prospect to keep an eye on, mostly because of how close he is to the majors. He could be helpful in AL-only Fantasy formats if he gets the call. 

If Oakland starter Jarrod Parker needs to go on the disabled list due to his neck injury, the Athletics are likely to recall right-hander Sonny Gray, the team's top pick in 2011, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. 

Gray has pitched well for Triple-A Sacramento and is on the same turn in the rotation. Gray's last start was cut short due to rain. He's gone 3-1 over five outings with a 2.61 ERA with 25 Ks over 31 innings. On May 1, he went the distance and allowed one run with six Ks at Fresno. 

Twins starter Vance Worley held his own against Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox in Boston Monday. In fact, he was in line to earn his first win and give Buchholz his first loss.

Neither happened as both pitchers settled for no-decisions after Boston tied the score 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Worley had an inherited runner score in the sixth inning to complete his stat line as he allowed three runs on nine hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out three and allowed a solo homer to Shane Victorino in the fourth.

Worley (0-4) has not been as bad as his 6.95 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and record might suggest. But he's struck out just 20 over 33 2/3 innings and has not pitched consistently.

Worley is scheduled to start Saturday against Baltimore, though manager Ron Gardenhire could make changes to the rotation.

Rangers rehabbing starter Martin Perez pitched for Double-A Frisco Monday, ESPN reports. He threw 53 pitches -- 34 strikes -- over four innings and allowed an earned run on five hits and no walks with a strikeout. 

Out since March 3 with a fractured wrist, Perez is not guaranteed to return to the rotation, when ready, MLB.com reports. 

"No guarantees," manager Ron Washington said. "It's a possibility, but no guarantee. There's a difference."

With rehabbing Colby Lewis guaranteed a spot and rookies Nick Tepesch and Justin Grimm pitching fairly well, there may not be room for Perez when he's ready to return. 

"I can only give you the circumstances when that becomes a reality, when I can sit down with everybody and we discuss what we think is best for us," Washington said. "But for me to say it right now when [Perez] just left Arizona, I don't think that would be right for the other guys that have an opinion."

Rangers starter Yu Darvish threw a career-high 127 pitches Sunday against Boston and finished seven innings with 14 strikeouts. After each inning, he'd go up to manager Ron Washington and tell him that he feels good, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. 

Washington said Darvish wouldn't get past Pedro Ciriaco and the right-hander struck him out to end the seventh. On Monday, Washington was asked what Darvish's pitch limit is. 

"I really feel that 130 is it," Washington said. "Throughout the game he was telling me he was as strong as a bull."