MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that McCullers (finger) will rejoin the rotation Friday in Baltimore, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Coming back from a blister, McCullers permitted just one run while fanning five batters over five innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land last Friday. The right-hander threw 80 pitches in that outing, so he shouldn't have any major workload limitations against the Orioles.

The Mariners activated Miller (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.

Miller is set to make his return to the Mariners' rotation Tuesday with a start on the road in Philadelphia. The right-hander has been sidelined for more than two months with inflammation in his pitching elbow. Miller threw 76 pitches in his final rehab start, so he will likely be slightly limited from a workload perspective versus the Phillies.

The Guardians are expected to call up Messick from Triple-A Columbus to start or pitch in bulk relief Wednesday in Arizona, SI.com reports.

One of Cleveland's top pitching prospects, Messick will be making his MLB debut Wednesday as he steps into the rotation spot that previously belonged to Joey Cantillo, who was optioned to Triple-A over the weekend. Messick had been a standout performer at Columbus this season, generating a 3.47 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 119:42 K:BB in 98.2 innings over 20 starts. The 24-year-old southpaw could earn multiple turns through the Cleveland rotation if he fares well in his MLB debut, though he'll be at risk of losing his spot once rehabbing lefty John Means (elbow) is cleared to return from the 60-day injured list.

May (7-9) took the loss Monday, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings against Baltimore. He struck out five.

May worked around traffic to post six solid innings Monday, but Boston's offense didn't heat up until too late in the loss. Since joining the Red Sox, the right-hander has gone 1-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 15.2 innings in three starts.

Rogers (6-2) earned the win Monday, allowing a run on four hits and a walk over seven innings against the Red Sox. He struck out seven.

Rogers shined Monday, keeping Boston scoreless until Jarren Duran's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. The southpaw has been outstanding this year, posting a 1.41 ERA and 0.80 WHIP across 76.1 innings in 12 starts, with five of those outings lasting seven or more frames. While Rogers doesn't dominate hitters with overpowering velocity or filthy breaking stuff, his strong command and knack for inducing ground balls have fueled his success.

Williams (8-4) allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 innings to earn the win over the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Williams was back on track Monday after giving up four runs over three innings in his previous start. He's allowed just five runs in 23 innings across four starts in August, adding a 23:8 K:BB in that span. The right-hander has had some trouble with walks throughout the season, and getting that issue under control has likely helped his performance this month. Overall, he has a 3.24 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 132:68 K:BB through 133.1 innings over 25 starts. Williams is projected for a road start versus the Rangers this weekend.

Leiter (7-7) took the loss Monday against the Royals, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. He struck out five.

Limiting free passes remains a major issue for Leiter, who walked multiple batters in his eighth consecutive start. The six hits allowed were also his most since his June 29 outing against the Mariners, and the hard-throwing right-hander served up multiple home runs for the first time since his June 17 appearance against these same Royals. Leiter has a shaky 3.62 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 43:25 K:BB across 37.1 innings since the beginning of July, but he's next set to face a Guardians team that has an underwhelming .650 OPS since the beginning of August.

Wacha (8-9) notched the win Monday against Texas, allowing two runs on nine hits and no walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

The nine hits allowed were Wacha's most since his June 30 start in Seattle, though that didn't stop him from tossing at least five innings while surrendering two runs or fewer in his seventh straight outing. The veteran right-hander continues to put together a steady campaign for the Royals, as he's given up greater than three runs on just five occasions among 25 appearances. Wacha owns a solid 3.34 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 104:37 K:BB across 142.2 frames, though a tough test against the first-place Tigers is on tap for this weekend.

Gilbert (3-5) took the loss Monday at Philadelphia, allowing six runs on nine hits and no walks over two innings. He struck out one.

The Seattle right-hander looked like a shell of the pitcher who entered this contest with a 3.31 ERA across 89.2 frames. Gilbert allowed five or more runs for the first time in 18 starts this season, as he equaled the shortest outing of his career -- previously done when he pitched two innings June 26, 2021. The Phillies tallied all six of their runs, including two homers, in the second to chase Gilbert after 65 pitches. He now sports a 3.83 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 125:23 K:BB across 91.2 total innings. Gilbert will look to bounce back in his next start, which is currently scheduled to come at home against the Athletics this weekend.

Gausman allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings while not factoring into the decision in Monday's 5-2 loss at Pittsburgh. He struck out four.

The veteran right-hander limited the damage in this 96-pitch performance, as he allowed just one extra-base hit -- a Spencer Horwitz double in the third. Despite a five-run blowup against Kansas City on Aug. 1, Gausman has been a dependable starter since the All-Star break, producing a 2.61 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB across 38 frames. In 147.2 total innings, the 34-year-old has pitched to a 3.78 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 142:42 K:BB while yielding 19 homers. He is currently scheduled to make his next start at Miami this weekend.