MLB Player News

Morton struck out two over two perfect innings of relief in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Angels.

After slotting into the rotation Wednesday and dropping to 0-7 on the season while giving up three runs over four innings in a loss to the Twins, Morton shifted back to the bullpen this weekend and was tasked with mopping up in Saturday's loss. With the Orioles bringing Zach Eflin (lat) back from the injured list to start Sunday's series finale in Anaheim, Morton isn't expected to be needed in the rotation anytime soon.

The Orioles reinstated Rogers (knee) from the 15-day injured list Sunday and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk, Cordell Woodland of 105.7 The Fan Baltimore reports.

Cade Povich (5.55 ERA, 1.54 WHIP in seven starts) and Kyle Gibson (13.11 ERA, 2.49 WHIP in three starts) haven't made strong cases for sticking around in the Baltimore rotation, but Rogers didn't perform well enough over his four-start rehab assignment to make a convincing argument to join the big club upon being activated. Between stops with Norfolk and Double-A Chesapeake, Rogers surrendered 10 earned runs on 15 hits and five walks while striking out 13 across 12 innings. He'll continue to make regular turns out of the Norfolk rotation, and if he displays improved numbers in his upcoming starts, Rogers could earn a look with the big club.

The Orioles activated Eflin (lat) from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Angels.

The right-hander was sidelined just over a month due to a lat strain, but he'll rejoin Baltimore's rotation after firing four scoreless frames in his lone rehab start last weekend. Eflin threw only 58 pitches in that outing, so he will likely have some workload limitations for his first couple starts back with the Orioles. The 31-year-old delivered quality starts in all three of his outings prior to the injury and had a 3.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB over 18 innings.

Schmidt is scheduled to start Monday's game at Seattle, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander was a candidate to start Sunday in Sacramento following the demotion of Carlos Carrasco earlier in the week, but Schmidt will instead take the mound Monday. Schmidt surrendered eight runs over his first two starts after missing the first few weeks of the season due to a shoulder issue, but he's given up just three earned runs with 10 strikeouts over 11 frames in his past two outings.

Smith allowed four hits while striking out seven over six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Marlins on Saturday. He did not issue a walk.

It was another strong performance by the 25-year-old right-hander, who generated 17 whiffs on 87 pitches (58 strikes) and faced the minimum number of batters in three of the six innings he worked. However, Smith wasn't able to come away with the win, as the Marlins tacked on three runs over the seventh and eighth innings. He sports a 2.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 43.1 innings, which rank seventh and 16th, respectively, in the American League among qualified starters. Smith is slated to take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field next weekend in a Windy City duel.

McCullers (0-1) took the loss against the Reds on Saturday, allowing seven runs on three hits and three walks while recording just one out in the first inning. He did not record a strikeout.

It was a brutal outing for McCullers in just his second start since being activated from the 15-day injured list May 4. He gave up a three-run home run to Elly De La Cruz, and after recording a groundout, McCullers proceeded to put the next four batters he faced on base before being mercifully lifted for Logan VanWey. McCullers will look to put Saturday's outing behind him and hit the reset button ahead of his next start, tentatively slated for next week on the road against the Rangers.

Gibson (0-2) allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings to take the loss Saturday versus the Angels.

Gibson has been awful since he was added to the big-league roster April 29. He's pitched to a 13.11 ERA, 2.49 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB across 11.2 innings over three starts after signing with the Orioles in late March. The 37-year-old could be at risk of losing his place on the major-league roster when Zach Eflin (lat) returns Sunday, as Gibson hasn't done enough to warrant sticking around. However, it's also possible Gibson stays in the rotation since Charlie Morton pitched out of the bullpen Saturday, tossing two perfect innings. In any case, Gibson is not an option for fantasy managers given his current level of performance.

Kochanowicz (2-5) allowed a run on four hits and four walks while striking out four over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Orioles on Saturday.

Despite matching his season high with four walks, this was arguably Kochanowicz's best start of the season. It ended his five-start losing streak, and the lone blemish on his line was an RBI double by Ryan Mountcastle in the sixth inning. Over eight starts, Kochanowicz has a 5.23 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 24:18 K:BB across 43 innings. He'll look to build off this performance in his next outing, but it'll be a tough one, as he's tentatively projected for a road start versus the Dodgers.

Evans allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over five-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Evans improved on his six-run disaster versus the Rangers on Monday, but his line looked even better before he was charged with the Blue Jays' tying run after giving up a leadoff single to George Springer in the sixth inning. This was the first time Evans has pitched into the sixth this season. The rookie right-hander is now at a 6.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB across 15 innings over his first three big-league starts. George Kirby (shoulder) is expected to need at least one more rehab start, so Evans is tentatively projected to stay in the rotation for a road start in San Diego next week.

Ryan (3-2) earned the win over San Francisco on Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Ryan was originally slated to start Thursday against Baltimore, but he had to be pushed back due to an illness. The ailment may have contributed to Ryan being lifted after just 76 pitches Saturday -- he was shown laying on the dugout floor between innings, so he clearly wasn't 100 percent -- but it didn't affect his effectiveness. The right-hander induced 12 whiffs, fanned seven batters and gave up just one run -- on a Heliot Ramos homer -- while notching his third straight quality start. Over that three-game span, Ryan has given up just two runs over 19 innings while posting a 26:2 K:BB. On the season, he has a 2.74 ERA, 0.83 WHIP (third-best among qualified pitchers) and sterling 54:5 K:BB over 46 frames.