MLB Player News

Houck allowed one run on four hits and no walks while striking out four batters over four innings in a no-decision against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Houck was cleared to start for the first time in two weeks following a bout of right shoulder fatigue, but the Red Sox elected to treat him with caution and pull him after 60 pitches despite an effective performance. The right-hander had good control in throwing 70 percent of his pitches for strikes, and he yielded just a second-inning run. If he came out of the outing without any setbacks, Houck could have a longer leash in his next start, which lines up to come in Toronto next week.

Valdez (14-7) took the loss Wednesday against San Diego, allowing one run on five hits and two walks across seven innings. He struck out six.

Valdez's seven innings of one-run ball weren't enough to keep him from the loss column, as Dylan Cease fired 8.1 scoreless innings for the Padres. Valdez has been excellent since the start of August, tallying a 1.33 ERA and 57:15 K:BB across 54.1 innings. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Mariners his next time out.

Ober allowed two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out 12 batters over seven innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Wednesday.

Ober tallied 17 whiffs while demonstrating excellent command by throwing 70 of 101 pitches for strikes. The only negative aspect of his performance is that two of the four hits against him left the park, which played a part in preventing him from emerging with a victory. Nonetheless, Ober picked up his third quality start across his past five outings, and in those trio of quality starts he's surrendered just six hits while allowing only three runs and posting a 27:3 K:BB across 20 frames. It should be mentioned, though, that in the two other starts during that five-game span, Ober has struggled, yielding 14 runs with an 8:4 K:BB over 8.2 frames.

Marsh (8-9) took the loss versus the Tigers on Wednesday, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out five over 2.2 innings.

Marsh needed 73 pitches (39 strikes) to get eight outs in a poor start. It's a step back after his one-run, 11-strikeout effort versus the Pirates last Friday, and it's the poorest of his five outings since he rejoined the big-league rotation in late August. Marsh is now at a 4.65 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 121:39 K:BB over 124 innings across 25 appearances (24 starts) this year. Michael Lorenzen (hamstring) lasted 3.1 innings in a rehab start last Friday with Triple-A Omaha, but he also experienced more than the usual soreness after that outing. The last spot in the Royals' rotation is due up again on the road versus the Nationals, and it's unclear if Marsh is in contention for that start, which would likely be his last of the regular season if he gets it.

Skubal (17-4) allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings to earn the win over the Royals on Wednesday.

Skubal was pushed back a day after dealing with an injury to his non-throwing hand. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last eight starts, though this was tied for his shortest outing in that span. Over that sample, he's allowed 12 runs while posting a 59:8 K:BB across 48.2 innings. Skubal continues to maintain Cy Young credentials this season with a 2.48 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 221:34 K:BB across 185 innings over 30 starts. The Tigers are also just a half game out of the last wild-card spot following Wednesday's action, so Skubal is likely to remain active as long as a playoff spot is up for grabs. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Rays.

Bibee allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 6.2 innings in a no-decision against Minnesota on Wednesday.

Bibee allowed a run in the first inning but yielded just one more run over the remainder of his outing. The right-hander notched his third quality start over his past four appearances, a span in which he's posted a 3.04 ERA over 23.2 frames. Bibee has a 14:1 K:BB in 12.2 innings over his past two starts after posting a less impressive 10:6 K:BB across 11 innings over his previous two outings.

Kremer (7-10) took the loss Wednesday against San Francisco, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks across six innings. He struck out seven.

Kremer yielded solo home runs to Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto in the first and sixth innings, respectively, snapping a streak of six consecutive starts without allowing a long ball. Kremer also punched out seven batters for a third straight appearance. On the year, Kremer has a 4.19 ERA and a 120:49 K:BB across 124.2 innings. His next start is scheduled to come against the Yankees.

Kochanowicz came away with a no-decision Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits over seven innings in a 4-3 extra-innings win over the White Sox. He struck out five without walking a batter.

The rookie right-hander produced his sixth quality start in his last seven trips to the mound as he solidifies a spot in the Angels' rotation plans for 2025. Over that stretch, Kochanowicz has posted a 3.05 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 44.1 innings despite a subpar 15:6 K:BB. In fact, Wednesday's five strikeouts were a new career high for the 23-year-old. Kochanowicz lines up to make his next start on the road next week in a rematch with the White Sox.

Triple-A Norfolk reinstated McDermott (shoulder) from its 7-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader with Nashville, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

McDermott will be getting his first game action since he was shut down in late July with a right scapula stress reaction. The 26-year-old is unlikely to be a factor with the Orioles before the end of the season, but finishing the campaign healthy would give the right-hander and the team some peace of mind heading into the offseason.

Macko (forearm) was reinstated from Double-A New Hampshire's 7-day injured list Sept. 11 and promoted to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Macko had been on the shelf at Double-A since July 6 with a left forearm injury before beginning a rehab assignment with Single-A Dunedin on Aug. 24. After three rehab starts with Dunedin, Macko returned to action for New Hampshire on Sept. 11, tossing four innings while allowing six runs in a loss to Somerset. Despite the poor showing, Macko moved up to Buffalo and made his Triple-A debut Tuesday, when he struck out three while allowing three runs on four hits and three walks over three innings.