MLB Player News

Ragans (11-9) picked up the win in Friday's 5-0 victory over the Twins, allowing four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

When Ragans fanned Royce Lewis with a changeup in the third inning, it made him the first left-hander in Kansas City history to record 200 strikeouts in a season. He's only the fifth Royals pitcher to ever reach that mark, joining a group that includes Zack Greinke (2009), Kevin Appier (1996), Dennis Leonard (a franchise-record 244 Ks in 1977) and Bob Johnson (1970). The quality start was the 18th of the season for Ragans, and since the beginning of August he's posted a 3.23 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB over 39 innings. His 204 strikeouts on the year put him third in the majors behind Tarik Skubal's 208 and Chris Sale's 206. Ragans is scheduled for a tough road start against the Yankees next week, and his subsequent turn in the rotation could set him up for a dramatic showdown with Skubal in Kansas City on Sept. 17.

Matthews (1-3) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings as the Twins were downed 5-0 by the Royals. He struck out four.

While his offense gave him no support, Matthews once again left too many hittable pitches over the plate. The rookie right-hander served up his sixth homer in 22 big-league innings, a fourth-inning solo shot by Michael Massey, and while his 22:3 K:BB over that stretch demonstrates that the impeccable control he displayed in the minors remains intact, it comes with a 7.36 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Matthews lines up to make his next start at home next week against the Angels.

Valdez (14-6) picked up the win in Friday's 8-0 rout of the Diamondbacks, allowing two hits and three walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

Valdez has now held the opposition scoreless three times in his last four trips to the mound. The southpaw has been nearly untouchable since the beginning of August, giving up only 15 hits in 41 innings over his last six starts en route to a 1.32 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 45:12 K:BB. Valdez will look to stay dominant in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Athletics.

Bido isn't in line to make a turn through the rotation during this weekend's series versus the Tigers, as Brady Basso and J.T. Ginn have been confirmed to start Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Jessica Kleinschmidt of the Oakland Athletics Radio Network reports.

Bido looked on track for a two-start week after he gave up four runs over 5.1 innings in his outing against the Mariners on Monday, but he'll instead have his next start pushed bak until at least next week following the Athletics' call-up of Basso, who was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday. Manager Mark Kotsay didn't shed much light on why Bido was bypassed for a start Saturday or Sunday, but given how well the right-hander has performed of late, his absence from the rotation this weekend could point to him dealing with a yet-to-be-disclosed injury. Dating back to the beginning of August, Bido had gone 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 32:10 K:BB in 34.1 innings.

Skubal allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over 5.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Athletics on Friday.

Skubal pitched well, but he came up an out short of a quality start after the Athletics were able to create traffic on the basepaths in the sixth inning. On the bright side, Skubal recorded at least seven strikeouts for the 10th time in his last 12 starts, and this was the fourth outing in a row in which he didn't issue a free pass. The Tigers' ace is at a 2.53 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 208:33 K:BB through 174 innings over 28 starts this year. Skubal is lined up to make his next start at home versus the Rockies.

Spence allowed a run on eight hits and struck out six without walking a batter over 4.1 innings in a no-decision Friday versus the Tigers.

Spence was a little generous with the contact, but he was able to effectively limit the damage. He threw 70 pitches (48 strikes) in his shortest start since a 2.2-inning mess versus the Mets on Aug. 15. The right-hander is at a 4.42 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 111:41 K:BB through 130.1 innings over 31 appearances (20 starts) this season. His next outing is projected to come in Houston.

Boyd (2-1) allowed one run on three hits over six innings and struck out six without walking a batter to earn the win Friday over the Dodgers.

Boyd gave up a solo shot to Shohei Ohtani in the sixth inning, but he was able to finish with just the one run allowed. It's the fourth time in five starts Boyd has permitted just one run. He's now at a 2.20 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 26:5 K:BB over 28.2 innings, and he's arguably been the Guardians' best pitcher since he debuted Aug. 13 after finishing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Boyd is projected to make his next start on the road versus the White Sox, giving him an excellent chance to continue his success.

Kremer (7-9) allowed two hits and three walks over six-plus scoreless frames Friday, striking out seven and earning a win over Tampa Bay.

Kremer faced little pushback from the Rays as he coasted through six shutout innings. He loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning but Yennier Cano came in to put out the fire and help Baltimore throw a combined shutout. Kremer showed no lingering issues after taking a line drive off his forearm against the Rockies on Aug. 31. After an 0-5 stretch throughout most of July and August, Kremer has gone 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA over his last five outings. He now owns a 4.27 ERA over 111.2 innings this season. Kremer is in line to start in Boston next week.

Baz (2-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks over six innings Friday, striking out five and taking a loss against Baltimore.

Baz worked through four shutout frames before coughing up a run in the fifth inning. He then gave up a solo shot to Gunnar Henderson in the sixth. Baz forced 15 swinging strikes, including six with his curveball. He's allowed two or fewer runs in six of his 10 appearances since returning from the injured list. Baz has produced a 3.27 ERA and a 46:23 K:BB across 55 innings. He's currently in line to start in Philadelphia next week.

Martin yielded a run on three hits and a walk over six innings in a no-decision Friday. He struck out three during a loss to Boston.

Martin made his eighth appearance of the year for the White Sox and delivered his second quality start. He forced 11 whiffs, including four each via his cutter and slider. He didn't face much trouble outside of the fourth inning, when the Red Sox scored a run after he hit two straight batters with pitches to open the frame. Martin lowered his ERA to 3.29 with a 35:15 K:BB over 38.1 innings. He's currently projected to face the Guardians at home next week.