MLB Player News

Boyd (1-1) took the loss Saturday as the Guardians fell 3-0 to the Pirates, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out eight without walking a batter.

The veteran southpaw put together his best performance in four starts since joining the Cleveland rotation, but the team's offense gave him no support. Boyd fired 59 of 90 pitches for strikes in his second straight quality start, and he'll carry a 2.38 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 20:5 K:BB through 22.2 innings into his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next weekend against the Dodgers.

Skubal (16-4) allowed one run on four hits over eight innings to pick up the win Saturday against the Red Sox. He struck out eight without walking a batter.

Skubal was masterful once again, with his only blemish a solo home run by Tyler O'Neill in the first inning. The lefty was on cruise control from there, and he wrapped up his career-high eight innings on 98 pitches, lowering his season ERA to a sparkling 2.51. This was the seventh time this year that Skubal didn't walk anyone in a start, allowing him to trim his BB/9 to an outstanding 1.8. Detroit's ace became the first pitcher in the majors this season to reach 200 strikeouts with 201 in 168.1 innings, making him the favorite for the AL Cy Young Award heading into September. Skubal is penciled in to make his next outing Friday against the Athletics on the road, and he will look to keep building on his success in the favorable matchup.

Ragans (10-9) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters over five-plus innings.

Ragans left his previous start Monday against Cleveland due to calf/hamstring cramping, but he didn't seem to be impacted at all by the issue Saturday. While the left-hander gave up five runs for the first time since late June, only one of the hits against him (a triple) went for extra bases. In fact, at one point early in the contest Ragans struck out eight straight batters, and he didn't allow his first hit until the fourth frame. Ragans' undoing was the sixth inning, when he struggled with his control -- in addition to allowing three hits, he also walked a batter, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch, and he didn't notch any outs before he was pulled. Aside from that frame, Ragans was dominant, and he notched his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season while tallying an impressive 22 whiffs.

Kikuchi (7-9) earned the win over Kansas City on Saturday, allowing one run on five hits and no walks while striking out 12 batters over seven innings.

Kikuchi racked up 20 swinging strikes on his way to a season-high 12 punchouts, falling just one K shy of his career-high mark. The southpaw kept the Royals off the board for six frames before allowing a run on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice in the seventh, but he was able to get through that frame with no additional damage to complete seven innings for the first time since July 9. The Astros' trade for Kikuchi at the deadline didn't generate much buzz, but the hurler has been excellent since joining Houston, posting a 2.57 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 47:10 K:BB over six starts covering 35 frames.

Matthews (1-2) took the loss against Toronto on Saturday, allowing nine runs on 10 hits and no walks while striking out five batters over two innings.

Matthews came into the contest with an impressive 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through three big-league starts, but those numbers rose astronomically as a result of Saturday's disastrous outing. The rookie right-hander gave up seven runs in the first inning and two more in the second, and three of the 10 hits against him left the yard. Matthews was mercifully relieved when the third inning came around, and he departed having thrown a whopping 69 pitches in two frames -- more than Toronto starter Jose Berrios tossed across six scoreless innings. If there's any bright side, it's that Matthews managed 12 whiffs and five punchouts in the short start, but that's not much consolation for fantasy managers who roster Matthews and had their ratios for the week blown up as a result of his poor start.

Berrios (14-9) earned the win over Minnesota on Saturday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.

The Blue Jays gave Berrios a seven-run lead after half an inning, and the right-hander capitalized by cruising through his outing. He needed only 63 pitches to complete six frames and would have probably gone longer under normal circumstances, but the right-hander mentioned after the game that he was dealing with a fever and said that taking the mound "was a challenge," per the Associated Press. Given his ability to pitch through the illness Saturday, there doesn't seem to be any concern about the issue affecting Berrios' next start. He'll look to extend a five-game quality-start streak in what lines up to be a matchup in Atlanta next weekend.

Martin (0-3) took the loss against the Mets on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over five innings.

Martin had a rough first inning, giving up two homers resulting in three runs. He settled down after that and yielded just one more run over the remainder of his outing, but Chicago's offense never put him in position to be taken off the hook. Martin racked up an impressive 19 swinging strikes and set a season high with six punchouts. He's yet to win a game this season but has been a serviceable starting option for the White Sox, posting a 3.62 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 32:14 K:BB over 32.1 innings.

Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters after Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Rockies that Eflin (shoulder) will start for the Orioles on Sunday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Eflin landed on the injured list Aug. 20 due to right shoulder inflammation, but a minimum stint on the IL was expected. He threw a bullpen session Thursday, and the 30-year-old right-hander will return for the series finale against Colorado. Eflin is 4-0 in his four starts since being acquired by the Orioles from the Rays in late July with a 2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 25:2 K:BB across 25.1 innings.

Kremer was diagnosed with right forearm contusion after he was removed from his start in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Rockies, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports. He took a no-decision after striking out three over 3.1 innings while allowing four earned runs on six hits and one walk.

Kremer was hit by a line drive off the bat of Jordan Beck in the fourth inning. He experienced significant swelling in his right forearm after leaving the game, but the subsequent X-rays did not show a fracture. He'll undergo further testing Sunday, and how his arm responds over the next couple of days will determine whether he will be able to make his next start. Kremer tentatively lines up to make his next turn through the rotation Friday versus the Rays.

Kremer left Saturday's game against the Rockies in the fourth inning due to a right forearm injury, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Kremer took a line drive to his right wrist off the bat of Jordan Beck, and the 28-year-old pitcher was replaced by Keegan Akin. Kremer exited the contest having allowed four runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three over 3.1 innings. His next start is tentatively slated for the Orioles' weekend series against the Rays starting Sept. 6.