MLB Player News

Eflin (7-7) earned the win over Cleveland on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 6.1 innings.

Eflin didn't overwhelm -- he recorded a modest nine whiffs and three punchouts -- but the only runs he allowed came on a two-run homer by Angel Martinez in the third inning. The right-handed hurler has won both of his outings since joining Baltimore via a trade with Tampa Bay at the deadline; prior to the deal, he had gone three straight starts without a victory. Eflin also has recorded consecutive quality starts since joining the Orioles, as many as he had accumulated in his previous 11 appearances combined prior to the trade.

Crochet allowed one run on one hit and four walks while striking out two batters over four innings in a no-decision against Minnesota on Saturday.

Crochet gave up only one hit (though it was a solo homer), but he struggled with his control, throwing just 43 of 77 pitches for strikes and issuing a season-high four walks. That likely was a major factor in the left-hander getting pulled after four frames, though it can't be glossed over that he's thrown nearly 100 more innings this season than he did in 2022 (when he missed the entire campaign) and 2023 combined. The White Sox stated in late July that they don't intend to shut down Crochet or move him to the bullpen, but he hasn't pitched more than four innings or thrown more than 77 pitches in any of his past five starts while experiencing a clear downturn in his performance. His season numbers (3.19 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 162 Ks) are still great, but Crochet's fantasy managers should anticipate a managed workload moving forward, and those in redraft leagues may want to consider getting what they can for him rather than waiting for a bounce-back.

Blanco (9-6) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven over five innings, taking the loss versus the Rays on Saturday.

A two-run home run by Josh Lowe in the fifth inning was enough to saddle Blanco with the loss. While he's allowed exactly two runs in four of his last six starts, he has an unfortunate 1-3 record in that span. The 30-year-old continues to put together an impressive campaign with a 2.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 121:48 K:BB through 124 innings over 21 starts. His next outing is projected to be at Boston.

Ober (11-5) earned the win over the White Sox on Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over seven innings.

Ober got through four scoreless frames before Chicago tied the game with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Twins put up a run in the top of the seventh to move the right-hander in line for the win, and he completed a scoreless bottom of the frame before giving way to the bullpen. Ober notched his third straight victory and his eighth consecutive quality start. Over the latter streak, he's posted a 1.95 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 63:11 K:BB across 55.1 innings.

Littell (5-7) allowed a run on four hits and a walk while striking out three over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Astros on Saturday.

Littell allowed the opening run of the game, a Jon Singleton solo home run in the first inning. The Rays were able to bounce back on offense while Littell was sharp the rest of the way to collect consecutive wins for the first time this season. The right-hander has allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks over his last 12.2 innings. For the season, he's pitched to a 4.06 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 108:23 K:BB over 119.2 innings through 22 starts. Littell is projected to make his next start at home versus the Orioles.

Berrios (9-9) took the loss against the Yankees on Saturday, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts over five innings.

The velocity on each of Berrios' offerings was at least one mph above his season averages, but he was burned by three two-run homers. The 30-year-old trails only Kutter Crawford with 25 long balls allowed this season, and he has yielded four earned runs or more in six of his past 10 starts. On the year, Berrios owns a 4.11 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 103:42 K:BB across 135.2 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Athletics next week.

Rodon (12-7) earned the win against the Blue Jays on Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Rodon yielded a solo homer in the first inning and was responsible for two more runs after being pulled at 106 pitches in the sixth. His fastball velocity was about one mph above his season average, and he accumulated 13 swinging strikes on the pitch while throwing it 61 times. The southpaw has won three consecutive contests and now owns a 4.37 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 137:38 K:BB across 125.2 innings this season. He'll try to earn his fourth straight victory against the Rangers next week.

Bradford is expected to start Saturday's game against the Red Sox, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Bradford and Dane Dunning had been in the running to fill the gap in Texas' rotation Saturday, and it will officially be the former on the mound to start the game after Dunning made a relief appearance during Friday's contest. Bradford owns a 3.38 ERA and 0.84 WHIP through 21.1 innings in the majors this season; however, he was lit up for five earned runs in just two frames during his last outing Tuesday.

Stroman (7-6) took the loss Friday, surrendering seven runs on eight hits and a walk over 2.2 innings as the Yankees fell 8-5 to the Blue Jays. He struck out three.

Facing the team he spent the first five-plus seasons of his big-league career with, Stroman got tagged for three runs in the first inning and four more in the third before getting the hook. The veteran right-hander managed to avoid serving up a home run -- the first time he's done so in a Yankee Stadium start since May 3 against the Tigers -- but it was still another rough home outing for Stroman, who has a 5.34 ERA in 59 innings at home this year but a 2.83 ERA in 57.1 innings on the road. He'll try to turn things around in his next outing, which also comes at Yankee Stadium next week against the Angels.

Gausman came away with a no-decision in Friday's 8-5 win over the Yankees, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out two.

Two-run homers by Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe accounted for most of the damage off Gausman, as the 33-year-old right-hander saw his three-start win streak snapped. He exited after 4.2 innings and 93 pitches, and it perhaps shouldn't have been surprising that Gausman would take a step back after he tossed a complete game July 27 against the Rangers, especially considering how inconsistent he's been in 2024. He'll take 4.56 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 119:36 K:BB through 124.1 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Orioles.