MLB Player News

The Rangers activated Scherzer (back/thumb) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start in Sunday's series finale against the Royals.

Scherzer will make his season debut Sunday after having his start Saturday pushed back in favor of Jon Gray. Scherzer began the season on the injured list following offseason back surgery, and his rehab assignment was delayed due to separate thumb and forearm issues. In his last rehab start June 15, Scherzer allowed three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out eight over 4.2 innings. Sunday's start should provide clarity on whether the 39-year-old right-hander will work under any restrictions in his first big-league action since Game 3 of the 2023 World Series in October.

Bido did not factor into the decision in Saturday's loss to the Twins, firing five relief innings during which he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out six and also hit a batter.

Bido was making only his second appearance with the Athletics and first of his current big-league stint with the club, which officially began Friday with a promotion from Triple-A Las Vegas. Bido's extensive experience as a starter -- both in the minors and with the Pirates last season -- came in very handy when JP Sears was chased without even completing two innings. Bido spared the rest of the bullpen while coming just an inning short of what would have qualified as the equivalent of a quality start. The right-hander is likely to be utilized in similar low-leverage, multi-inning roles during this time with the A's.

Plesac (1-1) was tagged with the loss against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk over 3.1 innings. He struck out one.

Plesac managed to get through the first two innings unscathed before unraveling in the third. The right-hander allowed three consecutive hits to open the frame, two of which went for home runs, and needed 32 pitches to get through the inning. He's now allowed multiple home runs in each of his first two starts while posting just one strikeout in both outings. Whether or not Plesac sticks around the Angels' rotation for another start remains to be seen, though he certainly didn't help his chances with Saturday's performance.

Eflin (3-5) took the loss Saturday as the Rays were downed 4-3 by the Pirates, giving up four runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out six.

Pittsburgh stung the right-hander for a run in the first inning and three more in the third, and while Eflin settled in after that, the Tampa Bay offense wasn't able to put together a comeback. Eflin's last quality start came May 7, and in six outings since then, he's stumbled to a 4.86 ERA despite a 1.17 WHIP and 24:2 K:BB in 33.1 innings. He'll look to turn things around in his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Nationals.

Gray (3-3) picked up the win Saturday, allowing two hits over six scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory over the Royals. He struck out three.

Both hits were third-inning singles, but Gray shut down the rally and proceeded to retire the final 10 batters he faced before exiting. The right-hander tossed 72 pitches (51 strikes) en route to his sixth quality start of the season, but Saturday marked the first time he'd lasted at least six innings in a start since May 15. Gray will take a 3.03 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 68:19 K:BB through 71.1 innings into his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road next weekend in Baltimore.

Wacha (4-6) took the loss Saturday as the Royals were blanked 6-0 by the Rangers, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out five.

Making his first start in June after recovering from a foot fracture, Wacha was sharp over 74 pitches (52 strikes) but had no margin for error, and a Josh Smith solo shot in the fourth inning tagged him with the loss. The veteran right-hander has given up two earned runs or less in six straight outings dating back to May 9, posting a 2.55 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 30:11 K:BB through 35.1 innings over that stretch. Wacha will look to get back in the win column in his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Guardians.

Gilbert (5-4) earned the win over Miami on Saturday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over eight scoreless innings.

Gilbert's superb stat line was just a tad less impressive than in his previous outing, when he allowed two hits and struck out nine over eight scoreless frames against Texas. The right-hander has been on a roll throughout June -- he's tossed four quality starts in four outings this month while posting a 1.21 ERA over 29.2 innings. Perhaps most impressive is Gilbert's 28:1 K:BB over that span.

Pivetta took a no-decision Saturday against Cincinnati, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 4.1 innings.

All three of the runs allowed by Pivetta came via the long ball -- Spencer Steer tagged him for a two-run homer in the first inning, and Elly De La Cruz launched a solo shot in the third. Pivetta didn't damage his ERA too dramatically, but he exited after 4.1 innings after racking up 96 pitches. It was the third time over his past six starts that he's failed to complete five frames, though the right-hander also has a pair of seven-inning quality starts during that span.

Sears (4-7) took the loss against the Twins on Saturday, allowing eight runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out one batter over 1.1 innings.

Sears was wild in the first inning, as a pair of hit-by-pitches contributed to a Twins run, though he was able to escape the frame without additional damage. Things got much worse for the lefty in the second, when he allowed six straight batters to reach base to open the frame and was pulled with just one out after six runs had crossed the plate. One more Twins runner scored following his departure, resulting in a season-worst eight runs being charged to Sears' ledger. This was by far the hurler's shortest and worst start of the campaign, and the collapse vaulted his season ERA from 4.25 to 5.04.

Ober (7-4) earned the win over Oakland on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out 10 batters over nine innings.

Ober was extremely efficient in the impressive outing, needing just 89 pitches to polish off the first complete game of his career. The right-hander threw 70 of those pitches for strikes and racked up a career-best 23 whiffs. Ober did give up a pair of solo homers -- just the third time through 15 starts that he's allowed multiple home runs -- but those didn't hurt much with Minnesota's offense putting up 10 runs. Ober carries a 4.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 83:20 K:BB over 82 innings on the campaign.