MLB Player News

Freeland (0-5) allowed nine runs (five earned) on 11 hits and a walk while striking out two over three innings to take the loss in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Tigers.

Freeland had his worst outing of the season, though it wasn't all his fault. The southpaw has failed to complete five innings in his last three home starts, giving up a total of 18 runs (12 earned) over 9.1 innings in that stretch. The Rockies are even worse than usual this year, so Freeland is a risky option in all fantasy formats. He has a 6.41 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB across 39.1 innings over eight starts this season. His next outing is projected to be on the road versus the Rangers.

Pepiot didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Phillies after allowing one run on two hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out three.

While Pepiot did fail to fan more than three in his third straight start, that didn't stop him from holding the Phillies in check. The right-hander gave up a season-low two hits, and he also threw six innings while conceding one run or less for the third time in eight starts this season. Pepiot has just seven punchouts over his past three outings, but he's yielded just four runs and hasn't surrendered a single long ball during this stretch. He'll take a steady 3.86 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 38:16 K:BB across 44.1 innings into his next scheduled appearance against the Blue Jays, who have a weak .646 OPS against right-handed pitching through 36 games.

Luzardo didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Rays after allowing two runs on six hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. He struck out four.

Luzardo has now tossed at least five innings in each of his first eight starts of the season. Although he's fanned more than six just once in his last six outings, the left-hander still induced 13 whiffs Thursday. Luzardo has also yet to surrender greater than three runs in any of his eight starts this year, and he served up just his second home run of the campaign against Tampa Bay. He'll bring an excellent 2.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 51:13 K:BB across 47 innings into his next scheduled appearance, which is slated for next week versus the Cardinals.

Montero (1-1) allowed one run on five hits and three walks while striking out two over eight innings to earn the win in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Rockies.

Starters Casey Mize and Montero combined to cover 14 of the 18 innings in the twin bill, with Montero doing an excellent job to preserve the bullpen in the nightcap. He was efficient as well, throwing 66 of 92 pitches for strikes, though Beau Brieske handled the ninth inning of the 11-1 win. Over four major-league starts, Montero has a 4.15 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 15:10 K:BB across 21.2 innings. While he didn't impress in his first two starts of the season, he's been positive as a spot starter in doubleheaders recently and should be the first man up if there's an opening in the Tigers' rotation. However, it's expected he'll return to Triple-A Toledo after being the 27th man for Thursday's doubleheader.

Painter allowed one hit and three walks while striking out five across three innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

This marked Painter's Triple-A debut, and he set a season high with 60 pitches as he continues to get stretched out. He struggled with his control -- only 34 of his pitches went for strikes-- but Painter was still able to showcase his strikeout upside. He'll likely be an option for the big-league rotation at some point during the summer.

Mize (6-1) allowed a run on three hits and struck out eight without walking a batter over six innings to earn the win in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Rockies.

Mize threw 86 pitches (63 strikes) and was never really challenged by the Rockies' offense. The Tigers gave him plenty of help with nine runs over the first three innings. This was Mize's fourth straight win and his third quality start this season. The right-hander is at a 2.53 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 35:9 K:BB across 42.2 innings over seven starts. Mize's control has been a big positive early in the season, and he'll look to keep things rolling in his next projected start at home versus the Red Sox.

Gordon was returned to Triple-A Albuquerque following Colorado's doubleheader against the Tigers on Thursday.

Gordon started the second game of the doubleheader and was knocked around for seven runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk across 6.1 innings. While he took the loss, he did manage to give the Rockies some length to avoid overtaxing the bullpen. The outing was Gordon's ninth overall start in the majors, and there's a strong chance he's back in Colorado at some point later in the summer.

Sheehan (elbow) threw around 40 pitches in a simulated game Thursday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Sheehan has been throwing off a mound since late March and progressively increasing his workload. Manager Dave Roberts didn't have an exact timeline for Sheehan to begin a rehab assignment, but did say that step could come soon. Roberts also confirmed that Sheehan will be built up to be a starter.

Gonsolin will start Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Gonsolin was slated to start Tuesday against the Athletics, but the Dodgers will bypass a bullpen game Sunday and instead start him on regular rest. Gonsolin has been sharp in two starts this season, maintaining a 17:2 K:BB across 11 frames of work.

Urena will start Sunday against the Mariners, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Urena signed with the Blue Jays on Saturday and made a start for the team a few days later. He'll stick in the rotation for now and could realistically be relied upon until Max Scherzer (thumb) can return from the IL. Urena has allowed seven earned runs across 7.1 innings and two appearances this season.