MLB Player News

Bello (9-5) picked up the win in Tuesday's 12-9 victory over the A's, giving up five runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out a career-high 11.

The right-hander's line was looking much better through five innings, but Lawrence Butler helped chase Bello from the game in the sixth with a three-run homer. The 11 strikeouts topped his previous career high of 10, set Sept. 15, 2023 against the Blue Jays. Despite the surge in Ks, Bello has been tagged for four or more runs in five of seven trips to the mound since the beginning of June, stumbling to a 7.00 ERA. 1.89 WHIP and 38:17 K:BB in 36 innings over that stretch. He lines up for one more outing before the All-Star break in a home series against the Royals this weekend.

Kikuchi did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Giants. He allowed two runs on six hits and struck out 13 over 7.1 innings while not walking a batter.

Kikuchi set a new career high with 13 strikeouts in this one and notched his fifth career 10-strikeout game. Both runs against him came via the long ball. Heliot Ramos took him deep in the fourth and then Tyler Fitzgerald led off the eighth with a solo blast, which ended Kikuchi's night at 100 pitches. He was still in line for the win at that point with the Blue Jays leading 3-2, but that lead was eventually squandered in the ninth. Tuesday's outing certainly boosted Kikuchi's trade value if the Blue Jays end up selling at the deadline. However, he does have a 6.38 ERA and has given up eight homers over his last five starts. For the year, Kikuchi owns a 4.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 111:23 K:BB in 101.1 innings. He lines up for another start over the weekend against the Diamondbacks before the All-Star break.

Mahle (elbow) allowed one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings for Double-A Frisco on Tuesday.

This was Mahle's second rehab start. The outing was originally reported to be for Triple-A Round Rock but was moved to Frisco. He threw 32 pitches (23 strikes), up from 19 pitches in Mahle's first rehab start. The right-hander will make a few more starts before returning to the majors.

Gallen (6-5) took the loss Tuesday against Atlanta, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings.

Gallen needed 53 pitches just to get through the first two innings, which is the most for him in a start this year. Atlanta pushed two runs across on him in the second, though one came off an error. Gallen then tossed three scoreless frames before coming back out for the sixth, and faltered there, allowing two men on before Adam Duvall crushed a curveball 441 feet to left to put Atlanta up 5-0 and end Gallen's night at 105 pitches. The home run was just the third Gallen's given up in his last seven starts (excluding his May 30 start when he exited the game after one batter). The 28-year-old owns a 3.33 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 75:20 K:BB in 73 innings and lines up for one final start before the All-Star break against Toronto this weekend.

The Rays plan to bring Rasmussen (elbow) back as a reliever this season, Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay WTSP reports.

Rasmussen had an internal brace procedure on his right elbow last July. Between the Rays' rotation depth and the length of time it would take to build him back up as a starter, it makes sense that the righty is being viewed as a reliever in 2024. The plan will be to return Rasmussen to the rotation in 2025. Rasmussen is slated to throw a live batting practice session Saturday, with the goal to begin a rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break.

Estes (3-4) took the loss Tuesday, surrendering eight runs on seven hits and a walk over just 1.2 innings as the A's were downed 12-9 by the Red Sox. He struck out one.

Every Boston starting position player has at least one hit and one run by the end of the second inning, chasing Estes from the game in the process after 55 pitches (38 strikes). It was a hard crash back down to earth after he twirled a shutout against the Angels in his last start, but Tuesday's outing is more representative of the 22-year-old right-hander's level right now. Estes will carry a 5.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB through 57 innings into his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend in Philadelphia.

Sale (12-3) got the win Tuesday over the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out nine over 5.1 innings.

Sale mowed down the Diamondbacks for his league-leading 12th win of the season. For reference, he entered this season with just 11 wins total dating back to the end of the 2019 campaign. Sale kept the Diamondbacks scoreless through five frames before a single and a triple in the sixth scored their first run and knocked Sale out of the game. A second run wound up being charged to the lefty before the inning ended. Sale has now allowed two runs or fewer in six straight starts and has piled up a 54:12 K:BB in 37.1 innings over that span. He now owns a 2.74 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 136:22 K:BB in 105 innings this year and is in line to make one final start before the All-Star break this weekend against the Padres.

Quintana (4-5) picked up the win in Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Nationals, allowing only one hit and one walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out five.

The veteran southpaw will be checking the calendar to see when he can face Washington again -- in back-to-back starts against the Mets' NL East foe, Quintana has spun 14 innings without giving up a run. The stingy performances have lowered his ERA on the season to 3.91, the first time it's been below 4.00 since late April. Quintana lines up for one more outing before the All-Star break during a home series against the Rockies this weekend.

Gilbert (6-5) got the win Tuesday over the Padres, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven over 7.2 innings.

All three runs against Gilbert came at the tail end of his outing. He allowed a solo home run to Jake Cronenworth in the seventh, and Kyle Higashioka added on with a two-run blast in the eighth to force Gilbert's exit from the game. Tuesday was just the third time this year he's allowed multiple home runs in a start, but also was the first time this season he's picked up a win while allowing more than one run. The 27-year-old recently was named an All-Star for the first time in his four-year career, and rightfully so, as he sports a 2.94 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 115:25 K:BB in 125.1 innings so far. He lines up for a Sunday start against the Angels this weekend before the league heads into the All-Star break.

Irvin (7-7) took the loss Tuesday, coughing up six runs on nine hits and two walks over six innings as the Nationals fell 7-5 to the Mets. He struck out two.

The right-hander dominated the Mets on July 4, but the Nats' NL East rivals got some revenge in the rematch, with a three-run homer by Brandon Nimmo in the second inning and a two-run blast by Francisco Lindor in the sixth accounting for most of the damage off Irvin. He hadn't served up multiple homers in a start since May 22, while the six runs allowed tied his season high. Irvin will take a 3.13 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 96:26 K:BB through 112 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come on the road in Milwaukee this weekend.