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Justin Verlander SP | DET
Astros' Justin Verlander: Rebounds with seven scoreless
Verlander (2-1) earned the win after he pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out eight batters in Sunday's 9-3 victory over the Tigers.
Verlander was back to being sharp Sunday, limiting Detroit to just four baserunners while recording a season-high eight punchouts. The 41-year-old was coming off of allowing seven runs over five innings against the Yankees on Tuesday, but he rebounded with his third quality start over five outings in 2024. Verlander now owns a 3.38 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 29.1 innings this season, and his next projected start is set to come Friday at home versus the Brewers.
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Zack Wheeler SP | PHI
Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Struggles versus Miami
Wheeler pitched four innings, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two batters in Sunday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Marlins. He did not factor into the decision.
Wheeler didn't have his best stuff Sunday, matching a season-high six hits given up while the two strikeouts were a season low. Most notably, the right-hander gave up a three-run homer to Josh Bell in the bottom of the third inning, which was only the fourth long ball surrendered by Wheeler in 2024. The 33-year-old still owns an impressive 2.53 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 65 strikeouts over 53.1 innings in nine starts this season, and his next projected outing is set to come Friday at home versus the Nationals.
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Dylan Bundy SP | NYM
Dylan Bundy: Brings end to playing career
Bundy confirmed Sunday in an interview with Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com that he filed his retirement papers over the winter and has ended his playing career.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, Bundy quickly rose through the Orioles' minor-league system and made his MLB debut as a 19-year-old in 2012, when he emerged as arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball. He would go another four years before he resurfaced in the majors, with Tommy John surgery and a shoulder injury keeping him off the field for all of 2013 and much of 2014 and 2015. Bundy enjoyed improved health from the start of the 2016 season onward, but he never fully regained the velocity he displayed as a prospect and often struggled to keep the ball in the yard. The right-hander ultimately appeared in parts of eight seasons in the majors from 2012 through 2022, posting a 54-65 record, 4.74 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 910.2 innings with the Orioles, Angels and Twins. Bundy had most recently spent time in the Mets organization in 2023, but he had been a free agent since July after he turned in a 10.08 ERA over 25 innings with Triple-A Syracuse prior to being released.
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Braxton Garrett RP | CHC
Marlins' Braxton Garrett: Struggles in 2024 debut
Garrett pitched 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters in Sunday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Phillies. He didn't factor into the decision.
Garrett got off to a slow start in his season debut, giving up three runs in the top of the first inning on a homer by Nick Castellanos. He then tossed four scoreless frames before two more runs came around to score while he secured just one out in the top of the sixth frame. The left-hander did impress in the strikeout department though, punching out at least eight batters for the first time since June 22 of the 2023 campaign versus the Pirates. Garrett will look to produce a more well-rounded performance in his next start, which is tentatively set for Saturday at home versus the Mets.
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Grayson Rodriguez SP | LAA
Orioles' Grayson Rodriguez: Turns in 30-pitch bullpen session
Rodriguez (shoulder) tossed a 30-pitch bullpen session Sunday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Rodriguez said that he felt good following the workout, but he acknowledged that he didn't know whether he would be cleared to face hitters the next time he throws, or if he would continue the ramp-up process with another bullpen session. After being placed on the 15-day injured list May 1 with shoulder inflammation, Rodriguez is eligible for activation Wednesday, but he looks like he'll need at least a little time beyond that before he's ready to rejoin the Baltimore rotation.
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Kenta Maeda SP | NYY
Tigers' Kenta Maeda: Will need rehab assignment
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday that Maeda (illness) will require a rehab assignment prior to returning from the 15-day injured list, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
Maeda was placed on the IL on Saturday with a viral illness, and Hinch noted that the right-hander's ailment was significant enough to keep him from playing catch over the last few days since he made his last start Tuesday in Cleveland. Though the 36-year-old is eligible to come off the IL as soon as May 23, the fact that the Tigers are already planning on Maeda needing a rehab assignment suggests that it's not a lock that he'll be ready to go when his 15 days are up. Maeda had gotten off to a rough start to the season prior to landing on the IL, going 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 30.2 innings through seven starts.
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Bailey Ober SP | MIN
Twins' Bailey Ober: Electric versus Blue Jays
Ober (4-1) earned the win after he pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out 10 batters in Sunday's 5-1 victory over Toronto.
Ober was nearly perfect Sunday, allowing just a single to Vladimir Guerrero in the bottom of the fourth inning, while his 10 punchouts were a season high. The right-hander has now recorded four quality starts over eight outings this season. Since allowing eight runs against the Royals in his season debut, Ober has produced a 2.16 ERA with 44 strikeouts over 41.2 innings in his last seven starts. He'll look to keep it going when he returns to the mound for his next projected start Saturday in Cleveland.
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Robert Gasser SP | MIL
Brewers' Robert Gasser: Gets another turn through rotation
Gasser is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Pirates at American Family Field.
The Brewers will keep Gasser in the rotation as their No. 5 starter over Tobias Myers, who was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Friday. That same day, Gasser made his MLB debut against the Cardinals and breezed through six scoreless innings while striking out four and allowing just two hits and zero walks. His numbers in three starts at Nashville (5.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB in 12 innings) should give fantasy managers some pause in expecting Gasser to repeat the success of his MLB debut, but he'll at least make for an intriguing streaming option while facing off against a weak Pittsburgh offense that had posted a 70 wRC+ in nine May games heading into Sunday.
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Alek Manoah RP | LAA
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Solid over seven versus Twins
Manoah (0-1) was tagged with a loss after he pitched seven innings, allowing three unearned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six in Sunday's 5-1 defeat to Minnesota.
The 26-year-old right-hander was in full command Sunday, tossing six scoreless frames to open his outing against the Twins. With one out in the top of the seventh inning, Max Kepler reached on a fielding error by Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement and three runs -- all of which were unearned -- came around to score on a Carlos Santana homer. Manoah struggled in his 2024 debut against the Nationals on May 5, giving up seven runs (six earned) over four innings, so Sunday's performance was a positive sign. Manoah will look to make it back-to-back strong outings when he returns to the mound for his next projected start Saturday versus the Rays.
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J.T. Brubaker RP | SF
Yankees' JT Brubaker: Facing hitters again
Brubaker (elbow) threw live batting practice against DJ LeMahieu (foot) on Saturday at the Yankees' spring training facility in Tampa, MLB.com reports.
After he had been limited to throwing bullpen sessions over the past couple of months, Brubaker has now moved on to the next phase in his rehab from his April 12, 2023 Tommy John surgery: facing hitters. He'll likely throw multiple live BPs before embarking on an extended minor-league rehab assignment in the coming weeks. Brubaker is targeting a return from the 60-day injured list around the All-Star break and could be an option for the big-league rotation if the Yankees have an opening.