MLB Player News

Greinke (1-14) took the loss Sunday against the Red Sox. He allowed three runs on five hits and one walk over 3.2 innings. He did not record a strikeout.

Greinke followed opener Taylor Clarke -- who tossed a perfect first frame -- and tossed 3.2 innings of bulk relief. All of the damage against Greinke came on one swing of the bat as Masataka Yoshida tagged him for a three-run home run in the fourth frame. Greinke now owns the second most losses in MLB and hasn't logged a win since May 3. He's tentatively scheduled to take on the Blue Jays in Toronto for his next start.

Sale (6-3) earned the win Sunday, allowing two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings against Kansas City. He struck out five.

Though Sale was unable to go deep enough to claim a quality start, he managed to pick up his fifth win of the season after holding the Royals scoreless across five frames. The outing was a strong bounce-back performance for the veteran after surrendering seven runs across his previous two starts (9.2 innings). Sale will look to keep the ball rolling in his next appearance, which is tentatively scheduled to come during a three-game home series against the Orioles this weekend.

Kopech did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing two runs on one hit and five walks over 1.2 innings against the Tigers. He struck out two.

Despite only lasting 1.2 innings, Kopech threw 44 total pitches of which 16 ended up a strike as he walked five batters. Though he struggled with command, Kopech only allowed one hit on the day, which was a two-RBI double by Carson Kelly. Kopech is slated for a rematch with the Tigers for his next start this weekend.

Contreras was scratched from his start with Triple-A Indianapolis due to stiffness, MLB.com reports.

General manager Ben Cherington disclosed the information Sunday but did not provide any more details about the nature of the injury. Contreras is hoping to retake the mound again this season, so the issue doesn't seem particularly serious. Since being demoted to Indianapolis Aug. 4, Contreras has maintained a 2.50 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with a 17:6 K:BB across 18 frames.

Megill (8-7) earned the win Sunday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings against the Mariners. He struck out six.

Though Megill managed to claim his eighth victory of the season, he fell two outs shy of a quality start and served up a pair of home runs. Megill also struggled with control, walking a pair of batters and logging a hit by pitch. Over his last four appearances (21 innings), Megill owns a 3.86 ERA to pair with a 24:9 K:BB. He's tentatively scheduled to take on the Twins for his next start.

Kirby (10-9) took the loss Sunday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits over three innings against the Mets. He struck out three.

Kirby struggled to get through the Mets lineup, throwing 73 pitches across three frames before being pulled. The outing marked Kirby's shortest start of the season. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a rough patch, having allowed 11 runs across his last three appearances (14.2 innings) while being tagged for a home run in each outing. He'll look to get back on track in his next start, which is tentatively scheduled to come Friday at Tampa Bay.

Bieber (elbow) threw all of his pitches during his latest bullpen session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Bieber's next bullpen session will be an "up and down" to simulate the breaks in between innings. If that goes off without a hitch, he's expected to be cleared to face hitters. Bieber has been sidelined since mid-July with right elbow inflammation, but he and the Guardians are still holding out hope that he could rejoin the rotation before the end of the season.

Varland is expected to be recalled from Triple-A St. Paul prior to Monday's game against the Guardians, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

Varland was recently moved to the bullpen at St. Paul, allowing one run with four strikeouts over four innings in his lone relief appearance. The Twins will use him out of the bullpen down the stretch, perhaps in a multi-inning role.

Skubal (4-3) allowed two runs on five hits across seven innings to earn the win Sunday against the White Sox. He had two walks and struck out seven.

Skubal tallied his second straight start allowing only two earned runs, and he's also struck out 16 batters over 13 innings in that time. That's allowed the lefty to lower his season ERA to a solid 3.77, and he's recorded 66 strikeouts across 57.1 innings overall. Injuries have been an issue for Skubal the past two years, but he's looked good when healthy. He'll look to build on this performance in his next scheduled start, which is penciled in for Saturday against the White Sox again.

Bradley allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks over five innings in Sunday's win over Cleveland. He struck out seven and did not factor in the decision.

Bradley was promoted from Triple-A Durham for his first MLB appearance since July 29. He displayed his usual nasty strikeout material, but the command was still shaky. He's walked nine batters in his last two MLB starts but owns a 12.0 K/9 through 79.2 career innings. If Bradley sticks around for another turn in the rotation, he'll likely face the Mariners at home.