MLB Player News

Stripling allowed a run on three hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Athletics on Saturday.

Stripling has often worked behind an opener this season, but he was on the mound from the start Saturday. Over his last eight appearances, he has not allowed more than three runs in any outing, pitching to a solid 3.34 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 29:1 K:BB over 35 innings in that span. It's a vast improvement on his season-long marks (5.21 ERA, 1.28 WHIP), though that control is almost certainly too good to last in the long run. He's tentatively projected to make his next appearance at home versus the Rangers.

The Nationals reinstated Williams (personal) from the bereavement list Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Williams ended up having his turn in the rotation skipped this week after he spent six days on the bereavement list upon being deactivated Monday. Though Joan Adon submitted an excellent spot start in his stead Saturday, Williams will regain his spot in the rotation and take the hill for Monday's series opener in Philadelphia, per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post.

Gibson (11-6) allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings to earn the win Saturday over the Mets.

Gibson's been on a roll lately, posting four straight quality starts with two wins, a 3.24 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 25 innings in that span. The strong stretch has trimmed his ERA to 4.50 with a 1.28 WHIP and 117:43 K:BB through 140 innings across 24 starts overall. Gibson will try to keep it rolling in Seattle for his next projected start.

Blackburn didn't factor into the decision in the Athletics' win over the Giants on Saturday, firing six scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and three walks. He struck out seven.

The right-hander was pulled after 105 pitches, but there was plenty to be encouraged about from what was Blackburn's second straight quality start and third consecutive in which he surrendered two runs or fewer. After a delayed beginning to the season that saw him struggle to achieve start-to-start consistency over his first month-plus, Blackburn's current stretch of impressive work has seen him pitch to a 1-0 record, 1.56 ERA and 0.5 HR/9 across his last 17.1 innings. He lines up to next take the hill on the road against the Nationals during next weekend's interleague series.

Marsh allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings in a no-decision versus the Phillies on Saturday.

Marsh was working on short rest after a relief appearance Tuesday in which he threw a scoreless inning. He wasn't at his best for this outing, but he was able to avoid the loss after the Royals' fifth-inning rally. Marsh has a 6.75 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 32:17 K:BB through 28 innings over seven outings (six starts) this season. He remains in search of his first win, with his next chance to pick it up tentatively scheduled to be a road start in Boston.

Woodruff (shoulder) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start against the Pirates on Sunday.

The 30-year-old has been sidelined by a Grade 2 subscapular strain since early April but will rejoin Milwaukee's rotation for Sunday's series finale versus Pittsburgh. Woodruff threw 72 pitches during his final rehab outing with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, so he'll likely face some workload limitations in his first start or two back in the big leagues.

The Astros designated Watkins for assignment Sunday.

Watkins was the casualty from the 40-man roster with the Astros needing to clear a spot for right-hander Jose Urquidy (shoulder), who was activated from the 60-day injured list in advance of his scheduled start Sunday against the Yankees. After the Astros acquired him from the Orioles on June 23, Watkins pitched exclusively at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he produced a 9.74 ERA and 2.21 WHIP in 20.1 innings over six outings.

Wacha (shoulder) made a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Saturday, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out two batters over two scoreless innings.

Wacha made his first game appearance since tossing five innings for the Padres against Cincinnati on July 1. The right-hander was a bit wild in the rehab start, throwing just half of his 46 pitches for a strike, but he didn't allow any runs and appeared to come out of the outing physically fine. Per MLB.com, Wacha could return to the Padres as soon as next weekend against Arizona, though another rehab appearance is also a possibility.

Glasnow has been scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against the Tigers due to back spasms, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez will pick up a spot start in place of Glasnow, who reportedly experienced the back issue late Saturday. The Rays are likely still gaining information on the extent of Glasnow's injury, so at this stage, the team is hoping that he'll miss only one turn through the rotation and won't require a trip to the injured list.

Urquidy (shoulder) was activated from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start against the Yankees on Sunday.

The right-hander has been sidelined by shoulder issues since late April and will make his return to MLB action for Sunday's series finale in New York. Urquidy threw 76 pitches across five innings during his final minor-league rehab start, so he'll likely still face some minor workload limitations in his first start back. J.P. France is expected to be available as a piggyback option.