MLB Player News

Valdez (ankle) has been cleared to make his next start Saturday against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Though a sprained ankle prevented Valdez from making his previous turn through the rotation this past Sunday versus the Rangers, the lefty showed enough improvement to avoid a stint on the injured list. Earlier this week, manager Dusty Baker told Rome that his plan was to have Valdez start Thursday's series opener versus Seattle, but the two-time All-Star will instead get a couple extra days to rest up. With Houston opting to skip the struggling Cristian Javier's final turn through the rotation before the All-Star break, Ronel Blanco is expected to be called up from Triple-A Sugar Land to start Thursday.

Chirinos dropped to 4-4 after allowing three earned runs on eight hits and no walks while striking out one across 2.2 innings in Wednesday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies.

Of the eight hits Chirinos allowed, four went for extra bases. After a successful start to his stint in the majors beginning June 8, he has now allowed 15 earned runs across his last 18.2 innings. The Rays may need to continue to get creative with their rotation due to the number of injuries they're currently dealing with, but Chirinos hasn't been a solution of late.

Lyles (illness) is listed as the Royals' probable pitcher for Thursday's game against the Guardians at Progressive Field.

As anticipated, Lyles is ready to make his 17th start of the season after he missed his previous turn through the rotation last weekend, when he was scratched against the Dodgers after falling ill. The 32-year-old right-hander is valued by the Royals for his ability to eat innings, but his 1-11 record and poor ratios (6.68 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.7 K-BB%) have rendered him mostly unusable in fantasy leagues.

Faedo (finger) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Friday against the Blue Jays, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Faedo has been sidelined since late May following a procedure to remove his right middle fingernail but is ready to roll after one rehab start. He didn't pitch well in that rehab outing, yielding four runs on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings. He also threw only 57 pitches and that, combined with his lengthy absence, likely means a truncated workload Friday.

Contreras (3-7) allowed four earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out two across one inning to take the loss Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Contreras has been working in bulk relief after being removed from the rotation in mid-June. He's particularly struggled in his last two outings, allowing seven earned runs across 3.1 frames. On Wednesday, he entered the game with a two-run lead but promptly walked two of the first three batters he faced before serving up back-to-back homers. The Pirates have an open spot in the rotation after Luis Ortiz was demoted to Triple-A, but Contreras isn't likely to be in consideration for it due to his recent form.

Liberatore didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 10-9 loss to the Marlins after allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while recording just one out.

Liberatore was shelled by the Marlins right from the opening pitch, surrendering four consecutive hits and a walk to kick off the bottom of the first inning before finally getting Jean Segura to fly out to left for the first out. The lefty then gave up another single to Dane Myers to make it a four-run inning for the Marlins before he was pulled in favor of Dakota Hudson. The 21-pitch outing was a disastrous one for Liberatore, who had been starting on three days' rest after previously covering 4.1 innings in a doubleheader last Saturday versus the Yankees. Considering that the Cardinals have an opening in the rotation this Sunday versus the White Sox following Adam Wainwright's (shoulder) recent move to the injured list, Liberatore could be a candidate to start again on three days' rest in St. Louis' final game before the All-Star break.

Walker (10-3) earned the win Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and five walks over seven innings against the Rays. He struck out eight.

Walker got tagged early for two runs in the first inning and then went on to surrender another run in each of the next two innings before finally settling in. The right-hander did not allow another run over his final four innings of work and finished with eight strikeouts for the third time in his last six starts. Walker managed to secure his 10th win of the season, tying him for first in the National League in that category, and he's now won each of his last six starts.

Lopez (5-5) picked up the win Wednesday, scattering four hits and striking out 12 without walking a batter en route to his first career shutout in a 5-0 victory over the Royals.

The right-hander displayed pinpoint control, tossing 76 of 100 pitches for striking and firing first-pitch strikes to 25 of the 30 batters he faced. Lopez seemed to get stronger as the outing progressed, and he struck out the side in both the fifth and sixth innings to help him set a new single-game career high in Ks. He'll take plenty of momentum into the All-Star break -- Lopez has delivered quality starts in five of his last six trips to the mound, posting a 2.72 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 52:9 K:BB through 39.2 innings over that stretch.

Marsh (0-2) took the loss Wednesday, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks over five innings as the Royals fell 5-0 to the Twins. He struck out five.

The rookie right-hander lasted 91 pitches (60 strikes) and kept Kansas City in the game, but Marsh's offense couldn't solve Pablo Lopez. It was a much better showing than he had in his big-league debut June 30, and with Zack Greinke (shoulder) being the most recent Royals starter to land on the IL, Marsh figures to remain in the rotation after the All-Star break.

Bello (6-5) picked up the win Wednesday in a 4-2 victory over the Rangers, allowing two runs on eight hits over seven innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The 24-year-old right-hander tied his career high by lasting 107 pitches (70 strikes), as Bello continues to emerge as a workhorse for the injury-wracked Boston rotation. He's tossed at least six innings in six straight starts since the beginning of June, posting a 2.21 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 29:8 K:BB through 40.2 innings over that stretch. The key to his recent success has been his ability to keep the ball in the park -- Adolis Garcia's sixth-inning shot Wednesday was the first homer Bello has served up since May 23. He'll get a well-earned breather over the All-Star break.