MLB Player News

Canning (2-0) earned the win over St. Louis on Thursday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Canning fell behind when he gave up two runs in the first inning, but the Angels' offense put up 11 runs over the following three frames to give him a comfortable lead. The right-hander was tagged for a three-run homer in the fourth and allowed two baserunners in the fifth before he was relieved in the sixth. By most measures, this was Canning's worst start of the campaign -- the five runs he allowed were a season high while the three punchouts were his lowest so far -- though it's a positive sign that he managed to hang on for five innings and pick up his second straight win. Canning has gone at least five frames in each of his four starts this season.

Gausman (2-3) allowed eight runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four over 3.1 innings, taking the loss Thursday versus the Red Sox.

Gausman's biggest problems came in the second inning as the Red Sox rallied for a five-run frame. It's been all or nothing for Gausman over his last four starts -- two of which he lasted seven scoreless innings each, and the other two in that span saw him fail to complete five frames. The right-hander now has a 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 58:7 K:BB through 42 innings over seven starts this year. He's projected for a road start in Philadelphia next week.

Dunning is expected to serve as the Rangers' primary pitcher Friday against the Angels, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Dunning will take the rotation spot of Jacob deGrom (elbow), though it's unclear if he will work in a traditional starting role or behind an opener. He's thrown at least three innings in half of his eight appearances this season, though he may need to work as a bulk reliever to pitch deep enough to qualify for a win Thursday. Dunning has been impressive with a 1.77 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 20.1 innings, though that's backed by just an 11:5 K:BB.

Bello (1-1) allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings, earning the win Thursday versus the Blue Jays.

Bello had all the support he needed by the end of the second inning. He faded a bit in the fifth, giving up three runs in that frame, but the Red Sox's lead was never in danger. The right-hander didn't miss a start after developing a blister following last Saturday's outing versus the Guardians. Bello now has a 5.71 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 19:6 K:BB across 17.1 innings over four starts this season. He's lined up for a tough road start in Atlanta next week.

Lopez did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over seven innings against the White Sox. He struck out eight.

Lopez bounced back from a pair of rocky starts, giving up 11 runs on 16 hits over his last two outings (10.0 innings), by tossing seven innings of two-run ball Thursday. Lopez's only blemish on the day was a two-run homer by Eloy Jimenez in the third inning. Through 43 innings, Lopez holds a 3.77 ERA to pair with an 11.3 K/9 and remains a strong fantasy option as the Twins' third arm.

Giolito did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over seven innings against Minnesota. He struck out seven.

Giolito tossed a gem Thursday, allowing just two hits over seven frames. His only blemish came from a Carlos Correa solo home run in the sixth inning, which broke a streak of 13 consecutive batters retired for Giolito. Thought he handed the ball off to Reynaldo Lopez with a 2-1 lead in the eighth, Byron Buxton evened up the score with a solo homer of his own, which ultimately led to Giolito's no-decision and a White Sox defeat in extra innings. Through seven starts Giolito holds a measly 1-2 record, however, he has put up solid numbers with a 3.67 ERA and a 41:9 K/BB in 41.2 innings. Giolito has only one win on the season, but he has struck out at least five hitters in six of his seven starts.

Luzardo (2-2) allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings, taking the loss versus Atlanta on Thursday.

Luzardo turned in another decent effort, though the five strikeouts matched his season low. The southpaw threw 106 pitches (68 strikes), but Atlanta's offense proved to be a bit too much. His 3.66 ERA is fine, but a 1.40 WHIP and 43:14 K:BB through 39.1 innings doesn't suggest significant room for improvement unless he can start limiting baserunners better. Luzardo projects for a road start in Arizona next week.

Eflin (4-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing three hits over seven scoreless innings against the Pirates. He struck out 10.

Eflin improved on his impressive start to 2023, picking up his fourth win in five starts and blanking the Pirates. The 29-year-old went over six innings for the first time in this year and set a season high with 10 punchouts. Through 28.0 innings, Eflin holds a 2.25 ERA with a 31:3 K/BB. Though his strong start to 2023 has been unexpected given his 4.40 career ERA, it wouldn't be surprising for Eflin's success to continue considering the Rays' knack for getting the best out of pitchers.

Musgrove is having his next start pushed back from Friday to Sunday after he developed a blister on his foot, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Musgrove struggled in his previous outing and lasted only 3.1 innings, though it's unclear if that was caused by the injury. The positive news is that the issue doesn't seem likely to force him to the injured list or to miss a full turn through the rotation. Yu Darvish will now start Friday, followed by Blake Snell on Saturday.

Verlander (0-1) took the loss Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over five innings against Detroit. He struck out five.

Verlander made his first start of 2023 after being held out for the first five weeks of action with a strained right shoulder. The 40-year-old struggled to get through the first inning, giving up back-to-back solo home runs to Riley Greene and Javier Baez. Outside of the two long balls, Verlander exited Thursday's outing relatively unscathed, giving up just three other hits and no additional runs. Though he managed to make it through five innings, Verlander was yanked at just 79 pitches. He'll likely continue to face some workload limitations for his next couple starts as he builds up.