MLB Player News

Gonsolin (elbow) struck out three and allowed no hits and one walk over three shutout innings Wednesday in a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha.

Making his organizational debut after signing with the Royals on Aug. 13, Gonsolin turned in an encouraging performance in what was his first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace just over a year ago. He spotted 23 of his 40 pitches for strikes and induced five whiffs on the night while averaging 92 mph with his four-seam fastball. The right-hander will likely need to build up his pitch count over at least two or three more rehab starts before the Royals bring him back from the injured list and potentially give him a look in the rotation in September.

Clarke (hamstring) has gone 9-for-21 (.429) with a home run, five RBI and two runs across seven rehab games with Triple-A Las Vegas.

Clarke has swung the bat well with Las Vegas, reaching base safely in six straight contests. Recovering from a left hamstring strain, the 26-year-old has split time between center field and designated hitter during his rehab assignment. Entering the assignment, the Athletics planned to build Clarke up with a spring training-like progression, so the club likely isn't in a rush to activate him from the 60-day injured list. In 22 big-league games this season, he's hitting .170/.228/.189 with no homers, six RBI, four runs and two stolen bases.

Eovaldi (elbow) resumed playing catch earlier this week, but manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that the right-hander will need another 10-to-12 days before advancing to throwing off a mound, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers placed Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list Aug. 10 due to right posterior elbow inflammation. At the time he was deactivated, the Rangers had some optimism that Eovaldi would be able to return after close to a minimum-length stay on the shelf, but the 36-year-old now appears poised to miss more than a month of action after progressing slowly in his recovery.

The Rangers are considering using Leiter (ankle) in a relief role once he returns from the 60-day injured list, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

While manager Skip Schumaker hasn't made a final decision on how Leiter will be deployed upon his return, the right-hander ended up being used out of the bullpen for his third rehab appearance Wednesday with Triple-A Round Rock. After making starts of 2.2 innings and three innings in his first two minor-league appearances, Leiter was rocked for three earned runs on three hits while also hitting a batter during his one-inning relief outing Wednesday. Though the Rangers haven't given up on using Leiter as a starter for the long term, he had struggled to a 5.29 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in his 15 turns through the big-league rotation this season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery June 23 to remove a loose body in his right ankle area.

Williams went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Twins.

Williams clubbed a triple off the center-field wall to plate two runs as part of a four-run sixth inning for the Athletics. Coupled with a double in the eighth frame, Wednesday marked his first game with multiple extra-base hits since July 19 and his third such effort of the season. Across 161 plate appearances, the 27-year-old is slashing .268/.304/.416 with two homers, 12 RBI and 18 runs. Williams has factored into the shortstop equation with Jacob Wilson (shoulder) out for the year, though Donovan Walton and Darell Hernaiz have also seen plenty of reps at the position.

Tolbert went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

Tolbert reached on an infield single to open the third inning before swiping second base for his 20th steal of the campaign. The utility man is hitting .294/.361/.422 with three homers, eight RBI and 27 runs across 126 plate appearances, though he's gone just 8-for-37 (.216) in August. Should second baseman Michael Massey (head) require a stint on the injured list, Tolbert could see an uptick in playing time.

Bazzana went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Angels.

Bazzana was instrumental in a late-game rally that saw the Guardians score three runs in the final two innings. He singled and scored in the eighth inning and then drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth with a sacrifice fly. The rookie's been on a roll of late, going 10-for-27 (.370) with two doubles, one steal, six RBI and five runs scored over the last seven games.

DeLauter (hamstring) entered Wednesday's game as a pinch hitter and singled in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Angels.

DeLauter opened on the bench for a third consecutive game but triggered Cleveland's two-run rally in the top of the ninth inning. He was immediately replaced by a pinch runner, indicating the Guardians didn't want to push him on the basepaths. It's unclear if the pinch-hitting appearance means DeLauter will be ready to return to the starting lineup Friday after the team's off day Thursday.

Montgomery went 1-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored Wednesday against the Rangers.

Montgomery started the scoring for the White Sox with an RBI double in the second inning. The performance wrapped up a strong series, as Montgomery collected one hit in all three games while scoring five runs and tallying two RBI. Montgomery has shown promising signs at the plate across 24 games in August, reaching base at a .337 clip while racking up 14 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Culpepper went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 7-4 loss to the Athletics.

Culpepper has hit safely in five straight games, going 8-for-19 (.421) with two homers and four RBI in that span. The shortstop continues to make steady contact -- he's now batting .333 with a .907 OPS over 63 plate appearances in the majors. He's added three homers, six RBI, eight runs scored, two doubles and no stolen bases while occupying a starting role at shortstop.