MLB Player News

Melton (5-1) picked up the win in Wednesday's 6-1 victory over the A's, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out nine.

The nine Ks were a career high for Melton, who fired 62 of 91 pitches for strikes and racked up 15 swinging strikes while topping out at 98.7 mph with his fastball. The 25-year-old right-hander has given up one run or fewer in four straight starts since dealing with some back tightness in June, producing a 0.76 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB through 23.2 innings during that impressive stretch. Justin Verlander (hamstring) and Jackson Jobe (elbow) could both return from the IL in early August, but it's hard to imagine Melton losing his spot in the rotation if he continues dealing.

Blackburn will be the Yankees' starting pitcher in Thursday's bullpen game versus the Rays.

Blackburn went 1.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's game, so he'll be pitching on just one day of rest. The righty hasn't thrown more than 23 pitches in an outing in three weeks, so he will likely not cover more than a couple frames Thursday.

Kuroda-Grauer went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Tigers.

All three knocks were singles, but the rookie infielder was still the only Athletic to collect multiple hits on the night as the team managed just seven hits in total against Detroit pitching. Kuroda-Grauer has started eight straight contests since his promotion while bouncing between second base, third base and shortstop, batting a blistering .500 (15-for-30) to begin his big-league career with three doubles, an RBI, four runs and just two strikeouts.

Springs (3-9) took the loss Wednesday, coughing up six runs on six hits and four walks over 4.1 innings as the A's were downed 6-1 by the Tigers. He struck out four.

Homers by Jake Rogers in the second inning and Spencer Torkelson in the fifth accounted for most of the damage off Springs, who got the hook after 92 pitches (49 strikes). The southpaw has been tagged for five or more runs in five of his last six starts, sending his ERA soaring from 4.37 to 6.08. The A's remain on the fringes of the playoff picture, both in the AL West and the wild-card race, but they might have to make some major rotation upgrades at the trade deadline if they're going to make any kind of serious push.

The White Sox recalled Davis from Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

Davis has made 22 appearances out of the Chicago bullpen this season, authoring a 4.63 ERA and 20:13 K:BB over 23.1 frames. The right-hander will operate in middle relief.

The White Sox placed Richards on the bereavement/family medical emergency list Thursday.

Richards will likely return to the active roster after the All-Star break. His spot on the roster will be taken by Tyler Davis.

Alonso went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 9-7 loss to the Cubs.

The slugging first baseman gave Baltimore a brief lead in the fourth inning when he took Colin Rea deep. It was Alonso's first homer in July and his 20th of the season, and while he hasn't yet put together the kind of power surge with his new team that Mets fans grew accustomed to seeing, he's posted a .275/.382/.533 slash line with nine long balls and 26 RBI in 33 games since the beginning of June.

O'Neill went 2-for-2 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 9-7 loss to the Cubs.

The two teams combined for nine long balls on the night, and O'Neill made his contributions even though he began the game on the bench -- after launching a pinch-hit homer off Drew Pomeranz in the seventh inning, he went yard again in the eighth off Caleb Thielbar as Baltimore tried to put together a late rally from a 9-3 deficit. O'Neill has five homers on the season in 55 contests, but three of them have come in his last 10 plate appearances. Over his last 16 games, the veteran outfielder has compiled a .273/.360/.591 slash line and pushed for consistent playing time, but his 34.0 percent strikeout rate during that stretch remains a red flag.

Kremer (1-2) took the loss Wednesday as the Orioles fell 9-7 to the Cubs, giving up four runs -- all on solo home runs -- on six total hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out four.

Pete Crow-Armstrong took Kremer deep twice, while Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly also went back-to-back in the fifth inning. Kremer left the mound after 92 pitches (55 strikes), and while his 24:9 K:B through 22 innings on the season is encouraging, the right-hander has also served up nine homers in his four big-league starts, leading to a 4.09 ERA despite a 1.00 WHIP. However, as long as he can stay healthy, Kremer seems locked into a rotation spot on the other side of the All-Star break, barring some major trade acquisitions by the O's.

The Angels signed Reyes to a minor-league contract Wednesday.

Reyes recently opted out of his minor-league deal with the Padres after posting a .310/.408/.491 batting line with six home runs, 15 steals and a 35:36 BB:K in 56 games with Triple-A El Paso. The 32-year-old utility player will aim to eventually get a chance in the majors, but he'll report to Triple-A Salt Lake for now.