MLB Player News

Ward (head) exited Sunday's game against the Tigers in the bottom of the ninth inning after being hit the in head by a pitch, Greg Beacham of The Associated Press reports. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his first three plate appearances of the day.

Ward was struck in the head after a 93 mph fastball got away from reliever Shelby Miller. The outfielder looked to be OK after getting hit, with his removal from the contest potentially being a matter of precaution, according to Beacham. The 30-year-old missed the final three months of the 2023 campaign after being hit in the face by a pitch from Toronto starter Alek Manoah, making the situation Sunday particularly jarring. Ward's status will likely receive an update in the near future, but at the moment, he appears to have avoided any significant injury.

Bradley (3-4) earned the win Sunday, allowing no runs on three hits and two walks over 5.2 innings against the Nationals. He struck out 11.

Bradley held the Nationals off the board while matching a season high in strikeouts. Since allowing nine runs and four homers against Baltimore on June 1, Bradley has been on a heater, posting five-consecutive starts allowing two earned runs or fewer while accumulating double-digit strikeout totals during two of those outings. During that stretch, he's completed 29 innings, allowing just four earned runs (1.24 ERA) with a 1.00 WHIP and 40 strikeouts. He'll look to keep things rolling during his next start, tentatively slated to take place next weekend when the Rays travel to Arlington to take on the Rangers.

LeMahieu went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Blue Jays.

LeMahieu entered the game mired in a 6-for-42 (.143) slump but collected a couple of base hits, each of which brought in a run, while also adding just his second extra-base hit of the campaign. Despite being unable to find his footing at the plate, LeMahieu, who raised his season average to .188 thanks to Sunday's effort, has maintained a regular role in the Yankees' lineup since returning from the IL in late May due to a fractured foot.

Vaughn went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two additional RBI in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies.

Vaughn tied the game in the seventh inning with an RBI walk before knotting the game up in the 10th inning with a sacrifice fly. The 26-year-old quietly had an impressive month of June, batting .337 with six home runs, 20 RBI and 17 runs scored in 25 games played.

Mize left Sunday's outing against the Angels in the bottom of the sixth inning with an apparent leg injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Mize was in the midst of one of his best starts of the season, striking out two while allowing five baserunners over 5.1 scoreless innings before "cramping up" and grabbing at the back of his left leg, according to McCosky. More information on Mize's status will likely come later Sunday or Monday, but if his departure ultimately does end up being the result of cramping, there's won't be much concern for his availability moving forward.

Gausman (6-7) suffered the loss Sunday, allowing seven runs on seven hits, five walks and a hit batsman against the Yankees. He struck out seven.

Gausman needed 107 pitches to record 13 outs, allowing season highs in runs (seven) and walks (five) while being tagged for three extra-base hits including a first-inning Aaron Judge two-run blast. Gausman did strike out seven batters to represent the fourth time this season he's reached at least seven in an outing, but that's nothing more than a minor silver lining around Sunday's ugly performance. It's the fifth time this season Gausman has allowed at least five runs in a start, and he closes the month of June with a 5.64 ERA over 36.2 innings spanning six starts. His next start is tentatively slated for when the Blue Jays head west to take on the Mariners in Seattle next weekend.

Crochet came away with a no-decision in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Rockies in 14 innings, striking out 11 over seven frames while allowing two earned runs on five hits and zero walks.

After Crochet had thrown 85 and 91 pitches in his prior two starts, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Tuesday that the lefty's workload was "going to start dwindling" moving forward while the White Sox look to prioritize his long-term health. Even though he was mowing down the Colorado lineup for most of the afternoon, Crochet was still pulled after tossing 88 pitches and covering seven innings. If Crochet's pitch count continues to hover around the 85-to-90 range in his future starts, it could hurt his chances of coming away with wins, though he's notched only six wins through his first 18 starts while he's been supported by a weak White Sox lineup. Even so, Crochet remains a must-start fantasy option as long as he's active, as he's thus far provided elite ratios whenever he's taken the hill. The southpaw now owns a 3.02 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and a league-leading 141 strikeouts over 101.1 innings this season. He's tentatively scheduled for a road start in Miami next weekend.

Allen (8-4) took the loss Sunday against the Royals, allowing three earned runs on six hits and zero walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

Allen never found his footing, surrendering runs in the first two frames before exiting in the fifth inning. This comes off the back of a brutal outing during which he allowed three home runs and was pulled after just three innings. The 25-year-old has been an adequate source of wins thanks to the Cleveland offense, but he sports an ugly 5.75 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP and a 67:31 K:BB across 83 innings this season. The southpaw will look to bounce back in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend against the Giants.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Verlander (neck) resumed playing catch from 60 feet Sunday and "felt good," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 41-year-old's return to throwing is an encouraging development after he was shut down for a bit while recovering from neck soreness. Given the prolonged shutdown period, Verlander shouldn't be expected to return from the injured list when first eligible this week and will likely need to make a minor-league rehab start prior to being activated.

Lugo (11-2) picked up the win Sunday against Cleveland, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out 10 over six scoreless innings.

Lugo was dominant Sunday, throwing 66 of his 93 pitches for strikes en route to 10 strikeouts. The 34-year-old logged his fourth consecutive quality start and his 14th of the season, tied for first in MLB. Over his past four starts, the right-hander has registered a robust 1.46 ERA along with a 1.01 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB over 24.2 innings. He will look to keep rolling his next time out, currently scheduled for next weekend in Colorado.