MLB Player News

Hancock will no longer piggyback starter Logan Gilbert in Saturday's game against the Blue Jays and will instead make a start in Sunday's series finale, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

For a second straight weekend, the Mariners have made the late decision to nix a Gilbert/Hancock piggyback plan and instead have both pitchers make their own starts. Hancock looked good in his last appearance this past Sunday against the Guardians, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out six across 5.2 innings in a no-decision. The 27-year-old right-hander sports a 3.47 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 87:22 K:BB across 90.2 innings this season.

Gilbert is no longer set to be piggybacked by Emerson Hancock in Saturday's game against the Blue Jays and will instead be in line for a traditional start, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

For the second weekend in a row, the Mariners have made a late decision to scrap the Gilbert/Hancock piggyback tandem in order to let both pitchers make standalone starts. Since surrendering a season-high seven starts in a loss to the Padres on Mariners, Gilbert has submitted a 2.08 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 50:10 K:BB in 43.1 innings over his last seven starts.

Keegan cleared outright waivers and was assigned by the Orioles to Double-A Chesapeake on Saturday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Keegan will stick around with the Orioles after being claimed off waivers from the Rays in late June. He's spent the entire season in Triple-A but will move down to Double-A to start his tenure with the Orioles organization.

The Rangers placed Junis on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Wednesday, due to a right hip impingement.

Junis allowed six earned runs across his last seven outings (6.2 innings), and those struggles may have been caused by a lingering hip issue. He won't be eligible to return from the IL until after the All-Star break, though it remains to be seen whether Junis needs a longer stint on the shelf. Right-hander Chris Martin (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day IL in a corresponding move.

The Rangers reinstated Martin (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Saturday.

Martin landed on the IL in early June due to a right shoulder impingement. He appeared in just one game in his rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco, allowing one hit while striking out two batters in a scoreless inning Wednesday. Martin replaces Jakob Junis (hip), who was placed on the 15-day IL.

Kirk is not in the Blue Jays' starting lineup against the Mariners on Saturday.

Kirk will get a breather while Brandon Valenzuela starts behind home plate and bats eighth. Since returning from the injured list June 12, Kirk has gone 11-for-50 (.220) with one home run and five RBI.

Beeks (back) will miss the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing arm surgery, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Beeks landed on the 15-day injured list June 11 due to back spasms. Per McFarland, Beeks had a flexor strain flare up during his rehab program that was severe enough for him to undergo season-ending surgery, and it's unclear whether he'll be fully healthy for the start of spring training. Beeks appeared in 29 regular-season games for the Rangers in 2026 and will end his campaign with a 3.81 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, six holds and a 21:8 K:BB across 26 innings.

Lee is not in the Tigers' starting lineup against the Rangers on Saturday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Lee will be on the bench for the beginning of Saturday's game while Zach McKinstry and Kevin McGonigle start at second base and shortstop, respectively. Since June 1, Lee has gone 20-for-59 (.339) with one steal, three home runs and seven RBI.

Burger is not in the Rangers' starting lineup against the Tigers on Saturday.

Burger has struggled at the plate recently, having gone 1-for-20 with six strikeouts and two RBI over his last five games. He'll get a breather Saturday while Josh Smith starts at first base and bats second.

Nimmo (shoulder) will start in right field and bat out of the cleanup spot against the Tigers on Saturday.

Nimmo missed the Rangers' last four games while recovering from an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, but he has been given the green light to return to the lineup for Saturday's contest. He finished the month of June with a .274/.327/.432 slash line with two steals, eight RBI and 12 extra-base hits across 104 plate appearances.