MLB Player News

Bassitt (back) threw a bullpen session Saturday, per MLB.com.

It's a significant step forward for Bassitt, who's continuing his throwing progression as he works his way back from an extended absence with lower-back tightness. The veteran right-hander received a facet injection in mid-June and then underwent a minor procedure to have a bone spur removed shortly thereafter. Bassitt is likely to require a lengthy rehab assignment once he's cleared for game action, so his return to Baltimore's rotation is unlikely to come until sometime in mid-to-late August.

Goodman went 1-for-4 with two RBI on Saturday against the Brewers.

Goodman started the scoring for the Rockies in the fourth inning, driving in two with an RBI single. He extended his hitting streak to a modest four games, and he has gone 8-for-25 with four home runs, nine RBI and five runs scored across seven games since the All-Star break.

McCarthy went 1-for-5 with two RBI on Saturday against the Brewers.

McCarthy was part of a ninth-inning rally for the Rockies, knocking in a pair with a single. He now has a career-high 58 RBI on the season, also extending his current hitting streak to 11 games. McCarthy has hit .319 with one home run, seven RBI and eight runs scored in that span to continue his excellent campaign.

Barnett (1-1) took the loss against Minnesota on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two batters over 3.1 innings.

Initial reports suggested Barnett would start Saturday's contest, but that role ultimately went to Brady Basso, who covered the first two frames. Barnett still ended up logging the longest outing among A's pitchers, tossing 54 pitches (35 strikes) across his 3.1 innings. The right-hander got through his first three frames unscathed, but he surrendered two runs in the sixth, which accounted for all of the scoring in the game. It remains to be seen how Barnett will be deployed moving forward, but he could be needed to make a few starts (or bulk-relief appearances) with J.T. Ginn (finger blister) currently on the 15-day IL.

Gomez earned a save against the Athletics on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work.

Four Minnesota pitchers combined to hold the A's scoreless over eight frames, and Gomez was given the ball to begin the ninth. The right-hander didn't take long to close things out and needed just eight pitches (six strikes) to retire the side in order. Gomez entered the campaign with just one career regular-season save on his ledger, but he's emerged as the Twins' primary closer this season. He's a perfect 13-for-13 on save opportunities, and since recording his first save April 18, Gomez has posted a standout 2.04 ERA along with a 34:16 K:BB over 35.1 innings spanning 37 appearances.

Rojas pitched four scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Athletics on Saturday, allowing one hit and issuing one walk while striking out five batters.

Rojas made his fourth start of the season as an emergency replacement for Mike Paredes, who was a late scratch due to an oblique injury. Though there was no expectation that Rojas would go very deep after having thrown fewer than 50 pitches in each of his three outings since being recalled from Triple-A on July 9, the left-hander ended up hurling 56 pitches Saturday and lasted four frames, tying his longest big-league start of the campaign. Rojas didn't go long enough to qualify for the victory, but he certainly played a big part in Minnesota's win, limiting the A's to just two baserunners (on a single and a walk) and zero runs. Rojas has plenty of experience as a starter in the minors, and he's a candidate to move into the rotation if Paredes and/or Joe Ryan (arm) needs to miss time.

Pratt went 3-for-3 with a home run, three total RBI and a stolen base in an 8-5 win over Colorado on Saturday.

Pratt accounted for Milwaukee's second run with a solo homer in the second inning, laced a run-scoring single in the fourth and hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The rookie finished with his second career three-hit performance and his second career long ball. Both of Pratt's home runs have come since returning from the All-Star break, and he's batting .364 (8-for-22) with four RBI and two thefts across seven contests during that span.

Feltner (3-5) allowed five runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out four batters over five innings in a loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.

Feltner surrendered just two extra-base hits (a double and a homer), but he recorded only one 1-2-3 inning. The right-hander had walked four batters in each of his previous two outings, so a positive takeaway is that he issued just one free pass Saturday, though that didn't prevent him from taking a third consecutive loss. Feltner looked to be turning a corner with three straight quality starts from June 22 to July 3, but he's since regressed by giving up 17 earned runs across 11.2 frames over his subsequent three appearances. He holds a poor 5.73 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 54:29 K:BB across 70.2 innings spanning 15 starts on the season.

Megill recorded a save against the Rockies on Saturday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter over one-third of an inning.

It didn't look like Megill would be needed, as Milwaukee entered the ninth inning with an 8-2 advantage. However, Lance McCullers got into trouble, allowing two walks and a single while also being hurt by an error to allow two runs to cross the plate. Megill was summoned with two outs and yielded a single to allow another run to score, but he was able to close the floodgates by striking out Cole Carrigg. That gave Megill his sixth save in his eighth outing of July. The right-hander is locked in as the Brewers' closer with 17 saves in 19 chances on the season.

Gasser (3-4) notched the win over Colorado on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out four batters over six innings.

Gasser threw an efficient 51 of 77 pitches for strikes to complete six frames for just the third time through 11 outings this season. The left-hander surrendered only one extra-base hit and didn't issue a free pass for his third consecutive appearance. Gasser has looked good in his two starts since the All-Star break, allowing three runs across 11 innings with a 9:0 K:BB. Though Kyle Harrison (elbow) is reportedly nearing a rehab assignment, Gasser could challenge Brandon Sproat or Shane Drohan to remain in the rotation if he continues to pitch well.