MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Yarbrough (oblique) will be used out of the bullpen once he's activated from the 15-day injured list, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Before landing on the injured list June 22 due to a right oblique strain, Yarbrough had started in eight of his 16 appearances for the Yankees and delivered a 3.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 49:17 K:BB in 55.1 innings, but he'll lose his spot in the rotation with New York having gotten strong results from No. 5 starter Cam Schlittler in recent weeks. Yarbrough has pitched well in his own right through three rehab starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with whom he most recently pitched Tuesday and struck out six while allowing two earned runs over 4.2 innings. The lefty will likely be deployed as a long reliever and should be the top choice to enter the rotation if the Yankees lose a starter to an injury at any point in September.

Quintana (10-5) took the loss Thursday against the Diamondbacks, allowing six runs on five hits and four walks across 3.2 innings. He struck out two.

It was a tough outing for the veteran left-hander, whose four walks matched a season high. Coming into the day, Quintana had not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last six starts, posting a 2.94 ERA in that span (33.2 innings). Overall, his ERA sits at 3.96 through 21 starts (114.2 innings) this season with a 1.29 WHIP and 77:43 K:BB. Quintana will look to bounce back his next time out, which is currently slated for next week at home against the Phillies.

Ashcraft didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits and one walk in 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

Ashcraft turned in his third consecutive start of at least five innings while yielding one run or zero. With Andrew Heaney having been designated for assignment by the Pirates, Ashcraft has a fairly clear path to a starting role in the rotation to wrap up the season. The rookie right-hander has a promising 2.58 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 48:15 K:BB across his first 52.1 innings, though a scheduled matchup against the Dodgers next week might curb his streaming appeal a bit for his next turn.

Mikolas didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Pirates, allowing one run on four hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five.

Thursday marked Mikolas' first start of one or zero earned runs allowed since July 25 against the Padres, and the five strikeouts were his most since July 30 versus the Marlins. It was an especially encouraging rebound performance as well, considering the veteran right-hander matched a season low with 2.2 innings his last time out in Tampa Bay. Mikolas likely benefited from a favorable spot at home Thursday against the last-place Pirates, but he could have a tougher time next week against an Athletics team with a .796 OPS since the beginning of August. For the year, he has a 5.04 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 86:32 K:BB through 130.1 frames.

Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Loaisiga (elbow) will miss the remainder of the season due to a right flexor strain, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old righty will conclude the year with a 4.25 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB across 29.2 innings. Although Loaisiga's season was cut short by an injury, he reportedly won't need to undergo surgery to address the issue, which significantly boosts his chances of being available for the start of the 2026 campaign.

Crismatt (2-0) earned the win Thursday over the Brewers, allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out two.

Crismatt stumbled out of the gate Thursday, giving up at least one run in each of his first three innings. However, the right-hander managed to limit the damage against the Brewers, ultimately coming away with his second win in three appearances this season. The 30-year-old Crismatt has surrendered just three earned runs through his first 14.2 innings despite allowing 15 hits and five walks. He should remain in Arizona's rotation while Anthony DeSclafani (thumb) is sidelined. Crismatt's currently lined up to face the Rangers at home in his next outing.

Jackson went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and an additional run scored in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Red Sox.

Making his fourth start in eight games, Jackson got Baltimore on the board in the third inning with a 395-foot shot off Garrett Crochet for his fourth homer this year. The 29-year-old Jackson had initially fallen to third on the Orioles depth chart after Samuel Basallo was called up, though he's been alternating starts behind the plate with the rookie after Adley Rutschman (oblique) landed on the IL. Overall, Jackson is slashing .250/.308/.567 with 14 runs scored and six RBI across 65 plate appearances this season.

Alexander didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Rockies, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk in 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.

Although the three runs allowed were his most since July 24 versus the Athletics, Alexander fanned a season-high eight Thursday. The right-hander fell out one short of qualifying for a quality start, but he's now worked at least 5.1 innings in five consecutive outings. Alexander has proven to be a serviceable member of Houston's rotation, submitting a 2.96 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 41:15 K:BB over 48.2 frames since joining the Astros, though his recent rise in streaming value will likely take a hit with the Yankees looming for his next scheduled appearance.

Freeland didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Astros, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out six.

The quality start was Freeland's 11th of the season, and he also fanned at least six for the fifth time this year. It was also the veteran southpaw's first outing with no free passes since July 30 in Cleveland. Freeland's next appearance is slated for next week at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the division-rival Giants, which means fantasy managers might want to search elsewhere for potential streaming options. Through his 11 appearances at home in 2025, Freeland has a miserable 6.36 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 41:18 K:BB.

Refsnyder went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Orioles.

Refsnyder hit the ground running in his first game back after spending two weeks on the IL with an oblique strain. He put the Red Sox ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning with a 398-foot blast off Cade Povich, his seventh homer this season. The 34-year-old Refsnyder should occupy the short side of a platoon either at DH or in the outfield down the stretch. Overall, he's slashing .279/.360/.493 with 23 RBI, 24 runs scored and three steals across 161 plate appearances this year.