MLB Player News

Staumont (2-1) pitched a perfect inning and struck out two to earn the win Thursday versus the Twins.

Staumont retired the side on 13 pitches (nine strikes) in the seventh inning, and the Royals rallied for the lead in the eighth. This was a solid bounce-back outing for Staumont, who took his first loss of the year in his last appearance May 22, which also came against the Twins. The right-hander now has a 4.08 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 26:9 K:BB with three saves, three blown saves and two holds in 17.2 innings. While Staumont pitched well, Scott Barlow was able to add a two-inning save Thursday -- both relievers are expected to continue sharing closing duties on a matchup basis as they have for much of the season.

Stephan (2-2) took the loss Thursday versus the Tigers. He allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in one-third of an inning.

Stephan entered with the game tied at 3-3, but he allowed a double to Jonathan Schoop, who then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Miguel Cabrera added a walkoff single, handing Stephan his second loss in his last three outings. The right-hander now owns a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 18:5 K:BB across 18 innings in 18 appearances. He's given up five runs (four earned) in his last four outings.

Smeltzer did not factor in the decision against Kansas City on Thursday despite pitching seven scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six.

Smeltzer was dominant and efficient in his seven frames, throwing just 80 pitches and preventing any runners from reach second base. He was in line for the win upon his departure but had to settle for a no-decision after Tyler Duffey surrendered three eighth-inning runs to take the loss. This was Smeltzer's third start of the campaign, and he has allowed a combined two runs over 17.1 innings for a sparkling 1.04 ERA. He's currently up in place of Joe Ryan (COVID-19), but it wouldn't be surprising if Minnesota finds a way to keep him in the rotation based on how well he's pitched so far.

Barlow walked one during a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Thursday's 4-1 victory against the Athletics.

Barlow entered after the Rangers scored four in the top of the ninth to take the lead and surrendered a leadoff walk but induced a double play and pop-out to end the game. He appears healthy after a nine-game hiatus due to a blister and should see regular closer duties for the foreseeable future with a dominant 1.76 ERA and 0.91 WHIP.

Barlow earned the save against the Twins on Thursday, pitching two scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and struck out two batters.

After the Royals took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning, Minnesota responded by beginning the bottom of the frame with three straight singles. Barlow was brought in to minimize the damage, and he ended up keeping the Twins off the scoreboard entirely, striking out the first two batters he faced before inducing a groundout. The right-hander remained in the game for the ninth frame and allowed a pair of hits, but he again navigated around trouble to notch the save. This was Barlow's first save since May 15 and team-leading fifth on the campaign. Josh Staumont has three saves and may continue to cut into Barlow's ninth-inning opportunities, though the latter's 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP are superior.

Pilkington allowed three earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four Thursday against the Tigers. He did not factor into the decision.

Pilkington has bounced between Cleveland and Triple-A Columbus for much of the season, but he wasn't sharp Thursday. He struggled with his command and has now walked eight batters across 12 big-league innings. Pilkington avoided a truly disastrous outing only because he managed to keep the ball in the yard. Despite the discouraging effort, Pilkington could take another turn through the rotation while Aaron Civale (thigh) is sidelined, particularly because Cleveland has only one day off in the next two weeks.

Soto (2-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning and earned the win Thursday against the Guardians. He allowed a hit and struck out one.

Soto needed 21 pitches to get through the top of the ninth inning but he kept Cleveland off the board in a 3-3 game, and the Tigers walked it off in the bottom half of the frame. The lefty doesn't always make things pretty, though he does have a solid 2.45 ERA and has recorded seven saves in eight chances. He's the top Detroit reliever at the moment for fantasy purposes, and that likely won't change anytime soon unless Soto truly implodes.

Pearson (illness) threw 30 pitches in a rehab appearance with Single-A Dunedin on Thursday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Pearson completed 1.2 innings and allowed one earned run on one hit and a walk while striking out one. He sat at 95 mph with his fastball and hit 97, which is down from the last two seasons. That's not a major reason for concern yet, as Pearson is ramping up after being sidelined for the entire season by mononucleosis. It's unclear how many more rehab appearances he may need, as he is projected to fill a long-relief role once activated.

Vest (illness) cleared the league's health and safety protocols and rejoined the team Thursday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Although Vest is no longer isolating from the team, he remains on the COVID-19 injured list ahead of the Tigers' four-game series against Cleveland. The right-hander is expected to ramp up his workload and pitch in a rehab game prior to rejoining Detroit's bullpen, but it seems likely he'll be activated at some point next week.

Alcala (elbow) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Alcala hasn't thrown since April 10, and he was transferred to the 60-day injured list April 23. While the right-hander isn't eligible to be activated until at least June 10, he'll take a significant step in his recovery Saturday, when he's scheduled to throw live batting practice. Whether Alcala is able to return when he's first eligible isn't yet clear, but he's certainly trending in the right direction.