MLB Player News

Fleming will start Friday's game in Texas, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He worked behind an opener en route to the win in his last appearance, and he has secured the win in four of his last five appearances, although he only started one of those five games. Fleming has pitched exceptionally well this season (2.98 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) and the Rangers are a pretty nice matchup on paper, but he is slightly less likely to qualify for the win working as a true starter.

Kay (finger) was activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday and optioned to Triple-A.

He was already at Triple-A Buffalo on a rehab assignment and will stick around in the Bisons' rotation for the time being. The Jays will undoubtedly need rotation reinforcements at some point soon, but Kay's 6.62 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in the majors this season may lead to him getting passed over for the next opportunity if Toronto has any better options.

Lowther was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

This latest stint in the majors lasted just one game, in which he didn't pitch. Lowther has been working as a starter at Triple-A and as a swingman in the majors. He has a 3.22 FIP at Triple-A and a 6.43 FIP in the big leagues.

King will start Friday's game against the Red Sox, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

He has a 2.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 22 innings this season. King logged 2.1 innings in his most recent outing May 30 in Detroit and hasn't pitched more than three innings in a game since he logged six innings April 4.

Staumont (knee) threw live batting practice Thursday and has been tracking well since landing on the shelf, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Manager Mike Matheny said this throwing session will provide a good indication of where Staumont is in his recovery. He was sidelined in late May by a knee sprain and is eligible to return Sunday at the earliest.

The Twins will place Thielbar (groin) on the 10-day injured list prior to Thursday's game against the Royals, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Minnesota will call up Shaun Anderson to fill the opening on the 26-man active roster and in the bullpen after Thielbar suffered a strained left groin during his relief appearance Wednesday in Baltimore. Thielbar has been a key part of the bridge to closers Hansel Robles and Taylor Rogers this season, accruing a 4.29 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 31 strikeouts and five holds over 20 appearances.

Ward underwent Tommy John surgery Thursday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Ward is one of the Red Sox's more interesting prospects, as he cruised to a 2.14 ERA and a 29.9 percent strikeout rate in 25 starts at the Low-A and High-A levels in 2019 before losing all of last season due to the canceled minor-league schedule. He made just two starts this year before being shut down with what was originally called a forearm strain. A typical recovery timeline would sideline him until late in the 2022 campaign at the earliest, and there's a chance he doesn't throw his next competitive pitch until 2023.

McHugh, who fired two scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and a walk while recording five strikeouts in a loss to the Yankees on Wednesday, has an 0.69 ERA and 15.9 K/9 across the 13 innings covering his last nine appearances.

A conventional starter for most of his career, McHugh has mostly shifted to an opener/long-relief role with considerable success during his first season in Tampa Bay. The veteran right-hander has coaxed his ERA from an unsightly 10.13 to 3.44 during his aforementioned stretch of dominance and has displayed considerable versatility in terms of the different roles he's been able to take on effectively.

Stanek fired a perfect eighth inning to earn a hold in Wednesday's win over the Rockies.

Stanek retired the heart of the Red Sox's lineup in order to keep the three-run lead intact. The 29-year-old has a 3.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 25 innings. Besides a single outing in which he allowed four runs, he has a 1.82 ERA and 33:14 K:BB with five holds and one save this season.

Manaea (4-2) earned the win over Seattle on Wednesday, hurling nine scoreless frames while allowing four hits and two walks. He struck out eight.

This was technically Manaea's second shutout of the season -- he tossed seven scoreless innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Twins in April. The southpaw was sharp Wednesday, inducing 19 swinging strikes and holding the Mariners without an extra-base hit. Over his past three starts, Manaea has allowed only two runs in 20.2 frames while posting a 22:7 K:BB. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which is lined up to come at home against Arizona next week.