MLB Player News

Giles was not used in a save situation Thursday as Hector Rondon closed out Houston's 1-0 win over Tampa Bay.

Giles hasn't pitched in a save situation since June 12, an opportunity he converted, although there haven't been many chances for the Astros since then. The only game that qualified as a save chance between then and Thursday night was against the Royals on June 17. In that game, Rondon got the save after Giles was used in the eighth inning to face the heart of Kansas City's lineup. Houston's bullpen situation is best described as having co-closers. Giles remains perfect in save opportunities on the year, but there's been enough bad outings in non-save situations for manager A.J. Hinch to feel the need for another ninth-inning option.

Yarbrough (7-4) allowed one earned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out four across 6.1 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Astros.

Yarbrough entered the game with two outs in the second inning and worked in and out of trouble for much of his appearance. However, he managed to induce 10 groundballs and allowed only one extra-base hit -- a home run to Jake Marisnick -- which limited the damage. He'll look to use this appearance to get him back on track, as he had allowed 15 earned runs in his last 25 innings prior to Thursday's effort.

Barria (5-4) allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four across 5.1 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Red Sox.

Barria's sole blemish came only a solo home run by Rafael Devers, with the second earned run coming as a result of the bullpen failing to strand a runner that was on first base when he exited the game. He continues to get results without a standout skill -- he has a strikeout rate of 7.4 K/9 and a groundball rate of 38.7 percent -- so it seems unlikely that he will be able to maintain his 3.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP all season. However, he has a nice base to work from as he has exhibited good control -- he has allowed just 2.5 BB/9 -- and has a 13.1 percent infield flyball rate, so it is unclear just how much correction is coming.

Kimbrel walked one and struck out three to earn the save Thursday against the Angels.

Kimbrel struck Mike Trout out to secure his 24th save of the season; the second-highest total in the American League. He remains one of the most dominant closers in the game and has converted 15 consecutive save chances successfully.

Johnson allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk while striking out two across four innings Thursday against the Angels. He did not factor into the decision.

Johnson's only earned run came on a home run by Andrelton Simmons, but he was forced out after only 61 pitches in his start in place of Steven Wright because he hadn't been fully stretched out. Across his past three appearances, Johnson had not surpassed 43 pitches, so the Red Sox took a cautious approach. Wright is eligible to return from the disabled list July 3 -- it is unclear if he will do so -- so Johnson's time in the rotation may be short-lived.

Treinen worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his 20th save of the season Thursday against the Tigers.

It was another easy outing for Treinen, who allowed just one baserunner over his 14 pitches before finishing off the Tigers to notch his second save of the series. Treinen hasn't blown a save since April 18 -- a span of 25 outings -- and he's surrendered just three earned runs in that stretch.

Fulmer (3-7) took the loss despite a solid effort Thursday against the A's. He allowed four runs over eight innings while notching five strikeouts and no walks.

A rough third inning sunk Fulmer as he coughed up three runs in the frame and gave up one more in the fourth on a Chad Pinder double. His run support was essentially non-existent as the Tigers did not register a single run after Nick Castellanos' two-run shot in the first. Fulmer's command was strong; he threw 79 of his 110 pitches for strikes and only allowed two baserunners in his final four innings. He's lined up to face Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs on Tuesday.

Perez will be recalled from Double-A Corpus Christi when Carlos Correa is placed on the DL on Friday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

Houston waited until after Thursday's tilt in Tampa Bay to announce the pending corresponding move once Correa is officially placed on the shelf. Perez, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, notched a 2.20 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 10 starts (57.1 IP) at Double-A prior to getting the call. The Astros are set in terms of their rotation, but Perez's starting experience means he can be a useful long reliever during his stint with the big league club.

Manaea (8-6) picked up the win Thursday against the Tigers. He allowed two runs over six innings, notching two strikeouts while issuing one walk.

Though Manaea was hardly fooling any Tigers hitters with just two punchouts, the lefty was still effective and put his team in position to get the victory. He has now won each of his last three decisions, allowing just six runs over 19 innings. He's lined up to make his next start Tuesday against the Padres.

Yacabonis pitched four innings Thursday, yielding two runs on six hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out five in a 4-2 loss to Seattle.

Yacabonis made his first career MLB start and threw a pretty clean game aside from a two-run shot off the bat of Nelson Cruz. Prior to Thursday's outing, the 26-year-old had allowed four earned runs in just 2.1 innings, so the solid start was a bit of a surprise. If Yacabonis remains at the MLB level, he'd be lined up to face the Phillies next Wednesday.