MLB Player News

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 21st save Sunday, the fourth straight day he's pitched. Manager Lloyd McClendon didn't want to use Rodney but relented because he'd been so efficient lately, reports MLB.com.

"I told him you're definitely off [Monday]. He wanted to know if he could go back to the Dominican [Republic] and I said, 'No. [Get] on that plane and we're going to Seattle,'" McClendon joked to the website.

Rodney has 21 saves in 23 chances after picking up three saves in the weekend sweep of the Royals.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin announced Sunday he has shuffled the rotation after deciding to give starting pitcher Sonny Gray a few extra days to rest with off-days Monday and Thursday. The right-handed hurler has been pushed back to Saturday against the Marlins.

Scott Kazmir will now start Tuesday against the Mets and he will be followed by Brad Mills in the two-game series.

Jesse Chavez, who was scheduled to start Saturday, has been moved up to Friday against Miami. Tommy Milone, who started Sunday against the Red Sox, will then finish off the Marlins series next Sunday.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said he still hasn't decided what to do with starting pitcher Andre Rienzo, who lost a fifth straight start Saturday at Minnesota. Ventura might replace Rienzo in the rotation with Scott Carroll, who is pitching out of the bullpen.

"That would be the option is to flip-flop," Ventura said, per MLB.com. "Right now, I don't know if you can necessarily just put Andre out in the bullpen. The way Scotty throws strikes, you like if you are going to bring a guy in out of the bullpen, he's going to be able to do what Scotty has done."

Carroll, who is 1-3 with a 6.15 ERA, has a 1.83 ERA in 19 2/3 innings as a reliever. Carroll said adding the cutter to his repertoire has helped his transition to the bullpen.

"Adding the cutter has been a big pitch. It has helped a lot with lefties," Carroll said of the pitch he incorporated after his May 19 start in Kansas City. "We came back home and started playing catch with it and it has been feeling good and it has been a big pitch for me."

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney likely won't pitch Sunday against the Royals because he's appeared in the past three games, reports the Seattle Times. In his last 13 innings, Rodney has allowed seven hits, two walks and one run while fanning 12 batters.

Rangers pitcher Nick Martinez flirted with a no-hitter, but ended up leaving in line for a loss in Saturday's game against the Angels.

Martinez was given an early one-run lead and made it stand up for a whole, as he kept the Angels without a hit until the sixth inning. Unfortunately, he allowed one run in each of the sixth and seventh innings once the Angels did finally get to him.

Martinez settled for a no-decision as the game went into extra innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out three batters. The Rangers went on to lose, 3-2, in 10 innings. 

Athletics starter Jesse Chavez was nearly unhittable Saturday, but the bullpen could not preserve his lead in a no-decision.

Chavez opened the game with five no-hit innings, and ended up allowing just three overall in seven shutout innings of work. He struck out four batters and walked four, and exited with a 1-0 lead, but the bullpen was unable to make it stand up in a 2-1 extra-innings lead.

Chavez remains 6-4 on the season with the no-decision, but he did lower his ERA to 2.71. He will look for win No. 7 in his next outing, set for Saturday in Miami.

Red Sox pitcher Rubby De La Rosa was dominant Saturday against the A's, but didn't get much help in a 2-1 extra-innings loss.

De La Rosa finished seven innings for the second straight start, and allowed just one run along the way. He scattered four hits and a walk over his seven innings, while striking out seven batters on 100 pitches while settling for a no-decision.

De La Rosa has tossed seven innings of one-run ball or better in three of his five starts, but is just 2-2 so far. He carries a 2.51 ERA into his next start, set for Friday against the Yankees. 

Twins pitching prospect Trevor May threw 120 pitches in a start for Triple-A Rochester Monday, and assistant general manager Rob Anthony did not seem to think it was a cause for concern, however, as he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press Saturday.

"I don't have any problem with the way (May) was handled," Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "I think he probably did wear down a little, but it's probably good for him."

The Twins have, like many other teams in the league, gone to great lengths to try and preserve the arms of their young pitchers. Their Class A affiliate is using a six man rotation, and the highest pitch count for the organization prior to May's was a 114-pitch performance by Ricky Nolasco.

May struck out 11 while falling just two outs shy of a complete-game bid. He is averaging 101.3 pitches per start over his last nine starts, and the 24-year-old has a 2.77 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings this season. 

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney showed no ill-effects from an appearance in three straight games Saturday in Kansas City. He shut down the Royals in the ninth, walking one and fanning one along the way, in pulling into second in the American League with his 20th save.

Rodney ended it by forcing Eric Hosmer into hitting into a double play.

Astros reliever Anthony Bass is set to begin a rehab stint Sunday with Class-A Quad City, per CSNHouston.com.

A back injury has had Bass sidelined since May 10.