MLB Player News

Rodriguez (back) struck out four and allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk across four innings Sunday in his rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

The right-hander was no match for lower-level minor-league competition, retiring 12 of the 18 batters he faced while pumping in 37 of his 57 pitches for strikes and generating five whiffs. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki previously said that Rodriguez may need just one start in the minors before returning from the 15-day injured list, but unless the right-hander was able to throw another simulated inning after exiting Sunday's outing, he may need another outing in the minors to build upon his 57-pitch workload. The Angels received strong performances from back-end rotation members Ryan Johnson and Sam Aldegheri in their last starts, so the team can probably afford to play it slow with Rodriguez as he works his way back from lower-back tightness.

Schultz (knee) struck out seven and allowed two earned runs on three hits and two walks across 4.2 innings Friday in a rehab start with Triple-A Charlotte.

Making the third start of his rehab assignment, Schultz built up to 74 pitches (52 strikes) and induced nine whiffs while averaging 95.4 mph with his four-seamer. The White Sox haven't confirmed Schultz's next step, but from both a workload and velocity standpoint, he looks ready to return from the 15-day injured list. Schultz could slot back into the White Sox rotation as soon as Wednesday in Baltimore.

Williams did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Mariners, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings.

Williams threw 64 of his 103 pitches for strikes and generated 13 swinging strikes, but Seattle pushed across a run in the second inning before adding two more in the third. The right-hander was lifted after five innings, marking his fifth consecutive start without completing six frames after reaching at that mark in each of his previous eight outings. Williams will carry a 3.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and a 117:34 K:BB into his next scheduled start against the White Sox at home.

Hancock did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Guardians, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings.

Hancock bounced back nicely after consecutive five-run outings, holding Cleveland to just one hit through his first four innings. The Guardians finally broke through in the fifth, opening the frame with three straight singles before a sacrifice fly accounted for the lone run against the right-hander. Hancock exited in line for the win, but Seattle's bullpen surrendered five runs in the eighth inning to erase the lead. He now owns a 3.47 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 87:22 K:BB across 90.2 innings and is lined up to have his next outing at home against Toronto.

Brown took a no-decision Sunday against the Tigers, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out four.

A fielding error by Raynel Delgado in the fifth inning allowed an unearned run to come across for Detroit, but Brown still logged his second quality start of the year. The 27-year-old right-hander put forth his longest outing since coming off the injured list due to a shoulder strain in mid-June, also throwing a season-high 103 pitches Sunday. Brown has given up multiple runs just one time this year, holding a 1.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 32:13 K:BB across his first 25.1 innings.

Flaherty took a no-decision Sunday against the Astros, allowing no runs on two hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out nine.

After missing about two weeks with a left peroneal strain, Flaherty looked very sharp in his return Sunday while generating 16 whiffs over five shutout frames. The month of June was certainly the 30-year-old right-hander's best so far, as he's posted a 2.50 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB across his last 23 innings. Flaherty, who still has a dispositioning 4.97 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 87:37 K:BB across 70.2 frames overall, will hope to maintain his momentum in Texas his next time out.

Rasmussen (7-4) notched the win Sunday against the Diamondbacks, allowing no runs on three hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out five.

Rasmussen was in top form Sunday, scattering two singles and a double across six shutout innings. The 30-year-old right-hander punctuated a spectacular month of June, giving up just three runs to go with a 39:4 K:BB through his last 33 frames (five starts). On track for his second consecutive All-Star nod, Rasmussen will take a 2.45 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 94:16 K:BB over 92 innings into his next scheduled appearance in Houston.

Ober (elbow) struck out one batter and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and no walks over 3.1 innings in a rehab start Sunday with High-A Cedar Rapids.

After completing a throwing progression, Ober was cleared to kick off a rehab assignment Sunday. Per Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com, the Twins were planning for Ober to throw around 50 pitches in his first game action since May 30. He ended up narrowly exceeding that limit, spotting 38 of his 57 pitches for strikes in the rehab outing. Ober will likely need at least one more appearance in the minors to get further stretched out, but he appears on pace to return from the 15-day injured list shortly before the All-Star break. Ober has been on the shelf since June 1 due to a right flexor strain.

Bradish (5-8) took the loss Sunday against the Nationals, allowing four runs (three earned) on one hit and five walks over four innings. He struck out two.

Bradish's control issues proved costly Sunday, as he issued a season-high five walks in an eventual 6-4 defeat. Coming into the day, Bradish had allowed one run while issuing just three walks over 15.2 innings in his previous two starts. The right-hander's ERA now sits at 3.77 on the year with a 1.45 WHIP and 96:47 K:BB across 17 outings (93 innings). Bradish will look to get back on track in his next start, currently scheduled to come on the road in Cincinnati.

Bieber did not factor into the decision in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Rangers, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.

Bieber got off to a rocky start Sunday, giving up a home run to Joc Pederson on the first pitch he threw in the game. However, he managed to settle in and hold the Rangers without another run until the sixth inning. It's certainly a step in the right direction for Bieber, who gave up four runs on nine hits (including three homers) in just 3.2 innings in his first start of the season against the Astros after he spent the first three months of the year on the IL with an elbow issue. Bieber will look to build on Sunday's outing in his next start, currently slated to come on the road against the Mariners.