MLB Player News

Brito (8-7) earned the win over Pittsburgh on Saturday, striking out three batters over three perfect innings out of the bullpen.

Luke Weaver handled the first four frames for New York, with Brito taking over in the fifth. Brito rolled through nine batters, fanning three and throwing 32 of 47 pitches for strikes. The rookie right-hander was up-and-down in a starting role earlier this season, but he seems to have found his groove recently as a bulk reliever. Since moving into that role Aug. 24, Brito has posted a 1.06 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 14:4 K:BB over 17 innings across six appearances while picking up four wins against one loss.

Waldichuk, who was originally slated for a conventional start Sunday against the Padres, will now serve as the primary pitcher behind opener Joe Boyle, who is expected to be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas, MLB.com reports.

Waldichuk served as a bulk reliever in his most recent appearance last Sunday against the Astros and turned in a gem, spinning a six-inning no-hit effort. The left-hander hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in an appearance of any kind since Aug. 1, generating a 1-0 record and 1.91 ERA over the 37.2 innings covering his subsequent seven outings. Given that Waldichuk is fully stretched out for a starter's workload, he could end up getting 5-to-6 innings Sunday, depending on how long Boyle stays in the game.

Boyle is expected to be called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday to serve as the Athletics' opening pitcher in the series finale against the Padres, MLB.com reports.

Boyle was a fifth-round pick of the Reds in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft and ultimately made his way to Oakland at the trade deadline via a three-team deal that sent Jace Peterson to the Diamondbacks and Sam Moll to Cincinnati. The towering right-hander has impressed since arriving in the Athletics organization, making three starts apiece for Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas and posting a 2.16 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 46 strikeouts across 33.1 innings. However, control has been an issue at times, as Boyle has also issued 18 walks over that span. The 24-year-old most recently covered six innings for Las Vegas on Sept. 10 and could be able to offer more length than the typical opener, though he's still not expected to stay in the game long enough to qualify for the win. Ken Waldichuk, who had originally been slated to serve as a conventional starter Sunday, will now operate as a primary pitcher behind Boyle.

Miller (0-1) took the loss as the opener against the Padres on Saturday, allowing two earned runs on two hits and three walks over one inning. He struck out two.

As his final line implies, Miller's one frame had a bit of everything, and the rookie struggled with his location plenty while firing only 17 of his 33 pitches in for strikes. Miller's ERA rose to 3.42 with the rocky outing, which saw him allow three of the first four hitters he faced to reach base before he somewhat steadied with a pair of strikeouts, although those came around two walks. Miller had posted four scoreless innings with a 6:1 K:BB across his first two appearances after returning from a long stint on the injured list, so Saturday's forgettable performance may prove to be an outlier. The right-hander is expected to log several more opener assignments, at minimum, before the conclusion of the season.

Bassitt did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over seven innings against Boston. He struck out five.

Bassitt got off to a strong start, retiring the first 11 batters he faced, but the Blue Jays failed to back him with any run support. The only two runs against him came via the long ball off the bat of Rafael Devers in the top of the sixth after the right-hander issued a walk to Wilyer Abreu to open the frame. Bassitt has now gone at least seven innings in three of his last four starts, posting an 18:7 K:BB over that stretch. However, he's also issued three walks in each of his last two outings.

Sale did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over six innings against Toronto. He struck out 10.

Sale shut down the Blue Jays for most of the afternoon and didn't allow a run until Vladimir Guerrero took him deep for a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh. It was the lefty's first start since May 20 in which he went at least six innings, and it marked his third time this season with 10 or more strikeouts. Sale has now given up two or fewer runs in eight of his last 11 starts and has surrendered only two hits in two of his last three. On the downside, he's also issued two walks in four consecutive outings.

Toussaint (4-7) picked up the win in Saturday's 7-6 victory over the Twins, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out eight.

A leadoff double by Edouard Julien led to a 1-0 Minnesota lead in the top of the first inning, but Toussaint shook it off and dominated the rest of the way, generating a whopping 32 called or swinging strikes on only 74 pitches. The 27-year-old right-hander has given up three runs or less while lasting at least five innings in four of his last five starts, but a one-inning, eight-run collapse against the Royals in the fifth outing has kept his ratios inflated. Toussaint will carry a 5.40 ERA and 1.47 WHIP into his next start, which is likely to come next weekend in Boston.

Lopez (10-8) took the loss Saturday, giving up five runs on eight hits over five innings as the Twins fell 7-6 to the White Sox. He struck out eight without walking a batter.

The right-hander nearly got chased early, serving up a two-run homer to Eloy Jimenez and a three-run shot to Gavin Sheets in the first inning, but Lopez survived the frame and settled down after that, although Minnesota was never able to erase the deficit. it's the second time in his last five starts he's been tagged for at least five runs including multiple home runs, but those outings account for five of the six long balls and 10 of the 14 earned runs he's allowed since the beginning of August -- a stretch in which he's posted a 2.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 61:10 K:BB through 55 innings. Lopez will look to get back on track in his next start, which is likely to come at home next weekend against the Angels.

Ragans came away with a no-decision Saturday, surrendering five runs on six hits and two walks over six-plus innings as the Royals downed the Astros 10-8. He struck out seven.

The southpaw blanked Houston for four innings before beginning to unravel, but after putting the first two batters aboard in the seventh, Ragans still left the mound in line for his seventh win before Collin Snider served up a game-tying homer to Jose Altuve. Ragans has been a revelation since being acquired from Texas in the Aroldis Chapman deal, delivering a 2.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 76:19 K:BB through 59.1 innings over his first 10 starts for Kansas City. He lines up for a rematch with the Astros back in Houston next weekend.

France escaped with a no-decision Saturday in the Astros' 10-8 loss to the Royals, coughing up five runs on five hits and four walks over 4.1 innings. He failed to strike out a batter.

Kansas City jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead in the wild affair, but France was able to avoid taking his sixth loss of the season when Houston tied things up at 6-6 in the top of the seventh. The right-hander has given up at least five runs in three of his last five starts, posting a brutal 8.87 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 16:15 K:BB through 23.1 innings over that stretch. With the Astros in a dogfight for the AL West title -- they're a half-game up on the Rangers and 1.5 games ahead of the Mariners after Saturday's action -- France could lose his rotation spot over the final weeks of the season, with Jose Urquidy the most likely replacement.