MLB Player News

Cole pitched seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against Milwaukee on Sunday, allowing three hits and striking out nine batters without issuing a walk.

Cole was dominant in the outing, racking up 17 swinging strikes and finishing with his first scoreless outing since July 28 against Baltimore. The right-hander had to settle for a no-decision rather than extend a three-game win streak, however, as opposing hurler Corbin Burnes (ankle) held New York without a hit or a run over eight innings. Though the Yankees have struggled to keep pace in the AL playoff race, Cole has turned it on over his past four starts, posting a 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 34:2 K:BB in 26.2 frames. He's among the league leaders in multiple pitching categories, including ERA (2.79 - third), WHIP (1.03 - first), opponents' average (.214 - seventh) and punchouts (204 - fifth).

Dunning is scheduled to start Monday's game in Toronto, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

For the first time since late April, Dunning worked out of the bullpen for his most recent appearance Sept. 5, covering 5.1 innings of long relief in a blowout loss to the Astros while giving up nine earned runs on 11 hits and two walks. Despite the rough showing, Dunning will step back into the rotation this week, taking the hill Monday for what would have been Andrew Heaney's turn. Heaney dazzled with six strikeouts over 3.2 scoreless innings in a relief appearance in Sunday's win over Oakland, but it's unclear if Heaney will continue to work out of the bullpen moving forward or if both he and Dunning will be included as part of a six-man rotation.

Rodriguez (5-4) allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out six over 4.1 innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Red Sox.

Rodriguez had logged five straight quality starts going into Sunday. It's unclear if the rookie right-hander was thrown off by a rain delay before the game, but he didn't have his best stuff despite throwing 63 of 89 pitches for strikes. For the season, he's at a 4.88 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 110:39 K:BB through 103.1 innings over 20 starts. Rodriguez is projected to make his next start at home versus the Rays.

Muller tossed two innings out of the bullpen in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Rangers, giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one.

In his previous outing Sept. 3 versus the Angels, Muller started and kept the Halos off the board through the first three innings, but he melted down in the fourth, giving up three runs before being pulled. Since Muller carried a 7.62 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 15 appearances (13 starts) on the season heading into the weekend, the Athletics opted to move him to the bullpen and gave Sean Newcomb an audition as a starter. Newcomb delivered four scoreless frames Saturday before turning the game over to Muller, though neither pitcher was ultimately stuck with the loss. In any case, with Newcomb making the most of his opportunity, look for him to get at least one more start while Muller sticks in a relief role.

Wentz made his most recent appearance out of the Tigers bullpen in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Yankees, giving up one earned run on no hits and two walks over 1.1 innings.

Wentz ended up being the pitcher of record in the game, dropping to 2-11 overall on the season. The relief appearance came on the heels of a five-inning outing as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen Aug. 30, when he struck out six while giving up four earned runs on five hits and three walks, also in a matchup with the Yankees. A spot in Detroit's rotation opened up this weekend when Matt Manning (foot) was placed on the 15-day injured list, but rather than appointing Wentz as the team's new No. 5 starter, the Tigers turned to Sawyer Gipson-Long to fill the spot. Gipson-Long picked up a win against the White Sox on Sunday while striking out five over five innings of a two-run ball, so he'll likely remain in the rotation while Wentz sticks in a relief role.

Ragans allowed two runs on one hit and six walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings Sunday against the Blue Jays. He did not factor into the decision.

Ragans was cruising for most of the game until the wheels fell off in the sixth. He got the first two batters out of the frame but then proceeded to walk four straight and threw two very wild pitches that allowed two runs to score before he wound up being replaced in the inning by Taylor Clarke. It was an uncharacteristic ending to the outing for Ragans, who is fresh off winning the August AL pitcher of the month honors. The 25-year-old now boasts a 1.69 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 69:17 K:BB in 53.1 innings since debuting with the Royals on July 15. He's lined up for a tough matchup against the Astros in the new week.

Berrios (10-10) got the win Sunday over the Royals, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings.

Berrios kept the Royals off the board through five frames but surrendered two extra-base hits and a walk in the sixth which led to two runs. He had given up six home runs across his last three starts but was able to keep the ball in the park Sunday and picked up his first win since Aug. 5 while reaching seven innings for the first time since July 6. The 29-year-old has had an up and down season, but still sits at a respectable 3.63 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 160:49 K:BB in 171 innings and lines up for a start against the Red Sox his next time out.

France (11-5) yielded one run on four hits and five walks over six innings Sunday, striking out five and earning a win over the Padres.

Despite his lackluster final line, France threw five shutout frames before Matt Carpenter's solo shot in the sixth inning. France has allowed nine homers in his last five appearances, posting a brutal 7.20 ERA during that span. However, he's given up two or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 outings with a 7-2 record across that stretch. France now owns a 3.61 ERA and a 96:42 K:BB through 127 innings. His next start is projected to be in Kansas City.

Gipson-Long (1-0) earned the win in his big-league debut Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings in the Tigers' 3-2 victory over the White Sox. He struck out five.

The 25-year-old Gipson-Long showcased advanced control in his debut, throwing 50 of his 73 pitches for strikes without allowing a walk. Gipson-Long had been struggling a bit at Triple-A Toledo prior to his call-up, pitching to a 5.45 ERA across 34.2 innings with the affiliate following his mid-July promotion from Double-A Erie. After his strong showing Sunday, however, Gipson-Long could get an extended look in the Detroit rotation in September with Matt Manning (foot) set to miss the rest of the season.

Lopez allowed two hits over eight shutout frames in Sunday's loss to the Mets. He struck out 14 and did not factor in the decision.

Lopez was as dominant as ever Sunday, allowing just four baserunners (two hit batters) across eight innings. He set new season bests with 14 punchouts and 25 swinging strikes while throwing 73 of 106 pitches for strikes. The Mets scored two runs in the ninth inning to win 2-0 as Lopez settled for a no-decision despite the impressive outing. Since the start of August, he's gone 5-1 with a stellar 1.62 ERA and 53:10 K:BB through eight starts. Lopez's next outing is lined up to be on the road against the White Sox.