MLB Player News

Boston activated Whitlock from the bereavement list ahead of Sunday's game against the Orioles, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Whitlock was excused from the Red Sox for a week as he dealt with a private family mater. He'll return Sunday to a multi-inning relief role, with Joe Jacques getting optioned out to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding roster move.

Maeda (4-7) earned the win Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over 5.1 innings against the Mets while striking out two.

Maeda got off to a rough start, surrendering a leadoff home run to Brandon Nimmo in the first at-bat of the game followed by an RBI single to Daniel Vogelbach four batters later. The veteran right-hander settled in after that, however, allowing just two more singles over the next four frames to earn his fourth win of the season and first since Aug. 5. Maeda had allowed at least three runs in four consecutive starts coming in, and he's now given up at least one homer in 10 straight outings.

Urena (0-5) took the loss Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over four innings against the Tigers. He struck out three.

In his first big-league action since April 23, Urena fired 75 pitches and limited the damage to one run, which came on an infield single in the second inning. However, the White Sox lineup failed to provide adequate run support and the righty was tagged with his fifth loss of the year. The 31-year-old compiled a 9.82 ERA, 2.24 WHIP and 6.9 BB/9 across 18.1 innings in five April starts with the Rockies and posted a 5.60 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 3.4 BB/9 across 88.1 minor-league innings this year before getting promoted by Chicago. His season-long ERA now sits at 8.46, marking the seventh time in nine MLB seasons that Urena has posted an ERA north of 5.00 in his career. If he remains in the rotation, he is likely to make his next start at home against the Twins.

Javier allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters over four innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Saturday.

Javier got through three frames without allowing a run before things fell apart in the fourth. In that inning, the right-hander surrendered four runs on three hits and a pair of walks, with a Jurickson Profar two-run homer being the big blow. Javier didn't return to the mound for the fifth, marking his second four-inning start over his past three contests. Walks have been an issue in both of those outings -- he issued six free passes Aug. 28 against Boston. Javier held a 2.90 ERA through his first 14 starts of the season, but that mark has jumped to 4.78 due to an ugly 7.27 ERA over his subsequent 13 appearances.

Eovaldi pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in a no-decision against Oakland on Saturday, allowing three hits while issuing two walks and striking out three batters.

Eovaldi struggled Tuesday in his first game back following a lengthy stay on the injured list, giving up four runs in 1.1 frames against Houston. He looked better Saturday, though he was limited to 2.1 innings and a modest 47 pitches. That was always the plan for the right-hander -- Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had indicated prior to the outing that Eovaldi was slated for 45-50 pitches due to the recency of his injury and the fact he was pitching on three days of rest. Eovaldi should work his way back up to a normal workload in time, and he is tentatively scheduled to make his next start in Toronto.

Gausman (11-8) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over eight innings in a 5-1 victory over the Royals. He struck out 10.

An Edward Olivares solo shot in the fifth inning was the only blemish on his line, as Gausman delivered his 18th quality start of the season and his eighth outing with double-digit strikeouts. The right-hander's been a little more erratic in the second half, but he still sports a 3.83 ERA and 64:15 K:BB through 51.2 innings since the All-Star break. Gausman will likely take the mound next in a key wild-card battle next week during a home series against the Rangers.

Skubal (5-3) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday against the White Sox. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out nine.

Inefficiency is the only knock on Skubal's performance, as he needed 95 pitches to cover his five innings. It was an excellent start all the same. Skubal has posted a stellar 2.00 ERA over his last three starts, tallying 25 strikeouts in only 18 innings while lowering his season ERA to 3.47. He'll look to continue his good run in his next scheduled start, which is slated for Friday against the Angels.

Greinke (1-15) took the loss Saturday as the Royals fell 5-1 to the Blue Jays, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk over 3.2 relief innings. He struck out four.

Entering the game in the third inning after James McArthur had given Kansas City two scoreless innings as the opener, Greinke quickly dug a hole his offense couldn't climb out of. The veteran righty's only win of the season came May 3; since then, he's gone 0-10 with a 5.56 ERA and 59:13 K:BB through 90.2 innings. Greinke is two losses shy of tying his career-worst performance in that category, which he set as a fresh-faced 21-year-old in 2005 when he went 5-17. He's also 34 strikeouts shy of 3,000 for his career, but he would need a massive surge to reach that mark before the end of 2023.

Giolito (7-13) took the loss Saturday against the Angels, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out nine without walking a batter over seven innings.

Giolito filled the strike zone, throwing 67 of his 92 pitches for strikes, but he perhaps found a bit too much of the zone. Three of the four hits he surrendered were home runs. He's allowed 13 runs over 10 innings with the Guardians after posting a 6.89 ERA across 32.2 innings with the Angels prior to getting waived at the end of August. Overall, he's recorded a 4.89 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 177:60 K:BB through 163.2 innings over 29 starts between three teams this year. Giolito is lined up for a home start versus the Rangers next week.

Anderson (6-6) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four over eight innings to earn the win over the Guardians on Saturday.

While Anderson gave up multiple homers for just the fourth time this year, this was one of his better starts of the year. Both long balls were solo shots, and the Angels answered with four homers of their own to support him. Anderson's win was his first since July 23. The southpaw is now at a 5.36 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 112:59 K:BB through 136 innings over 26 outings (24 starts) this season. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Tigers.