MLB Player News

Javier (8-2) picked up the win in Wednesday's 8-2 victory over the Orioles, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out three.

Incredibly, Javier's last win came all the way back on June 3, as over his prior nine starts he'd gone 0-1 with a 6.91 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. Homers have been his biggest concern of late, as the right-hander has served up nine in his last 34.2 innings -- including a two-run shot by Austin Hays on Wednesday -- but he was able to avoid any other damage in this one. Javier will attempt to put together an actual win streak in his next outing, likely to come early next week in Miami.

Severino (2-7) took the loss against the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while striking out two batters over two-plus innings.

The Yankees moved Severino behind an opener (Ian Hamilton) in an attempt to fix his first-inning struggles, but the adjustment didn't make much of a difference. Severino came on in the second frame and fell behind 3-0 after the fourth batter he faced, Oscar Colas, tagged him for a two-run homer. Severino allowed another run in the third and was pulled after issuing a leadoff walk in the fourth. The right-hander has struggled massively since the start of July, posting an 11.71 ERA and 2.39 WHIP while serving up 10 home runs over 27.2 innings. New York may need to do more than just place Severino behind an opener to help solve the problems that have led to him posting an ugly 8.06 ERA though 14 starts this season.

Clevinger (5-5) earned the win over the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six batters over six innings.

Clevinger was staked to a 4-0 lead early and cruised to his fifth victory. The only run against the right-hander came on a Giancarlo Stanton RBI groundout in the fourth frame. Clevinger finished with his first quality start since May 17, and this was his longest outing since he was activated July 29 following a lengthy stay on the injured list. The veteran hurler has pitched well since his return, posting a 2.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB over 16 innings covering three starts.

Allen (5-5) took the loss against Toronto on Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Allen induced only three swinging strikes in a less-than-dominant performance, but he kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard outside of a George Springer solo homer in the first inning. That long ball was enough to give Toronto the win, however, as Cleveland's offense couldn't break through against Kevin Gausman and a trio of Blue Jays relievers. For Allen, the loss was his third in his past four starts, though he probably deserved a better outcome. The rookie is just 5-5 on the campaign, but he's pitched pretty well with a 3.55 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 88:35 K:BB over 91.1 frames.

Gausman (9-6) earned the win over Cleveland on Wednesday, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out six batters over seven scoreless innings.

Gausman opened the contest by giving up a leadoff single, but he allowed just three more baserunners the rest of the way and didn't put multiple runners on base in any frame. The right-hander completed seven innings for the first time since June 6 and finished with his 16th quality start, tied for third in the majors. Gausman also ranks first among American League qualified pitchers with 183 strikeouts, third with a 3.04 ERA and 12th with a 1.14 WHIP.

Hancock allowed a run on two hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Wednesday.

Hancock threw 57 of 87 pitches for strikes in his major-league debut. The right-hander had a shaky 3.7 BB/9 over 101 innings at Double-A Arkansas, so it's not a surprise to see him struggle with walks, though the lack of strikeouts was a bit more surprising given his 10.0 K/9. The 24-year-old will likely get at least one more turn in the rotation while filling in for Bryan Woo (forearm). Hancock is tentatively projected for a favorable road start in Kansas City early next week.

Ober (6-6) took the loss Wednesday, allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits and a walk over five innings in a 9-5 loss to the Tigers. He struck out nine.

Ober tallied a season high in strikeouts, though he surrendered 11 hits for the second time in his last three starts as he fell to the Tigers. The 28-year-old Ober is now 1-2 with a 5.88 ERA over his previous five starts. Overall, his ERA is up to 3.40 to go with a 1.11 WHIP and 107:19 K:BB across 19 starts (108.2 innings) this season. Ober will look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled as a home rematch with Detroit early next week.

France is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Angels in Houston, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After the Astros acquired Justin Verlander from the Mets and returned Jose Urquidy from the 60-day injured list last week, Houston elected to keep a five-man rotation intact, leaving France as the odd man out. With Urquidy turning in a short start Sunday against the Yankees in his first outing back from the IL, France ended up coming in relief and struck out four over 3.1 innings en route to nabbing the win. Just as manager Dusty Baker suggested was the case last week, France's move to the bullpen was short-lived, as Houston will move to a six-man rotation at least temporarily while the team is in the midst of a stretch of nine games in nine days. France will return to the hill Saturday looking to claim his seventh win in eight appearances.

Manager Kevin Cash said Glasnow (back) played catch Wednesday, and the Rays remain "optimistic" that the right-hander will be ready to make his next start Saturday versus the Guardians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

At the same time, the skipper noted that he won't know for certain that Glasnow will be able to pitch this weekend until Saturday morning, so fantasy managers planning on activating him should keep a close eye on his status leading up to the game's 4:10 p.m. ET start time. Glasnow was scratched ahead of his most recent scheduled start this past Sunday after experiencing back spasms, but he seems to making good progress in his recovery from the injury.

Rucinski (knee/back) underwent lumbar spine surgery in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the team's official site reports.

Already ruled out for the season back in mid-July, Rucinski took the first official step toward a return to full health with Tuesday's procedure. The right-hander's offseason figures to be dominated by recovery and rehabilitation, and it remains to be seen how quickly he bounces back given he'll turn 35 in late December. Rucinski's return stateside after four successful seasons overseas in the KBO was a disappointment, as he also sustained a left knee injury and pitched to a 9.00 ERA and 2.28 WHIP across his four starts for the Athletics.