MLB Player News

Skubal (elbow) struck out six and allowed one unearned run on two hits and no walks over three scoreless innings in his rehab start Friday with High-A West Michigan.

Skubal, who is rebounding from the flexor tendon surgery he underwent last August, has looked sharp through his first two outings with West Michigan, as he has yet to allow an earned run in seven innings. He built up to 47 pitches Friday and will likely require two or three more rehab starts before Detroit brings him back from the 60-day injured list. Though some rustiness is to be expected once Skubal eventually makes his way back to the Tigers rotation, he still makes for a decent pitcher to stash in deeper mixed leagues, given that he's coming off a season in which he turned in a 3.52 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 117:32 K:BB across 117.2 innings.

Manning (foot) struck out one batter over 1.2 scoreless innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Toledo. He scattered two hits and two walks.

Manning tossed 45 pitches (23 strikes) in his first outing at any level in two months after he suffered a right foot fracture April 11. The right-hander was able to avoid surgery to address the injury, but he'll still likely need at least two or three more rehab starts to get fully stretched out before he returns from the 60-day injured list.

Gibson (8-3) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four without walking a batter in 6.1 innings to earn the win Sunday over the Royals.

Gibson turned in a quality start, his seventh of the year, and the Orioles' offense gave him plenty of support. He's won four of his last five starts without allowing more than three runs in any of them. He's now at a 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 58:25 K:BB over 83 innings through 14 starts this season. Gibson is projected to make his next start on the road versus the Cubs this weekend.

Means (elbow) recently said that he "feels great" after suffering an upper-back strain in a recent workout, and he suggested that an August return from the 60-day injured list is still a possibility, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Means hit a snag in his rehab program for his April 2022 Tommy John surgery when he developed the back injury at some point last month, but both he and the Orioles appear to be viewing the setback as a minor one. Prior to having his rehab slowed down due to the back issue, Means had advanced to incorporating all of his pitches in bullpen sessions, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to resume throwing. When he was healthy, Means had been the Orioles' staff ace since the 2019 season, but expectations should be tempered to some degree if he eventually makes a second-half return from the IL.

Giolito did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing one run on six hits and one walk over seven innings in a 6-5 loss against Miami. He struck out eight.

Giolito was lined up to grab his third consecutive win with the White Sox up 5-1 when he exited, but he was taken out of contention following a late burst of offense by the Marlins in the eighth and ninth innings. Giolito's only blemish of the day came on a solo homer by Jorge Soler in the fifth inning. The 28-year-old has rattled off a pair of impressive starts, having allowed one run with 15 strikeouts over 13 innings. Giolito is tentatively scheduled to take the mound next against the Mariners in Seattle.

Sears (1-3) earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and over five innings against the Brewers. He struck out five.

Though Spears' victory was his first of the season, he's strung together a handful of impressive starts, having allowed two or fewer earned runs in all of his last six appearances. The 27-year-old bounced back from a season-high five walks in his previous start to allow no free passes Sunday. After picking up a 9.4 K/9 across his first nine starts, Sears' strikeout value has plummeted over his last four appearances, owning a 6.1 K/9 in that span. He's lined up to make his next start during a homestand against the Phillies.

Bielak (3-3) took the loss Sunday, allowing five runs on nine hits and two walks over five innings in a 5-0 loss to Cleveland. He struck out four.

After picking up back-to-back wins in his last two appearances, Bielak fell to his third loss of the season Sunday. He allowed a season-high five runs across five innings while giving up long balls to Andres Gimenez and Josh Bell. Though Bielak sports a solid 4.01 ERA through eight starts (42.2 innings), he's struggled with the long ball (1.9 HR/9) and has allowed nine or more hits in each of his last two appearances. His next start is tentatively scheduled to come during a homestand versus Cincinnati,

Bieber (5-3) earned the victory in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Astros, striking out nine while allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings.

Bieber tossed a gem Sunday, tying his season bests in strikeouts and hits allowed. Though he's fallen to a career-low 6.57 K/9 in 2023, Bieber has allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his 14 appearances to earn a 3.29 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Bieber's next start is tentatively scheduled to come during this weekend's road series against the Diamondbacks.

Schmidt allowed one run on four hits over 5.1 innings in Sunday's 3-2 loss to Boston in 10 innings. He struck out four and didn't factor in the decision.

Schmidt didn't face much trouble aside from Justin Turner's solo shot in the second inning but failed to get a win after Boston's late comeback. After posting an ugly 6.30 ERA through nine outings, Schmidt has registered a 2.33 ERA over his last five starts. He's lowered his season mark to 4.70 next to a 70:19 K:BB, though he's 2-6 and hasn't earned a win since May 19. Schmidt is next lined up for a rematch with the Red Sox in Boston.

Bello allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over seven frames in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Yankees in 10 innings. He struck out three and didn't factor in the decision.

After coughing up a two-run single in the second inning, Bello didn't allow another Yankee to reach scoring position. The 24-year-old has given up two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last eight starts, lowering his season ERA to 3.78 with a 49:17 K:BB through 52.1 innings. He tied his season high with seven innings pitched and has now thrown at least 95 pitches in six consecutive outings. Bello is next lined up for another matchup with the Yankees, this time in Fenway Park.