MLB Player News

Drohan allowed one hit and two walks while striking out four over six scoreless innings to earn his fifth win in five starts for Double-A Portland on Thursday.

Drohan picked up where he left off in April, for which he was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. The lefty, drafted in fifth round in 2020 out of Florida State University, is an under-the-radar prospect that started to blip on the radar in 2022. Drohan mostly lives in the 92-to-95 mph range with his fastball and augments it with a curve and changeup. Most notably in 2023, the 24-year-old former Seminole is cutting down on walks, lowering his rate to 1.9 BB/9 from 3.96 last season. The free pass has been an issue for Drohan since his college days (8.43 BB/9).

Lyles gave up eight runs (six earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three batters over five innings against Baltimore on Thursday. He did not factor in the decision.

About the only thing that went right for Lyles on Thursday was that opposing starter Grayson Rodriguez struggled just as badly, allowing Lyles to escape a loss. The veteran right-hander gave up all eight of his runs over the first three innings, with half of the tallies coming on a pair of two-run homers. Lyles has surrendered 13 earned runs across nine innings over his past two starts, pushing his season ERA to 6.69.

Rodriguez allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 3.2 innings against Kansas City on Thursday. He did not factor in the decision.

Rodriguez entered Thursday having pitched a combined 10 scoreless innings over his previous two appearances, but he couldn't maintain that momentum against the Royals. The right-hander served up three homers and five runs between the third and fourth frames, departing with two outs in the fourth inning having thrown 77 pitches. The eight hits and six total runs he allowed were both season highs, while the three punchouts were a season low. Rodriguez's ERA jumped from 4.07 to 5.46 as a result of the poor outing.

Canning (2-0) earned the win over St. Louis on Thursday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three batters over five innings.

Canning fell behind when he gave up two runs in the first inning, but the Angels' offense put up 11 runs over the following three frames to give him a comfortable lead. The right-hander was tagged for a three-run homer in the fourth and allowed two baserunners in the fifth before he was relieved in the sixth. By most measures, this was Canning's worst start of the campaign -- the five runs he allowed were a season high while the three punchouts were his lowest so far -- though it's a positive sign that he managed to hang on for five innings and pick up his second straight win. Canning has gone at least five frames in each of his four starts this season.

Gausman (2-3) allowed eight runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four over 3.1 innings, taking the loss Thursday versus the Red Sox.

Gausman's biggest problems came in the second inning as the Red Sox rallied for a five-run frame. It's been all or nothing for Gausman over his last four starts -- two of which he lasted seven scoreless innings each, and the other two in that span saw him fail to complete five frames. The right-hander now has a 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 58:7 K:BB through 42 innings over seven starts this year. He's projected for a road start in Philadelphia next week.

Dunning is expected to serve as the Rangers' primary pitcher Friday against the Angels, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Dunning will take the rotation spot of Jacob deGrom (elbow), though it's unclear if he will work in a traditional starting role or behind an opener. He's thrown at least three innings in half of his eight appearances this season, though he may need to work as a bulk reliever to pitch deep enough to qualify for a win Thursday. Dunning has been impressive with a 1.77 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 20.1 innings, though that's backed by just an 11:5 K:BB.

Bello (1-1) allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings, earning the win Thursday versus the Blue Jays.

Bello had all the support he needed by the end of the second inning. He faded a bit in the fifth, giving up three runs in that frame, but the Red Sox's lead was never in danger. The right-hander didn't miss a start after developing a blister following last Saturday's outing versus the Guardians. Bello now has a 5.71 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 19:6 K:BB across 17.1 innings over four starts this season. He's lined up for a tough road start in Atlanta next week.

Lopez did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over seven innings against the White Sox. He struck out eight.

Lopez bounced back from a pair of rocky starts, giving up 11 runs on 16 hits over his last two outings (10.0 innings), by tossing seven innings of two-run ball Thursday. Lopez's only blemish on the day was a two-run homer by Eloy Jimenez in the third inning. Through 43 innings, Lopez holds a 3.77 ERA to pair with an 11.3 K/9 and remains a strong fantasy option as the Twins' third arm.

Giolito did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and three walks over seven innings against Minnesota. He struck out seven.

Giolito tossed a gem Thursday, allowing just two hits over seven frames. His only blemish came from a Carlos Correa solo home run in the sixth inning, which broke a streak of 13 consecutive batters retired for Giolito. Thought he handed the ball off to Reynaldo Lopez with a 2-1 lead in the eighth, Byron Buxton evened up the score with a solo homer of his own, which ultimately led to Giolito's no-decision and a White Sox defeat in extra innings. Through seven starts Giolito holds a measly 1-2 record, however, he has put up solid numbers with a 3.67 ERA and a 41:9 K/BB in 41.2 innings. Giolito has only one win on the season, but he has struck out at least five hitters in six of his seven starts.

Eflin (4-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing three hits over seven scoreless innings against the Pirates. He struck out 10.

Eflin improved on his impressive start to 2023, picking up his fourth win in five starts and blanking the Pirates. The 29-year-old went over six innings for the first time in this year and set a season high with 10 punchouts. Through 28.0 innings, Eflin holds a 2.25 ERA with a 31:3 K/BB. Though his strong start to 2023 has been unexpected given his 4.40 career ERA, it wouldn't be surprising for Eflin's success to continue considering the Rays' knack for getting the best out of pitchers.