MLB Player News

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said that Miller (elbow) is scheduled to received a second opinion Tuesday in Dallas from Dr. Keith Meister, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Miller was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with elbow inflammation, and the Athletics are hopeful that Meister will confirm the diagnosis when he examines the right-hander's forearm. Even if Miller receives good news, the 24-year-old rookie still looks like a good bet to miss more than the minimum 15 days, given that the Athletics aren't incentivized to rush one of their top pitching prospects back from an arm-related injury. Luis Medina and James Kaprielian entered the Oakland rotation during the past week, and each should maintain a starting role so long as Miller and Paul Blackburn (finger) are on the shelf.

Whitley (shoulder) gave up one run on two hits and one walk while striking out four in four innings Saturday for Triple-A Sugar Land.

Shoulder discomfort resulted in a two-week gap between starts for Whitley, but he never landed on the minor-league injured list. The Astros' rotation depth has been tested early this season, and if Whitley can stay healthy while performing well, he could make his big-league debut this summer. The 6-foot-7 righty has lacked consistency while pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but he has gone at least four innings in all six appearances and has 26 strikeouts in 25 innings.

Lynch (shoulder) covered five innings and gave up two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two Friday in a rehab start for Triple-A Omaha.

In the third start of his rehab assignment and his second in a row at Omaha, Lynch built up to 73 pitches and threw 51 strikes. The Royals haven't outlined Lynch's next step, but based on his pitch count in addition to how he performed Friday, he looks ready to return from the 15-day injured list. He could be an option for the big-league rotation as soon as Wednesday's game in San Diego.

Oakland optioned Kaprielian to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Despite striking out seven while limiting the Rangers to three runs over seven innings in his spot start Saturday, Kaprielian will head back to the minors after Oakland called up right-hander Garrett Acton in a corresponding move. Based on his performance during his latest stint in the majors, Kaprielian could be first in line for a promotion the next time the Athletics require a starter.

Medina is listed as the Athletics' starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Oakland has yet to confirm whether it will maintain a six-man rotation heading into the upcoming week, but Medina will at least make a second consecutive start after he impressed in his return to the big leagues this past Thursday against the Rangers. While covering six innings, Medina struck out three and allowed three earned runs on five hits and no walks. Considering that Medina owned a 7.43 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 16:15 K:BB across 13.1 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas, he'll be tough to trust to come through with another quality start Wednesday despite his respectable showing versus the Rangers.

Miller (2-0) earned the win Saturday, tossing seven scoreless innings in which he allowed three hits against the Tigers. He struck out three and did not issue a walk.

Miller has been electric since making his MLB debut at the beginning of May, allowing just one run over 19 innings while posting a 18:1 K:BB. There's no reason to think he's headed back to the minors anytime soon, so he'll look to maintain his momentum during his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game weekend set in Atlanta.

Faedo (0-1) took the loss Saturday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk over six innings during a 5-0 loss to Seattle. He struck out seven.

Faedo allowed a two-run home run to Jarred Kelenic in the third and a solo shot to Teoscar Hernandez in the fourth, but he still submitted a quality start and tied his career high with seven strikeouts. However, the right-hander took the loss as Seattle's pitching staff combined for a shutout. It was certainly a better outing that his 2023 debut, and Faedo figures to remain in the rotation while Detroit has numerous starting pitchers unavailable due to injuries.

Cortes did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks across 4.1 innings during a 9-8 win over Tampa Bay. He struck out three.

Cortes was sharp to start, allowing just one run through his first four innings, but he got into major trouble in the fifth and was charged with five runs in the frame, including a grand slam by Yandy Diaz. The left-hander was dominant in 2022, posting a 2.44 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 163:38 K:BB through 158.1 innings, but he's struggled to find any rhythm to begin 2023 and sports a 5.53 ERA over his first eight starts (42.1 innings). He hasn't picked up a win since April 20.

McClanahan did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks over four innings during a 9-8 loss to the Yankees. He struck out three.

McClanahan was his usual dominant self through four shutout innings, but he allowed the first five hitters to reach in the fifth, yielding two-run home runs to Aaron Judge and Kyle Higashioka. The left-hander finished with season highs in walks and runs allowed while submitting season lows in innings and strikeouts, so it was easily his worst performance of the campaign. McClanahan now sports a 2.34 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 61:24 K:BB through nine starts (50 innings), and he'll look to bounce back next time out, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game weekend set versus Milwaukee.

Berrios didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 5-2 win over Atlanta, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander came up one out short of his fourth quality start in his last five outings, and while he put plenty of traffic on the bases, the only damage off Berrios came on a two-run blast by Marcell Ozuna in the second inning. Berrios tossed 65 of 101 pitches for strikes, and he'll take a 4.70 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 44:11 K:BB through 46 innings into his next start, likely to come at home next week against the Yankees.