MLB Player News

The Rays recalled Chirinos from Triple-A Durham on Friday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

With Jeffrey Springs (arm) almost certainly headed for the injured list, Chirinos could be a candidate to fill the opening in Tampa Bay's rotation if he isn't needed in relief during the weekend series in Toronto, with Taj Bradley the other likely replacement for Springs. Chirinos didn't get off to the greatest start in Triple-A, allowing seven earned runs over 7.1 frames across two appearances. Braden Bristo was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Varland was called up by the Twins on Friday ahead of his start against the Yankees, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.

Varland has made one start for Triple-A St. Paul this season, allowing one run, four hits and a walk across five innings while striking out nine batters. He also fared well in his five major-league starts last season but will likely only stay in the majors for one appearance this time around, as Kenta Maeda (arm) should avoid spending time on the injured list. Cole Sands was optioned to St. Paul in a corresponding move.

Springs will undergo an MRI on his left elbow Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ulnar neuritis was the initial diagnosis when Springs had to depart his start Thursday against the Red Sox. The hope is that's all he's dealing with, and his stay on the injured list will be a short one. However, the MRI will provide more clarity, with the results expected back at some point later Friday. "Just hoping for the best," Springs said. "Hopefully it's just a nerve thing that kind of flared up. I've been very fortunate. I've never had any elbow issues or anything like that, so this is all kind of new. So we'll see. Right now, I feel fine."

Ryan (3-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and zero walks over seven innings against the Yankees. He struck out 10.

Ryan pitched like a true ace in a hostile environment, as his only blemish on the night was giving up a solo homer to Anthony Rizzo. The former seventh-round draft pick has now recorded two straight starts with 10 strikeouts and has a 2.84 ERA and 26:3 K:BB in his first 19 innings of the season. He will look to continue his hot start to the season against the Red Sox next week.

Brito (2-1) took the loss Thursday, allowing seven runs on six hits and one walk over two-thirds of an inning against the Twins. He struck out zero.

Brito was the main culprit in the Yankees' worst first inning since 2000. The rookie struggled with his command, leaving too many easy pitches over the middle of the plate for the Twins' hitters. The Dominican native will have a chance to redeem himself Wednesday against the Angels, where he will look to regain the form he had in his first two starts (one run in 10 innings pitched).

Bassitt (1-2) took the loss against Detroit on Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Bassitt mostly tamed the Tigers' lineup, though three of the four hits against him were doubles. He nonetheless managed to limit Detroit to just two runs, but that wasn't good enough to prevent him from taking his second loss of the season. The right-hander has notched two straight quality starts, during which he has allowed only four earned runs over 12 frames. However, his season ERA still stands at 7.63 due to a season-opening nine-run blowup against St. Louis. Bassitt's two most recent outings are probably a better reflection of what fantasy managers can expect from him going forward, as he held his ERA below 4.00 in all but one of his eight campaigns coming into 2023.

Mahle will have his start pushed back one day from Friday to Saturday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Twins' rotation will shift as the team skips Kenta Maeda's (arm) turn through the rotation this weekend against the Yankees. As a result, Louie Varland will be recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to start Friday and Mahle will take the hill Saturday. Mahle has been mediocre through two starts, maintaining a 4.09 ERA and 1.36 WHIP to go along with a more impressive 13:2 K:BB across 11 frames.

Varland will be called up to start Friday's game against the Yankees, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Varland has spent the early portions of the season with Triple-A St. Paul, and he's made one start during which he worked five innings and struck out nine while surrendering only one earned run. He made his big-league debut last season and put together a respectable 3.81 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with a 21:6 K:BB across 26 innings. Varland will tentatively be limited to a spot start in a tough matchup at Yankee Stadium, as Kenta Maeda (arm) is expected to avoid the injured list.

Maeda (arm) will have his turn through the rotation skipped during Minnesota's weekend series against the Yankees, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Maeda exited his first start of the season prematurely due to arm fatigue. He proceeded to make his next outing on regular rest, but he allowed eight hits and four earned runs across six innings to take the loss. Maeda will now have his turn in the rotation -- which lined up to be Saturday -- skipped, but he's avoiding the injured list for the time being. To accommodate Maeda's absence, Louie Varland will be recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to start Friday while Tyler Mahle's start will be pushed to Saturday.

Turnbull (1-2) allowed just one run on six hits across five innings to earn the win Thursday against the Blue Jays. He walked one and struck out six.

After allowing 12 runs across eight innings in his first two starts of the season, this was a step in the right direction for Turnbull. The six strikeouts were particularly encouraging, as he entered the contest with only four of them this year. This was the righty's first win since May of 2021, as he underwent Tommy John surgery later that year, so some rust is to be expected early in 2023. Turnbull will look to build on this positive outing in his next start, which should come early next week against the Guardians.