MLB Player News

McClanahan will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after he was scratched ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday against the Marlins with a left shoulder impingement, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Reliever Shawn Armstrong ended up making a three-inning spot start in the Rays' eventual 7-2 win after McClanahan experienced shoulder discomfort while warming up prior to the contest. Though manager Kevin Cash said he's "optimistic" that McClanahan won't miss extended time after receiving the initial diagnosis of an impingement, the MRI will reveal whether or not a more serious injury is in play. Even if the impingement is confirmed, Topkin posits that McClanahan will likely require a cortisone shot for his shoulder and could need two weeks to make a full recovery before slotting back into the rotation. With that in mind, expect McClanahan to land on the 15-day injured list within the next day or two.

Keuchel is scheduled to start Thursday's series opener in Boston, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Keuchel's status as a two-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner may be the primary reason the 34-year-old southpaw is still receiving MLB starts at this stage of his career, as he's shown little over the past two years to suggests he's worthy of a spot in a big-league rotation. Between stops with the White Sox, Diamondbacks and Rangers this season, Keuchel has produced an 8.84 ERA and 2.05 WHIP across 13 starts spanning 56 innings. An ugly showing against the Red Sox might be enough for the Rangers to pull the plug on Keuchel and turn to another pitcher to eat innings at the back end of the rotation.

The Rangers announced Wednesday that Arihara has been moved to the bullpen, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Arihara had tentatively lined up to start Saturday in Boston, but the Rangers are instead expected to promote a pitcher from the minors to enter the rotation that day. The 30-year-old right-hander's move to the bullpen comes after he submitted a 5.40 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 15 innings across three starts.

Giolito (8-10) gave up five earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven over 5.1 innings to take the loss in a 9-7 defeat against the Royals on Tuesday.

The long ball was Giolito's downfall in yet another frustrating performance for the struggling starter, who was chased after giving up three home runs on 89 pitches. Despite tallying four wins in August, Giolito has an ERA of 5.68 this month. His 142 strikeouts in 128 innings so far in 2022 are solid, but not enough to make up for his inflated ratios. Giolito does have an xFIP of 3.65, so there is some hope the veteran's numbers could normalize down the stretch. He is tentatively expected to make his next start against the Twins on Sunday.

Kent was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Kent returned to action at Double-A Frisco in early July and has posted a 2.82 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 38.1 innings over nine starts since then. The right-hander will be rewarded with a promotion to the Triple-A club for the final month of the regular season.

Singer gave up four earned runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out four over 4.2 innings in a 9-7 victory over the White Sox. He did not factor into the decision.

Singer's stretch of four straight quality starts came to an end as the White Sox chased him before he could get through five innings. The major damage came on a three-run home run off the bat of Gavin Sheets. Singer has been a bright spot for the beleaguered Royals this year and has markedly improved from last season, when he pitched to a 4.91 ERA. The 26-year-old right-hander has a solid 3.33 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 124 strikeouts in 121.2 innings pitched in 2022. He is tentatively expected to make his next start in a favorable matchup at Detroit.

Gausman (10-9) picked up the win in Tuesday's 5-3 victory over the Cubs, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out nine.

The right-hander was sharp, generating 17 swinging strikes among his 96 pitches en route to his fourth quality start in six August trips to the mound. Gausman wraps up the month with a 2.70 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and dazzling 42:4 K:BB through 36.2 innings as he continues to be worth every penny of the $110 million contract he signed with the Blue Jays over the winter.

Dunning gave up two earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five over five innings to take the loss in a 4-2 defeat against the Astros on Tuesday.

Dunning (3-7) gave up a solo home run to Jose Altuve and allowed too much traffic on the basepaths due to issuing free passes, resulting in his seventh loss of the season. Dunning has walked 53 batters in 124 innings, leading to an elevated BB/9 of 3.6. He only has three wins in 25 starts in 2022. He is expected to next take the mound against the Red Sox on Sunday.

Irvin (7-11) picked up the win Tuesday, coughing up five runs on nine hits and a walk over 5.1 innings in a 10-6 victory over the Nationals. He struck out six.

The lefty failed to complete six innings for the first time since June 24, but this was the third time in his last four starts Irvin got tagged for at least five runs. Despite that rough stretch, the 28-year-old managed a 4.23 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 30:6 K:BB through 38.1 innings in August, but the late-summer fade makes him a somewhat risky fantasy option heading into September.

Valdez (14-4) allowed two earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out eight across eight innings to earn the win Tuesday against the Rangers.

Valdez continued to build on his franchise record by recording his 22nd consecutive quality start. He surrendered a pair of solo home runs, but otherwise kept the Rangers in check. Valdez's key to success is typically groundball outs, but he has at least eight strikeouts in three of his last four starts -- aided by the fact that he's worked at least seven innings in each of those outings. For the season, he now owns a 2.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 150:46 K:BB across 164 frames.