MLB Player News

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.

Eovaldi (shoulder) will face hitters in batting practice or a minor-league rehab stint.

Eovaldi threw a second bullpen session Monday, and facing live batters is the next step for the right-hander. Presumably, Eovaldi will rejoin the club in September when rosters are expanded to 28 players.

Crawford (3-6) took the loss Tuesday, allowing five runs on four hits and four walks over 4.1 innings in a 10-5 loss against Minnesota. He struck out five.

The rookie never found his rhythm Tuesday as he allowed nine runners to reach base in 4.1 innings. This was the fourth time Crawford has allowed four or more walks in a single game this season, which is concerning. However, entering Tuesday, he had a reasonable 3.1 BB/9 and 4.17 xFIP, indicating that there may be room for improvement.

Flexen picked up the save Tuesday in Detroit, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out three in four innings in a 9-3 victory.

Flexen entered the game in the sixth inning with the Mariners leading 9-0 and finished the ballgame to earn his first career save. It was the first appearance for the 28-year-old since Aug. 19 and the third straight time he's pitched in relief. There's a possibility he will receive an occasional spot start down the stretch, but he'll likely get most of his work out of the bullpen for the rest of the season.

Taillon was removed from Tuesday's game against the Angels and was diagnosed with a right forearm contusion after having X-rays come back negative.

Taillon was struck in the forearm by a line drive and was lifted after giving up two runs over two innings to the Halos. The 30-year-old appeared to have avoided a serious injury and should be considered day-to-day, and it's unclear if the injury will affect his availability for the next turn through the rotation Monday or Tuesday against the Twins.

Kirby (6-3) earned the victory Tuesday in Detroit, striking out five in five shutout innings while allowing two hits and a walk.

Kirby made easy work of the Tigers' lineup, scattering two hits and retiring the side in order in three of his five frames. With Seattle leading 9-0, the rookie was removed after five innings, having thrown 79 pitches. It was the ninth straight start in which he allowed three or fewer runs and he is 4-0 with a 2.17 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 58:7 K:BB and no homers allowed in 49.2 innings during that span.

Manning (1-2) allowed seven runs on seven hits across 2.1 innings to take the loss Tuesday against the Mariners. He walked one and struck out one.

After tossing six scoreless innings in his last start to earn his first win of the year, Manning regressed Tuesday. Two home runs helped do in the righty as Seattle scored six times in the third to break the game open. Manning now has a 3.79 ERA across 40.1 innings this season, and while the 24-year-old has shown flashes, he's still looking for more consistency at the MLB level. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, tentatively lined up for Sunday against the Royals.

Quantrill (11-5) earned the victory Tuesday against Baltimore, striking out four in six innings while allowing a run on a hit and three walks.

All four baserunners Quantrill allowed reached in either the second or third inning. He otherwise mowed through the lineup, including retiring the last 10 batters he faced. The 27-year-old pitched at least six innings in all six of his August starts and compiled a 4-0 record with a 2.13 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 27:8 K:BB in 38 innings during the month. In his next start, he's likely to pass 150 innings pitched, setting a new career high.

Watkins (4-5) took the loss Tuesday in Cleveland, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out three in 4.2 innings.

Watkins got off to a great start Tuesday, retiring the first 11 batters he faced. It was all downhill from there, however, as six of the next nine batters reached safely. The 30-year-old has lost four straight decisions and he compiled a 4.70 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB in 30.2 innings across six starts in August. After striking out just 10 percent of batters in his first eight starts, he's fanned a more palatable 17.5 percent of opponents over his last 11 outings.

Eovadli (shoulder) threw another bullpen session Monday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The veteran right-hander returned to the mound with a 25-pitch session Friday, and he continued his throwing program Monday with another bullpen session. Eovaldi landed on the shelf Aug. 23 with right shoulder inflammation, but his quick return to mound work is a strong indication it won't be a lengthy absence.