MLB Player News

Valdez (12-4) earned the win over the White Sox on Wednesday, completing seven innings and allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six batters.

Valdez was tagged for a pair of runs in the fourth inning, but he was otherwise able to keep Chicago off the scoreboard. The left-hander didn't have his best stuff -- he walked three batters and allowed at least one baserunner in six of his seven frames -- yet he succeeded by keeping the ball on the ground, inducing three double plays. Valdez ended up with his 20th straight quality start, tying the franchise record set by Mike Scott in 1986, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Valdez isn't the flashiest starting pitcher in fantasy, but he's undoubtedly among the most consistent.

Eovaldi was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday at Pittsburgh due to soreness in his neck and shoulder area, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Eovaldi said he still believes he could pitch Thursday, but the Red Sox will exercise caution with the veteran right-hander. At this point, it seems likely Eovaldi will simply be skipped for one turn through the rotation, and he should be considered day-to-day for the time being. Josh Winckowski will make a spot start Thursday for Boston.

Ragans (0-2) took the loss Wednesday, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk over five innings in a 7-2 loss against the Athletics. He struck out three.

The rookie was tagged for two home runs off the bat of Sean Murphy, which accounted for all three runs allowed on the night. He was able to get through five innings on just 83 pitches as he allowed just one walk, a welcome sign after he walked a combined seven over his first two starts in the big leagues. He will carry a 5.02 ERA into his next start.

Interim manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Kikuchi will transition to a relief role, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The 31-year-old has surrendered 14 runs (11 earned) over 17.1 innings since the All-Star break and has a 5.25 ERA for the season, and the Blue Jays have seen enough with him in the rotation. Mitch White will step into the rotation Saturday against the Yankees with Kikuchi now in the bullpen.

Mahle is scheduled to undergo a precautionary MRI after he exited Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Tigers in the third inning with what the Twins described as right shoulder fatigue, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He struck out one batter and allowed zero hits and one walk over 2.1 scoreless innings and didn't factor into the decision.

Manager Rocco Baldelli said the MRI will reveal if anything is structurally wrong with Mahle's shoulder, but initial examinations of the right-hander revealed nothing overly concerning. Baldelli noted that Mahle is experiencing some acute pain, so even if the MRI comes back clean, the 27-year-old will still need to prove he can throw without discomfort and with his normal velocity to avoid a trip to the IL. He tentatively lines up to make his next start Tuesday in Houston.

Skubal, who has already been ruled out for the rest of the 2022 season, underwent successful flexor tendon surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The 25-year-old was ruled out for the season last week and was set to visit a specialist in Los Angeles, who apparently determined that surgery was necessary. A typical recovery takes nine months, so Skubal is likely to miss significant time to begin the 2023 campaign. The lefty made 21 starts for Detroit this season and finished with a 3.52 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 117:32 K:BB across 117.2 innings.

The Tigers plan to reinstate Rodriguez (personal) from the restricted list and have him start Sunday's game against the Angels, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Rodriguez will be rejoining the Tigers to make his first start since May 18, after his two-plus-month-stint on the restricted list was proceeded by a month-long stay on the 15-day injured list with a left rib cage sprain. He's been fully recovered from the injury for a while now, and after returning from personal leave Aug. 6 to begin his rehab assignment, Rodriguez has looked as dominant against minor-league hitters as could be expected. He ended the minor-league assignment on a high note Tuesday, when he struck out 11 over six innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Toledo. He tossed 72 pitches in that outing and shouldn't face any major workload restrictions when he slots back into the Detroit rotation Sunday.

The Twins announced that Mahle was removed in the third inning of his start Wednesday against the Royals due to right shoulder fatigue, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He struck out one and allowed one hit and no walks over 2.1 scoreless innings before departing.

A reason for Mahle's removal from the contest wasn't immediately provided when he was lifted midway through the third inning, but the shoulder issue explains why his average fastball velocity sat at 89.2 miles per hour during the start, down more than four ticks from his season-long average heading into the day. The Twins are expected to provide a more precise diagnosis for Mahle after the game or Thursday, when he presumably gets sent in for more tests if not an MRI. Even if a shoulder strain is ruled out, Mahle still appears to be at risk of missing his next turn through the rotation, which is expected to come next Tuesday in Houston.

Chirinos (elbow) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Chirinos has spent the last month on a rehab assignment, posting a 6.97 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 10.1 innings over six outings between the rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate and Single-A Charleston. He lasted three innings during his most recent appearance, and his shift to Durham will likely be the final step in his rehab process.

High-A Everett transferred Macko from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day IL on July 23 while he continues to deal with an unspecified injury.

The Mariners haven't acknowledged the nature of Macko's injury, but he hasn't pitched for Everett since May 21 and is without a clear timeline for a return. Before hitting the shelf, the 21-year-old lefty turned in a 3.99 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 60:20 K:BB over 38.1 innings.