MLB Player News

Sale (finger) will see a specialist in Boston on Sunday or Monday and is confident he will pitch again this season, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The Red Sox didn't offer a timetable for Sale, who was removed in the first inning of his start Sunday against the Yankees with a fractured left pinkie finger. Sale suggested a personal 4-to-6-week recovery timetable, though the typical timeline for this kind of injury is 6-to-8 weeks. While Sale's season may not be over, fantasy managers in shallower leagues without injured-list spots may not be able to justify stashing him.

Cole (9-2) gave up two earned runs on four hits and zero walks while striking out 12 in seven innings Sunday against the Red Sox. He picked up the win.

He tied his season high with 12 strikeouts and struck out double-digit batters a second straight time and sixth time this season. Cole has had a few blowup outings this season, but his 3.02 ERA and 0.98 WHIP are still strong thanks to dominant outings like this one. Cole enters the All-Star break tied with Shane McClanahan for first in the majors with 147 strikeouts.

Cease (9-4) earned the win Sunday in Minnesota, striking out eight in seven scoreless innings while allowing a hit and two walks.

Cease faced the minimum through the first four innings and fanned six of those batters. In the fifth, he allowed a walk and a single with one out but neutralized the offense with consecutive strikeouts to end the frame. While he didn't strike out a batter in his final two innings of work, he efficiently retired all six batters he faced, needing just 22 pitches. The 26-year-old has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his last 10 starts and is 8-2 with a 0.47 ERA and 79:29 K:BB in 58 innings over that span.

Bubic gave up two unearned runs on five hits and zero walks while striking out four over seven innings Sunday against the Blue Jays. He did not factor in the decision.

This is the first time Bubic has given up fewer than two earned runs since June 4. He has not struck out more than five batters in a start since June 20. It's unclear if Bubic will pitch next weekend at home against the Rays or the following week at home against the Angels.

Berrios gave up two earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven in 6.1 innings Sunday against the Royals. He did not factor in the decision.

Berrios logged his third straight quality start against a depleted Royals lineup. While Berrios' season ERA is 5.22, he has not given up more than three earned runs and has not pitched fewer than five innings in any of his last eight home starts. His road struggles will likely be put to the test next weekend in Boston.

Kluber (6-5) earned the win Sunday against Baltimore, striking out three in six innings while allowing four runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batsman.

After holding Baltimore scoreless through three innings, Kluber struggled in the fourth and gave up two runs on four hits. In the sixth, Rougned Odor tagged Kluber for a two-run homer with two outs to make it a 6-4 game. He came out after throwing 83 pitches, which has been normal for the 36-year-old all season, as he's averaging 77 pitches per outing and has not eclipsed six innings in any start. Coming off three injury-riddled seasons, the Rays have been hesitant to overwork the veteran, and it has paid off as he's compiled a 3.73 ERA and 82:15 K:BB through 94 innings.

Lyles (6-8) took the loss Sunday in Tampa Bay, allowing six runs on six hits, two walks and a hit batsman while striking out five in 2.2 innings.

The Rays got to Lyles early and often Sunday with the big blows being Randy Arozarena's two-run homer in the first and Brett Phillips' three-run, two-out blast in the fifth. Five of the six hits he allowed went for extra bases, and nine of the 16 batters he faced reached safely. The veteran had been quite effective in his five starts before Sunday's disappointing outing, throwing at least six innings in each start and compiling a 2.76 ERA in 32.2 innings. Despite Sunday's short start, with 107.2 innings pitched, Lyles has proven to be an innings-eater, ranking 11th in the American League in innings and pitching at least five innings in 16 of his 19 starts.

The Royals placed Lynch on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a blister on his pitching hand.

Lynch is back on the IL for the second time in less than a month on account of a blister, after he was previously deactivated June 24 due to an abrasion on his left index finger. The Royals haven't specified which digit is bothering Lynch this time around, though he sustained a cut to his left middle finger in his first start back from the IL on July 11. Lynch was ultimately able to make a second straight turn through the rotation in Saturday's game in Toronto, but he failed to escape the fourth inning and may have still been afflicted by the blister during the outing. As a result of his return to the IL, Lynch won't be eligible to pitch for the Royals until Aug. 1.

The Red Sox confirmed that Sale was diagnosed with a fractured left pinkie finger after taking a comebacker off the hand during the first inning of his start Sunday against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The team didn't offer a timeline for Sale's return, but Bill Koch of The Providence Journal notes that a rehab program for an injury of this sort to a pitcher's throwing hand typically entails a recovery period of up to two months. If the Red Sox determine Sale needs surgery to address the injury, he would likely miss the rest of the regular season and would need Boston to make a deep playoff run to have a shot at pitching again in 2022. The setback is a devastating blow for the Red Sox and for Sale, who missed all of the 2020 campaign and most of the 2021 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, then was sidelined for the first three months of the current season with a fractured right rib cage. Sunday's outing against New York marked just his second start of the season.

Sale was removed in the first inning of his start Sunday against the Yankees after he took a comebacker to his left pinkie finger, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports. He was charged with three runs (two earned) on two hits while recording just two outs prior to his departure.

The Red Sox likely won't have a firm diagnosis for Sale's injury until later Sunday or Monday, but the southpaw may be dealing with a dislocation or fracture after he was smoked on his pitching hand by an Aaron Hicks line drive that was clocked at 106.7 miles per hour. If a fracture is confirmed, Sale could be in store for his second extended stint on the injured list of the season after he missed the first three months of the campaign while recovering from a stress fracture to the right side of his rib cage.