MLB Player News

Espino (knee) resumed a throwing program Sunday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The Guardians will likely proceed cautiously with their star pitching prospect after he initially went on Double-A Akron's 7-day injured list in early May with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. He posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 35:4 K:BB across 18.1 innings prior to landing on the IL. In addition to the knee injury, Mandy Bell of MLB.com notes that Espino experienced right shoulder pain during his absence. The 21-year-old is likely weeks away from rejoining the Akron rotation.

Bradish (shoulder) said he expects he'll be ready to return from 15-day injured list when first eligible, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Manager Brandon Hyde echoed the sentiment, suggesting that Bradish may exceed the 15-day minimum but shouldn't be out too much beyond that, Kubatko adds. Bradish will likely resume throwing in the near future, and if his absence is indeed a short one, he may be able to forgo a minor-league rehab stint.

Seabold will be activated off the taxi squad Monday in Toronto, Brian Dulik of the Associated Press reports.

Seabold is traveling with the Red Sox and will join the active roster for the three-game series in Canada. Tanner Houck, who is unvaccinated for COVID-19, is not allowed to enter the country. Seabold, who made one start for Boston in 2021, could make a start during the Toronto series. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Henry Palattella of MLB.com that he has not decided whether he'll start or pitch in relief.

Sale (rib cage) allowed three hits and no walks while striking out six over 2.2 scoreless innings in a rehab start for the Florida Complex League Red Sox on Saturday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Sale built up innings during his second FCL start after throwing one frame last Monday. The fastball was between 92 and 96 mph. Next up for the left-hander is a bullpen session in Florida followed by a third rehab start at Double-A Portland, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. If he remains on a five-day schedule, Sale would start for the Sea Dogs on Thursday. A fourth rehab start could come at Triple-A Worcester, which is at home the following week.

Angels interim manager Phil Nevin said Suarez will be called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to start Sunday's game against the Mariners in Anaheim, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Suarez was optioned to Triple-A last Sunday, one day after he struck out seven over 4.1 scoreless frames while starting one half of a doubleheader with the Mariners. He'll get another crack against Seattle this weekend, this time taking on the club at home. With the Angels sending the struggling Reid Detmers back to Triple-A earlier this week, Suarez could be in line for a more permanent stay in the big-league rotation.

Kikuchi (2-4) took the loss to the Brewers on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one over two innings.

Kikuchi gave up five runs, two of which were earned, to the Brewers. He threw 43 of 69 pitches for strikes across just two frames. Kikuchi has not reached five innings pitched in a game since May 25 and has met that mark in only five of 14 games this season. The lefty allowed at least two earned runs for the 11th time this season and will take a 5.08 ERA into his next appearance.

Keller (2-9) took the loss to the Athletics on Saturday, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking two across 3.2 innings.

Keller struggled to keep the Athletics off the board Saturday, allowing five runs, four of which were earned. It was a stark difference from Keller's previous outing, also against Oakland, when he allowed no runs on only one hit. The righty was inefficient Saturday, throwing 55 of 93 pitches for strikes over 3.2 innings. The outing raised his ERA to 4.56.

Lynn (1-1) gave up five earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out eight over 6.2 innings against the Orioles on Saturday. He was tagged with the loss.

Lynn's struggles continued in his third start since returning from the IL, and he has now given up 11 earned runs over those starts. The silver lining is that Lynn struck out a season-high eight batters and went fairly deep into the game while throwing 109 pitches. Three of his earned runs came in to score on a bases-loaded hit off Jose Ruiz, who was pitching in relief of Lynn in the seventh. Lynn appears to be completely healthy after suffering a meniscus tear during spring training, so there is reason to believe that the 35-year-old veteran will pitch closer to his career norms once he gets more starts under his belt.

Watkins (1-1) threw five scoreless innings, giving up five hits and one walk while striking out four, in a 6-2 win over the White Sox on Saturday.

Watkins' scoreless appearance on 78 pitches lasted just long enough for him to earn his first win of the season. It was a nice bounce-back performance after a very rough start his last time out against the Rays when he gave up three earned runs without recording an out. The Orioles' defense made two sloppy errors behind him in the third inning Saturday, but Watkins maintained his composure and was able to limit the damage to one unearned run. Watkins remains one of the least-effective pitchers in the league and has a poor 18:16 K:BB ratio over 35 innings this season. He is expected to make his next start at Minnesota on Friday.

Bieber (3-4) took the loss against Boston on Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four over seven innings.

Bieber held the Red Sox scoreless for five innings in the contest, but he surrendered a three-run home run off the bat of Alex Verdugo in the sixth that saddled him with the loss. The right-handed hurler tossed his third straight quality start, but he has failed to record a win in that span. Despite Bieber's 3-4 record on the campaign, he has put together a strong season, posting a 3.07 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 88:20 K:BB over 85 innings.