MLB Player News

Verlander (5-1) allowed two hits and three walks while striking out five in five scoreless innings to earn the win over the Nationals on Sunday.

Verlander fell short of posting a quality start Sunday after accomplishing the feat in his last five outings, but he threw 107 pitches over five innings Sunday, marking his highest pitch count since Sept. 1, 2019. The right-hander's velocity has also been improving following his Tommy John surgery, and his fastball topped out at 98.3 mph in the first inning Sunday. Verlander is tied for the league lead with five wins to begin the season, and he'll attempt to continue his success when he tentatively lines up to start at home against the Rangers on Saturday.

Manoah (4-1) yielded three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings Sunday, striking out four and taking a loss against the Rays.

Manoah rolled through five shutout innings before the Rays finally broke through in the sixth. They scored all three runs in the inning, including an RBI single from Ji-Man Choi. It was the first time this season that Manoah gave up more than two runs in an outing but his ERA dropped slightly to 1.71 through 42 frames. He's projected to face the Reds at home next weekend.

Springs allowed four hits over 4.2 shutout frames in Sunday's win over Toronto. He struck out two and did not factor in the decision.

The closest Springs came to allowing a run was in the third inning when he faced a first-and-third threat with two outs before forcing Vladimir Guerrero to fly out. The 6-foot-3 southpaw lowered his season ERA to 1.66 with an impressive 20:3 K:BB through 21.2 innings. He's currently lined up to take the mound in Baltimore next weekend.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently indicated that German (shoulder) could stretch out to work as a starter when he begins his minor-league rehab assignment, Joey Pollizze of MLB.com reports.

German is still on the 60-day injured list, but he's close to being eligible to return. The right-hander is slated to throw live batting practice at some point this week and could progress to a minor-league rehab assignment soon thereafter. Though the Yankees haven't yet indicated what role German will have upon his return, Boone's comments suggest that he is at least being considered for a starting role. That may be dependent on an injury or require the team to go to a six-man rotation, however, as all five starters are currently healthy and pitching well.

Wacha (intercostal irritation) will throw a simulated game Monday and is expected to return late next week, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

This would line him up to return either Saturday or Sunday at home against the Mariners. Wacha logged a 1.38 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 19:11 K:BB in 26 innings through five outings earlier this season.

With the Red Sox to open with Austin Davis on Sunday, Houck is expected to follow as the bulk-inning pitcher, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Houck hasn't pitched since last Sunday, so he has plenty of bullets to expend. The reasoning behind starting Davis over Houck was not made clear by manager Alex Cora, who would only confirm that Houck is healthy.

Gray (knee) threw a bullpen session without issues Saturday and is projected to start Monday against the Angels, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Gray, who left his last start against the Yankees when he felt "something" in his left knee, will wear a brace but is under no restrictions, per Texas manager Chris Woodward.

Javier (2-1) allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five across 3.2 innings to take the loss Saturday against the Nationals.

Javier struggled for the entire outing, as he allowed at least one run in all but three of his four innings. The big blows came on a three-run home run by Yadiel Hernandez in third frame and a bases-clearing double by Nelson Cruz in the fourth. If there was a positive to pick out, Javier did manage to record 13 swinging strikes on 84 total pitches. While this was Javier's first time allowing more than two earned runs in an appearance, he has worked more than 3.2 innings only once due to his inconsistent role to begin the campaign. It appears that the team has settled on a six-man rotation for the time being, which would put Javier tentatively in line to pitch again Friday against Texas.

Kirby did not factor in the decision against the Mets on Saturday, hurling four innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk while striking out one.

Kirby was electric in his big-league debut last Sunday, striking out seven over six scoreless frames. He wasn't as effective against the Mets, allowing the first run of his career in the first inning and watching two more runs cross the plate in the third (though both were unearned). More tellingly, Kirby struck out only one batter and notched a mere seven swings-and-misses. He was inefficient as well, needing 89 pitches (60 of which were strikes) to get through four frames. Despite the mediocre outing, there's still plenty to love about Kirby's arsenal and upside, and he'll likely get the opportunity to bounce back with another start. That is expected to take place in Boston next week.

Lorenzen (4-2) earned the win in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts in seven innings.

Lorenzen was staked to an early lead and shut down Oakland's offense after surrendering a run in the first, retiring the final seven batters he faced. The 30-year-old has excelled during his first season in Los Angeles, as he's gone at least six innings in four of his six starts, though 14 of his 24 strikeouts have come in two games. He'll carry a 3.57 ERA and 1.10 WHIP into his next start, tentatively scheduled for a rematch against Oakland next weekend.