MLB Player News

Javier will start Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 25-year-old has worked in long relief to begin the season, but he'll receive a starting opportunity after delivering 8.1 innings across his three appearances. Javier threw 55 pitches in his previous appearance, so he may be limited to about 70-to-80 pitches his first time through the rotation. Jake Odorizzi, who has struggled so far in 2022, is also scheduled to start versus Texas, so it appears manager Dusty Baker will employ a six-man rotation.

Bundy (3-0) picked up the win in Saturday's 9-2 rout of the White Sox, allowing four hits over five scoreless innings. He struck out four without walking a batter.

The Twins handed Bundy a 7-0 lead by the fourth inning, but the veteran right-hander didn't need that much support as he cruised through 79 pitches (59 strikes). He has put his rough 2021 behind him with a 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 12:1 K:BB through three starts and 15.1 innings to begin his tenure in Minnesota.

Velasquez (0-2) took the loss Saturday, giving up five runs on eight hits and a walk over 3.1 innings as the White Sox were downed 9-2 by the Twins. He struck out six.

Half of the hits off Velasquez went for extra bases, including homers in the fourth inning by Ryan Jeffers and Byron Buxton that chased the right-hander from the game. While Velasquez does have a decent 22.0 percent strikeout rate through three starts, his 6.75 ERA is well-earned thanks to an 11.9 percent walk rate and 2.25 HR/9. Lucas Giolito (abdomen) is due back Sunday, but Velasquez's stint in the rotation may not be over quite yet with Lance Lynn (knee) still out for another month or more.

Whitlock tossed four scoreless innings against Tampa Bay on Saturday, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out seven.

Whitlock was making a spot start after coming out of the bullpen for each of his first four appearances, so he was removed after the fourth inning despite a dominant performance during which he retired the first nine batters he faced and allowed just one hit overall. The right-hander registered 11 swings and misses among his 48 pitches and struck out a season-high seven batters. Whitlock is likely to move back into the bullpen following this start, but his 0.66 ERA, 0.51 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB this season suggests he is capable of thriving in any role.

Cortes allowed two earned runs on one hit and two walks while striking out eight across 6.1 innings Saturday against the Guardians. He did not factor into the decision.

Cortes didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning, although it was a two -run blast to Josh Naylor. He was very sharp otherwise, as he allowed no other extra-base hits and backed his eight strikeouts with 20 called strikes and 10 swinging strikes. Cortes has gotten off to a strong start early in the campaign by maintaining a 1.15 ERA and 0.64 WHIP. Equally impressive is his 25:3 K:BB, highlighted by a combined 20 punchouts across his last 11.1 innings of work.

Quantrill allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two across 6.1 innings Saturday against the Yankees. He did not factor into the decision.

Quantrill held the Yankees scoreless through four innings, though he allowed runs in two of the the last three frames he pitched. Even so, he wasn't hit particularly hard, as the only extra-base hit he allowed was a solo home run to Josh Donaldson. Quantrill has effectively limited runs to begin the season, as he has maintained a 3.94 ERA, but his 6:7 K:BB across 16 innings suggests that he has been fortunate in his results.

Montas (2-2) took the loss to the Rangers on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out eight over 7.1 innings.

This was a tough-luck loss; Montas hung zeros on the scoreboard through seven, with the only runs against him scoring after he exited the game (the second on a slide interference call at home plate no less). Fantasy managers have to be thrilled with what Montas is providing. He has a 3.28 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 25:4 K:BB through four starts.

Perez allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five over six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the A's on Saturday.

This was just the second start of Perez's career with six-plus scoreless innings and two hits or fewer allowed, and Perez became the first Texas starter this season to record an out in the sixth inning or later, per play-by-play broadcaster Jared Sandler. Given his track record, Perez must still be considered a high-risk option. The onus is on Perez to show he can do this with some sort of consistency, and against better offenses.

Skubal (1-1) pitched six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Rockies in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. He allowed five hits and struck out six.

The Tigers provided 13 runs on offense, which was more than enough for Skubal, who dominated Colorado across six innings of work. The lefty allowed four earned runs in his first start of the season, but over his last two outings, he's given up just one unearned run across 11.2 innings. That's allowed Skubal to lower his ERA to a dazzling 2.30, and he could be on the cusp of a breakout season. He'll look to keep it going in his next start, tentatively lined up for Thursday against the Twins.

Faedo was transferred from High-A Lakeland to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday.

Faedo started the 2022 season with Lakeland to build up his pitch count, as he had not thrown in affiliated ball since 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He worked 10.2 innings with a 12:3 K:BB at the level prior to his promotion, and he threw four innings in his latest outing. If Faedo performs well, it's possible he could reach the majors this season, but the Tigers will likely take a cautious approach given his injury history.