MLB Player News

Kluber allowed two earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out two across 4.2 innings Thursday against the Blue Jays. He did not factor into the decision.

Kluber allowed at least one hit in every inning that he pitched, though he did manage to keep the Yankees within a run before an early exit. He has failed to work five innings In four of five starts since returning from the injured list in early September. In that same span, Kluber has a 4.37 ERA with a 21:8 K:BB across 22.2 frames. Kluber will end the regular season with a 3.83 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 80 innings.

McCullers (13-5) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over six innings to pick up the win Thursday against Tampa Bay. He had four strikeouts.

McCullers blanked the Rays through the first five innings until Brandon Lowe got to him for a two-run homer with one out in the sixth. McCullers retired the final two batters in the frame to secure his fifth quality start in as many September outings. The 27-year-old made 28 regular-season starts and established career-bests in ERA (3.16), innings pitched (162.1) and strikeouts (185).

Greinke (neck) allowed one hit and struck out two across two scoreless innings Thursday for Triple-A Sugar Land, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Greinke threw 34 pitches and was seemingly fairly sharp in the rehab outing. He may not need much more time to ramp up, as manager Dusty Baker said that Greinke could work out of the bullpen in the playoffs. The veteran right hander last threw in the majors on Sep. 19, and he had allowed 18 earned runs across 13 innings in his final three starts before hitting the injured list.

Cobb yielded five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five across five innings during Thursday's loss to the Rangers. He did not factor into the decision.

It was a bit of a clunker for Cobb, who went six consecutive outings without allowing more than one earned run prior to Thursday. All of the dame against the right-hander came via long balls, including a three-run homer by DJ Peters in the third and a two-run shot by Adolis Garcia in the fifth . Cobb finishes off the regular season with a 3.76 ERA and 1.26 WHIP.

Lynch was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right hand contusion, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

The right-hander already wasn't expected to make another start this season and will finish with a 5.59 ERA in 69 innings. Angel Zerpa was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday to make his MLB debut versus Cleveland.

Taillon (ankle) threw off flat ground Thursday, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Taillon appeared to aggravate his right ankle injury in Tuesday's start against the Blue Jays, and he's slated to undergo further testing this weekend. It's not yet clear whether he'll be able to return in 2021, but it's encouraging that he was able to throw two days after he sustained his injury.

Junk was optioned by the Angels on Thursday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Junk presumably wasn't going to pitch again this season after starting Wednesday's game against the Rangers, so the Angels may as well give his roster spot to someone who could actually use it. He'll end his rookie season having produced a 3.86 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in four major-league starts. Matt Thaiss was called up to take his place on the roster.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said after Wednesday's 10-5 win over Cleveland that Lynch is OK after exiting in the fourth inning when he was struck by a comebacker, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lynch's pitch count was at 81 at the time he was removed, and he had already surrendered four runs on seven hits and two walks over three innings, so the Royals opted to pull him as more of a precaution since he wasn't expected to work much longer into the start. He'll head into the offseason healthy and conclude his rookie campaign with a 4-6 record, 5.59 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 68 innings. The 24-year-old southpaw will likely have to compete for a rotation spot next spring.

Gilbert allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out four over 5.2 innings Wednesday against the Athletics. He did not factor into the decision.

Gilbert got through five scoreless innings before Tony Kemp took him deep to right begin the sixth to finally get the Athletics on the board. Gilbert was able to get two more outs before walking Mark Canha, signaling the end of his day after 92 pitches. The 24-year-old right-hander found his stride during September, accumulating a 2.70 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 31:8 K:BB over 33.1 innings in six starts. He has certainly shown signs of living up to the hype as one of the Mariners' bright young arms. Gilbert now stands at a 4.68 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 128:28 K:BB over 119.1 innings. The Mariners are right in the fold of things for a potential wild-card spot and Gilbert could potentially see at least another start if they can secure one of the final two playoff spots.

Berrios didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Yankees, allowing three runs on four hits over six innings. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

The right-hander has proven to be exactly what the Jays needed to help solidify their rotation when they picked him up from the Twins. Berrios has reeled off seven straight quality starts, going 4-2 over that stretch and posting a 2.93 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and dazzling 53:5 K:BB in his last 46 innings. He's probably done for the regular season, but if Toronto finds itself playing a tiebreaker to determine the AL wild card(s), Berrios could be in line to get that start.