MLB Player News

Stripling allowed two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out nine in five innings in Thursday's win over Atlanta. He didn't factor into the decision.

Stripling hadn't struck out more than five batters in any of his first four starts, but he was dominant against Atlanta. He gave up two runs in the first inning but bounced back by tossing four scoreless innings afterward. The right-hander has now improved to a 5.91 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in 21.1 innings across his first five starts of the year. He tentatively lines up to make his next start at home against the Red Sox on Wednesday.

Valdez (finger) will throw a bullpen session Friday and head out on a minor-league rehab assignment thereafter, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Valdez is making rapid progress in his recovery from a fractured left ring finger, an injury the Astros initially feared would sideline him for the majority of the season. He's now nearing the final phase of his rehab program, but Valdez will presumably need at least two or three rehab starts to build up to a starter's workload, so his return to the Astros could still be close to a month away. Whenever he makes his return, Valdez will give a significant lift to the Houston rotation, coming off a season in which he compiled a 3.57 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 76:16 K:BB in 70.2 innings.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Urquidy (shoulder) will undergo an MRI on Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Beyond noting that Urquidy's right shoulder was still sore a day after he was removed from his start against the Astros, Baker had no update on the 26-year-old. The MRI should provide more information about the extent of Urquidy's shoulder issue, which could necessitate a trip to the 10-day injured list.

Wacha (hamstring) is slated to throw a bullpen session Thursday, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Wacha will be stepping back on a mound for the second time since he was placed on the injured list May 4 with hamstring tightness. If all goes well Thursday, Wacha could be cleared to face hitters over the weekend in live batting practice or in a simulated game.

Gilbert's contract was selected by the Mariners on Thursday.

Gilbert will make his major-league debut as the starting pitcher in Thursday's game against Cleveland. The right-hander made 26 minor-league starts in 2019 and posted a 2.13 ERA and 165:33 K:BB in 135 innings. Gilbert could claim a spot in Seattle's six-man rotation going forward, especially after Ljay Newsome (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL as part of a corresponding move.

Mariners manager Scott Servais confirmed that Gilbert will be called up from Triple-A Tacoma to start Thursday's game against Cleveland, Lauren Smith of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Two of Seattle's top prospects will be making their MLB debuts Thursday, as Servais also confirmed that highly touted outfielder Jarred Kelenic would also join the Mariners for the start of their seven-game homestand. The 24-year-old Gilbert dazzled across three minor-league stops during the 2019 season, posting a cumulative 2.13 ERA while striking out 165 over 135 frames. The right-hander's deep, four-pitch repertoire and ability to make bats miss is enough to make him worthy of a flier in most fantasy leagues.

Cole (5-1) pitched eight shutout innings while allowing four hits and striking out 12 as he picked up a win over the Rays on Wednesday.

It was a historic day for Cole as Wednesday was his fifth start this season of at least 10 strikeouts and no walks, which broke Mike Mussina's single-season team record from 2001. He also notched his 1,500th career strikeout in the third inning and became the fourth fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach that milestone. The 30-year-old last walked a batter April 12 and has struck out 56 since then, which ties Curt Schilling for the longest such streak in a season since at least 1961. The right-hander has the third-best ERA among qualified pitchers at 1.37, the second-best WHIP at 0.68, and trails only Shane Beiber with 78 strikeouts over 52.2 innings. He'll look to continue his dominant form in a favorable matchup against the Rangers at the beginning of next week.

Bielak (2-2) was credited with the win in relief Wednesday, when he allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out two against the Angels.

Bielak entered during the fourth inning with Houston leading 3-0 after starter Jose Urquidy departed with "posterior shoulder discomfort." The reliever retired 10 of the first 11 Angels faced and threw 41 strikes among his 53 pitches. Urquidy, who was sharper Wednesday than in any of his seven preceding starts, is day-to-day and has not been ruled out for his next start scheduled for Tuesday in Oakland.

Dunn (1-1) took the loss against the Dodgers on Wednesday, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two.

Dunn allowed only two baserunners through his first three frames, but things fell apart for the right-hander in the fourth. He started the inning by issuing two straight walks, and the Dodgers made him pay by loading the bases on a single before Matt Beaty tagged him with a two-run double. The outing was the shortest of the season for Dunn, who has navigated a poor 15.3 percent walk rate to a tolerable 3.72 ERA on the campaign. His next start is likely to come at home against Detroit early next week.

Keuchel (2-1) allowed six earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out one across 5.2 innings, getting the win over the Twins on Wednesday.

Keuchel allowed six earned runs, including a two-out solo home run to Nelson Cruz in the first inning, but he received enough run support to get the win in the high-scoring affair. The 33-year-old has a couple solid starts on his ledger but has been mediocre overall, posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 43.2 innings, along with a poor 1.2 K/BB. His next start is scheduled for Monday in Minnesota.