MLB Player News

Houser (6-3) took the loss against the Angels on Monday, allowing five runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 5.2 innings.

Houser made his first start with Tampa Bay after he was acquired in a trade with the White Sox at the trade deadline. The right-hander had put up an excellent 2.10 ERA during his 11 starts with Chicago, though he surrendered seven runs (six earned) over 11 innings across his final two outings with the club. Houser then posted arguably his worst start of the campaign in his first appearance with Tampa Bay -- both the 11 hits and five runs he allowed were season-worst marks. Houser's fantastic beginning to the campaign was always a bit hard to believe in given his previous career numbers, and it's fair to wonder if the run of success is coming to an end. Still, he'll have a chance to bounce back his next time out, which is scheduled to be a road matchup against Seattle this weekend.

Kikuchi (5-7) earned the win over Tampa Bay on Monday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters over six innings.

Kikuchi gave up a run in the first inning but kept the Rays from scoring over the remainder of his six frames. The southpaw surrendered just one extra-base hit (a double) and racked up 11 whiffs en route to seven punchouts. While Kikuchi's 5-7 record isn't impressive, he's quietly put together a solid first season in Los Angeles. The team's lone All-Star owns a 3.22 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 139:56 K:BB over 134 frames spanning 24 starts. His numbers could be even better if not for a .317 BABIP against him, which ranks seventh-highest among qualified starters.

Lauer (7-2) earned the win over Colorado on Monday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out four batters over six innings.

Toronto's offense put up nine runs through three innings, taking the stress off Lauer as he cruised through six one-run frames. The left-hander threw 64 of 97 pitches for strikes and notched 13 whiffs while finishing with his fourth quality start over his past six outings. Lauer hasn't given up more than two runs in any start and has posted a 2.57 ERA with a superb 34:4 K:BB across 35 frames over that six-game span. He's next lined up for a road start against the Dodgers this weekend.

Bello (8-5) earned the win against the Royals on Monday, allowing one unearned run on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts over six innings.

Bello allowed a run after an error opened the fourth inning but was otherwise strong, throwing 68 of 102 pitches for strikes and working five scoreless frames. The 26-year-old has delivered 10 quality starts in his past 11 outings and has allowed more than three earned runs just once in 20 appearances (19 starts) this season. He'll take a 3.03 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 88:42 K:BB across 116 innings into a road matchup with the Padres this weekend.

Falter (7-6) took the loss against the Red Sox on Monday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts over four innings.

Falter was mostly undone by a five-run first inning and managed just one scoreless frame in a lackluster debut with his new club. The southpaw generated only six whiffs on 88 pitches, though a Jarren Duran homer was the lone extra-base hit he allowed. He owns a 4.14 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 72:41 K:BB across 117.1 innings and is tentatively slated for a home matchup with the Nationals early next week.

Cecconi didn't factor into the decision Monday against the Mets, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out six.

Cecconi blanked the Mets through five scoreless frames to begin his outing, but a Pete Alonso three-run homer in the sixth inning left a considerable dent on the hurler's ledger. The right-hander settled for a quality start, his fifth in his last six appearances, and he's now tossed at least five innings in all but two of his 14 starts on the year. Cecconi owns a quality 3.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 69:23 K:BB over 82.1 innings, and he should carry plenty of streaming appeal this weekend on the road against the last-place White Sox.

Povich (2-6) took the loss against the Phillies on Monday, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over 5.2 innings.

Povich entered the sixth inning in a 3-3 tie and departed an out shy of a quality start after allowing a single to J.T. Realmuto, who went on to score the first run in what became an eight-run rally by the Phillies. On the bright side, the southpaw tossed 90 pitches in his first major-league start since June 15, generating 10 whiffs and allowing just five hard-hit balls. He'll carry a 5.25 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 75:24 K:BB across 70.1 innings into a home matchup with the Athletics this weekend.

Arrighetti (thumb) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Wednesday against the Marlins, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

As expected, Arrighetti will rejoin the Houston rotation for its series in Miami to make his first start at the big-league level since April 5, after he suffered a fractured right thumb just a couple days later that sent him to the injured list. During his three-start rehab assignment between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, Arrighetti logged a 5.73 ERA and 11:5 K:BB in 11 innings. In his final rehab outing this past Thursday, Arrighetti built up to 79 pitches, so he could be in store for a light workload restriction Wednesday.

Alexander (2-1) earned the win Monday at Miami, yielding three hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six scoreless innings.

The 32-year-old right-hander stymied the Marlins lineup in this magnificent 97-pitch performance to tally his second quality start of the season. Miami never threatened to score off Alexander, who allowed just one extra-base hit -- a Graham Pauley double in the third. Across four starts, Alexander has pitched to a 3.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 19:7 K:BB in 22.2 innings. Despite his steady work, he's likely to lose his rotation spot soon as the Astros have starters Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), Luis Garcia (elbow), Cristian Javier (elbow), Lance McCullers (blister) and Brandon Walter (elbow) all working their ways back from injuries soon.

Lalane (shoulder) struck out three batters and issued three walks over two scoreless innings for Single-A Tampa on Tuesday after being reinstated from the 60-day injured list.

On the shelf all season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Lalane was cleared to rejoin Tampa after making just one three-inning rehab appearance in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. His control was unsurprisingly shaky Tuesday following his return from an extended absence, as he didn't give up a hit but spotted just 18 of his 40 pitches for strikes and hit a batter and threw a wild pitch in addition to issuing three free passes. The 21-year-old southpaw remains one of the Yankees' top lower-level pitching prospects, but some bumpy outings should be expected over the rest of the season while he looks to return to form following surgery.