MLB Player News

Morton allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts across five innings during a no-decision against the Mariners on Wednesday.

The veteran right-hander probably pitched better than that line indicates, but three hits, a walk and hit batsman in the fourth frame led to three runs. The Rays reclaimed the lead before Morton left, but the bullpen coughed it up in the ninth, costing him a shot at the win. He remains 13-5 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 197 strikeouts in 161 innings this season. Morton will pitch against one of his former teams, the Astros, next Tuesday in Houston.

Mize has been shut down for the remainder of the minor-league season, Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times-News reports.

The Tigers wanted to play it safe with Mize in what was his first full season as a pro, opting to shut the righty down after 109.1 innings. The 22-year-old impressed across stops with High-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie, posting a combined 2.55 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 106:23 K:BB. Mize is slated to pitch in the instructional league before reporting back to the upper minors to begin the 2020 campaign.

Canning was placed on the injured list Wednesday with right elbow inflammation, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The same issue forced Canning onto the injured list earlier in the month, though he was able to return after a brief stay on the shelf. The right-hander is headed back to California to be further evaluated, after which a timetable for his return will hopefully emerge. It's not yet clear who will take his place in the rotation, though the Angels can get away with a four-man rotation for most of the month thanks to a flurry of off days.

Groome (elbow) pitched a scoreless inning for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox on Wednesday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Groome allowed one hit and struck out two batters in what was his first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2016. According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the lefty was sitting around 93-94 mph with his fastball while topping out at 95.

Chirinos (finger) was cleared to resume baseball activities Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

This is encouraging news for the right-hander, who has been shut down since landing on the shelf with right middle finger inflammation near the beginning of August. Chirinos is expected to resume playing catch over the weekend; a timetable for his return will likely come into focus as he ramps up his throwing.

Kopech (elbow) said on a White Sox broadcast that he will throw live batting practice before the end of the season, Clinton Cole of Future Sox reports.

During a July 31 broadcast, Kopech said he has been throwing all his pitches and feeling good. He noted that he is progressing to the point that he will face live hitters in August or September. We know he is not coming back this season, but it's good to hear that he appears to be progressing without setbacks.

Luzardo allowed an earned run on three hits and two walks over 4.2 innings in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Reno on Monday. He struck out five.

Luzardo bounced back nicely after getting bounced around for five runs (four earned) over 3.1 innings in his return to action from a lat injury last Thursday. The 21-year-old southpaw worked up to 70 pitches in Tuesday's outing and remains an option for the Athletics when rosters expand in September, if there's room for him to log consistent innings. Luzardo should still have a chance for two more starts in Las Vegas at minimum before the end of August, which would allow him to make more of a case for a promotion.

Snell (elbow) is throwing from approximately 90 feet on flat ground, the Associated Press reports.

The southpaw continues to make seemingly consistent progress from his recent surgery, and his current activity level keeps him on a timetable for a return to the rotation around mid-September. Snell resumed throwing Aug. 11 at a distance of 45-to-60 feet after July 29 surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. He's likely to progress to bullpen sessions as his next step after he stretches his arm out over at least a couple of more catch sessions.

Keller threw six shutout innings while allowing three hits and two walks along with four strikeouts in a no-decision against the Orioles on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old pitched very well again, but he settled for another very disappointing decision. In his last outing, Keller yielded no runs and zero hits through six innings, but he struggled during the seventh and eventually took a loss. This time around, the Royals turned to the bullpen after six, but Keller's good work still didn't stand up. Despite a respectable 3.94 ERA in his last five starts, he hasn't won an outing since July 24. Overall, Keller is 7-13 with a 3.95 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 121 strikeouts in 164 innings this season. He will pitch next against the Athletics at home on Monday.

Bundy allowed one run on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts across seven innings during a no-decision against the Royals on Tuesday.

The right-hander easily turned in his best start in more than a month, but he settled for a no-decision because of no offense early in the game. Still, owners should be pleased Bundy posted his first outing of the year with one run allowed and at least seven strikeouts. Overall, he is 5-13 with a 5.03 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in 127 innings this season. Bundy will pitch again Sunday at home against the Rays.