MLB Player News

Turnbull (3-5) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over five innings to take the loss Wednesday against the Rays. He struck out four.

Turnbull was decent but got no run support, as Charlie Morton and Oliver Drake combined to shut out the Tigers. The 26-year-old righty has been mostly solid this year, posting a 3.01 ERA and 68 strikeouts across 71.2 innings of work. However, Detroit's anemic offense caps Turnbull's potential. He'll look for a little more run support and his fourth win in his next start Tuesday against the Royals.

Sale (2-7) recorded 12 strikeouts and allowed only three hits in a complete-game shutout of the Royals on Wednesday.

Sale was electric, inducing 14 swinging strikes and delivering his first complete-game shutout. In the eighth inning, the left-hander retired the Royals on nine pitches, becoming the only pitcher since Lefty Grove to have two immaculate innings in a season. The 30-year-old continues to dominate, posting a 15.0 K/9 in his last nine starts on the strength of double-digit strikeouts in seven of those outings. Sale will make his next start Monday against the Rangers at Fenway Park.

Kikuchi will start Saturday against the Angels, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Kikuchi will rejoin the rotation over the weekend after having his previous start skipped for maintenance purposes. The southpaw owns a 4.43 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 50:17 K:BB in 67 innings (13 starts) this season.

Carrasco was placed on the 10-day injured list with a non-baseball medical condition Wednesday.

Carrasco and the Indians have not released the exact details of the problem, but the team's statement indicated that he's been diagnosed with some sort of blood condition after feeling lethargic for several weeks. Carrasco will take some time away from baseball to figure out his treatment plan. It's not clear when he'll be able to return to action, but the Indians expect him back at some point this year. His replacement in the rotation has not yet been announced.

Blackburn is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas to start one game of the Athletics' doubleheader Saturday against the Rangers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Since Blackburn is already on the 40-man roster and would be available Saturday on five days' rest, he makes for the most logical candidate to serve as the Athletics' 26th man for the twin bill. Over 16 starts with the big club in parts of the past two seasons, Blackburn didn't turn in exciting fantasy production, posting a 4.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and an 11.5 K%. His numbers at Triple-A this season (4.55 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 19 K%) don't provide much reason to hope for better results if he's summoned for a spot start Saturday.

Ramirez (elbow) will move his rehab to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Ramirez is now almost 14 months removed from Tommy John surgery and appears to be closing in on a return to big-league action within a typical timeline. He's made a single rehab appearance thus far (three earned runs over 1.2 innings), so he'll need several more outings before he's deemed ready to go.

Stephens (hand) was activated from Triple-A Charlotte's 7-day injured list June 1 and has made two relief appearances since being reinstated to the roster.

The right-hander has covered four innings between the two outings, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six. Stephens had been sidelined for nearly a month with the fractured left hand and likely would have faced an even lengthier absence if the injury had been to his throwing hand.

Manager Chris Woodward said Smyly will remain in the rotation either as a starter or a primary pitcher behind an opener, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

The question about Smyly's role is a relevant one after he gave up seven runs for a second straight start Tuesday. The left-hander is attempting to come back from Tommy John surgery this season after last having pitched in the majors back in 2016. "I don't know if it takes a little while longer for things to come together after you've missed as much time with an injury as he has. But his stuff plays up when he executes. When he doesn't, it doesn't," said Woodward. Smyly is next scheduled to pitch Sunday at home against the Athletics, although it remains to be seen if he'll be on the hill to open the game.

Valdez will make his first start of the season Saturday against the Orioles, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros made a few roster moves Tuesday, including sending starter Corbin Martin back to Triple-A Round Rock. Valdez, a minor-league starter who pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Martin on Monday, becomes Houston's No. 5 starter for the moment. The left-hander gets a soft entry against a Baltimore team that ranks 25th in MLB with a .708 OPS.

Canning (2-2) took the loss Tuesday as the Angels fell 4-2 to the A's, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings while striking out eight.

The right-hander established a new high-water mark for strikeouts in his seventh big-league start, although he also set a new career high for hits allowed. Canning did generate 18 swinging strikes among his 102 pitches (63 total strikes), a promising sign for the 23-year-old. He'll take a 3.52 ERA and 42:10 K:BB through 38.1 innings into his next scheduled start, which will come Sunday against the Mariners.