MLB Player News

Rodriguez (1-2) picked up the win Friday after allowing two runs on three hits and striking out eight over 6.2 innings against Baltimore.

Rodriguez surrendered a two-run blast in the seventh inning, although it turned out to be one of the few mistakes he made on the night. The 26-year-old struggled through his first two outings of the season (11 runs allowed over eight innings) but managed to return to form in a much-needed win for the Red Sox.

German will have his turn skipped in the Yankees' rotation but will be available out of the bullpen over the weekend, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

With an off day Thursday and another one coming up Monday, the Yankees don't need all their starters at the moment. German has a 1.64 ERA through two starts so far this season, but he's also walked seven batters in 11 innings.

Cobb said his back is improving but isn't sure he'll be ready to return from the injured list Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Cobb should be ready when first eligible next week, but that doesn't appear to be a sure thing. According to Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com, the 31-year-old isn't completely pain free but is hoping to test things out by playing catch Saturday.

Bundy (0-1) allowed six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and no walks across five innings in a loss to the Athletics on Thursday.

The eight strikeouts with no walks was certainly impressive, but Bundy has long suffered with coughing up homers. In his last 8.2 innings, Bundy has allowed six home runs. That's only one of his major issues, though, as he has also yielded 15 hits in 12.1 innings this year. Bundy is 0-1 with a 8.76 ERA and 1.78 WHIP and 17 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. His next start is expected to come against the Rays.

Eovaldi allowed five earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four across five innings Thursday against the Blue Jays. He did not factor into the decision.

Eovaldi walked a tightrope through two scoreless innings to begin the game. However, he was hit hard in the third frame when he surrendered two home runs, which accounted for all five of his earned runs. Homers have been a big reason for Eovaldi's inflated 8.40 ERA, as he's allowed six through just 15 innings of work this season.

Bieber (1-0) allowed three hits while walking one and striking out six across seven scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Tigers.

Bieber dominated the Tigers, not allowing a hit until the fourth inning and holding them without an extra-base hit for the entirety of his outing. He also racked up 13 swinging strikes on 105 pitches and now has 17 strikeouts through 15 innings of work this season. His ratios are also strong, as he's maintained a 1.80 ERA and 0.67 WHIP through three starts.

Turnbull (0-2) allowed three earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out four across four innings to take the loss Thursday against the Indians.

Turnbull allowed only one home run but struggled with his efficiency by allowing multiple batters to reach base in three of the four innings he pitched. More positively, seven of the eight hits he allowed were singles, and he surrendered only one free pass. He also continues to prove elusive to batters, racking up 19 strikeouts across 15 innings.

Sale's next start will come Tuesday against the Yankees, not Monday against the Orioles as originally expected, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The Sale saga continues. The lefty has shown diminished velocity, thrown three poor starts and is now being handled with extreme caution by his team, getting a full week between starts. The team and player maintain that there's no particular problem with Sale's arm, but the signs all remain negative.

Valdez was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Valdez has only appeared twice out of the bullpen this season, allowing two runs in three innings. He could be heading to the minors in order to stretch back out as a starter. A corresponding move is expected to be announced Friday.

Manning struck out 10 across seven one-hit shutout frames in his second start of the season for Double-A Erie.

He now boasts a 0.75 ERA, 0.42 WHIP and .054 average against through two starts. It was good to see him rebound against a weak Altoona lineup after walking three in five innings in an otherwise stellar first start of the season. Manning is one of the game's top pitching prospects and now has four career starts at Double-A under his belt. He should head to Triple-A sometime this summer, and a 2019 big-league debut is not out of the question.