MLB Player News

Kluber (12-5) struck out nine in 7.1 innings Thursday, yielding six runs on eight hits and two walks while taking the loss against the Yankees.

Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius took him deep in the third and fourth innings, respectively. It was obviously a bad start, especially for someone with Kluber's reputation, but the nine strikeouts bring him to a 132:17 K:BB this season. He also owns a strong 2.76 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. The 32-year-old righty will take the mound in Texas next Saturday (July 21).

Morton allowed three earned runs over 4.1 innings in a no-decision Thursday against the A's. He notched five strikeouts but allowed six hits and two walks.

It was a laborious 4.1 innings for Morton, who threw 104 pitches in that span with just 65 of them going for strikes. Morton made it through the first four innings mostly unscathed with just two hits allowed, but the wheels came off in the fifth when he loaded the bases to start the inning and allowed a two-run double to Nick Martini. His swing-and-miss stuff was still on display as he induced 11 whiffs in his outing Thursday, but this marks two shaky starts in a row for Morton. He'll make his next start after the All-Star break.

Paxton was removed from Thursday's start due to lower-back stiffness, TJ Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Considering Paxton's injury history, this news comes as a major relief. The lefty exited Thursday's start after recording just two outs and never looked himself as he was tagged for two home runs. Fortunately, the upcoming All-Star break will provide Paxton some extra time to get treatment and enter the second half in good health.

Paxton (undisclosed) was removed from Thursday's start against the Angels after recording just two outs, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

This is a concerning development as Paxton was tagged for three earned runs -- including two home runs -- before the training staff came out and took him back to the clubhouse. His velocity was noticeably down, hitting 93 mph on a fastball that normally sits in the high 90s. It wasn't clear what exactly was bothering Paxton, but more information figures to be made available later Thursday.

Gausman (4-7) allowed five runs on 12 hits and a walk in five innings Thursday, taking the loss against the Phillies. He struck out just two batters and gave up a home run.

Gausman had allowed three or fewer runs in his last six starts, but simply couldn't find a groove against Philadelphia. However, he's given up a homer in five straight starts, striking out five or fewer batters in each of those outings. Gausman will take his 4.33 ERA to Toronto next Saturday for his first start after the All-Star break.

Schmidt (elbow) made his fourth rehab start Tuesday with one of the Yankees' Gulf Coast League affiliates, tossing three innings of one-run ball and striking out four.

It was the longest of Schmidt's four starts since he began the rehab assignment June 22. The 22-year-old, whom the Yankees drafted in the first round last year, will likely have his innings and pitch counts monitored carefully as he works his way back from April 2017 Tommy John surgery. The right-hander is expected to continue building up his arm at the rookie-ball level for a little while longer before likely finishing the campaign at a full-season affiliate.

Cole (bereavement) will take the mound against Detroit on Saturday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Cole will make one more start before the All-Star break after being placed on the bereavement list prior to Tuesday's game. This outing will come on normal rest for the 27-year-old after he struck out 11 during a no-decision versus the Athletics on Monday.

Bassitt was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bassitt will journey back down to the minors in order to make room for Trevor Cahill (Achilles), who was reinstated from the disabled list ahead of his start against the Astros on Thursday. As Slusser mentions, Bassitt is a solid candidate to rejoin the Athletics after the All-Star break, though that will likely be in a middle-relief role barring any additional injuries to the club's rotation.

Sale (10-4) picked up the win in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Rangers, allowing six hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings while striking out 12.

Elvis Andrus was the only Texas hitter to get into scoring position against Sale, rapping out doubles in the first and sixth innings, but otherwise the left-hander was dominant through 110 pitches (80 strikes), He'll take a 2.23 ERA and 188:31 K:BB through 129 innings into the All-Star break.

Gonzales (10-5) tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits and struck out four in a win Wednesday over the Angels.

Gonzalez will go into the break riding a hot streak with quality start victories in each of his final three starts of the first half. He induced only three swinging strikes all night, but he was successful regardless thanks to his pinpoint control. For the fifth time in 19 starts, Gonzales didn't walk a single batter. He'll take a 1.8 BB/9 and a 3.41 ERA into the All-Star break of what has easily been the best season of his young career.