MLB Player News

Giolito (5-8) allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out three across 7.1 innings to take the loss Sunday against the Astros.

Giolito bounced back from surrendering seven earned runs in his previous start, putting together what would likely be considered his best outing of the season. While he didn't produce much in terms of strikeouts, he generated a season-best 13 groundouts. On a more negative note, he did surrender a home run, marking the eighth time in his past nine times taking the hill that he has surrendered at least one long ball. Though he has shown positive flashes throughout the season, his struggles with homers are enough to make him an unreliable fantasy option.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Sunday that he expects Perez (elbow) to return from the 60-day disabled list at some point during next weekend's three-game series with the Orioles, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

It appears Perez's next appearance will come with the Rangers after he dazzled during his three-start minor-league rehab assignment. Over his three outings, Perez let in just one run and posted a 19:3 K:BB across 17.1 innings. He concluded the assignment with an 87-pitch start Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock, so Perez shouldn't face any limitations upon re-entering the Texas rotation. Yovani Gallardo would seem most at risk at losing his starting role once Perez is activated.

Keuchel (6-8) allowed one earned run on six hits and three walks while striking out two across seven innings to earn the win Sunday against the White Sox.

Keuchel turned in a signature start, recording 17 of his 21 outs via the groundball. He did give up a lot of contact -- his two strikeouts were a season low -- but took advantage of a matchup against one of the weaker hitting teams in the league. After stumbling through much of June, Keuchel has put together two strong starts that span 14 innings, during which he has allowed just three earned runs.

Odorizzi (4-6) allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five across six innings to earn the win Sunday against the Orioles.

Odorizzi was effective Sunday, highlighted by surrendering no home runs and handing out only one free pass. He now has two scoreless outings in his last three starts, and while both of those starts have come against weak lineups -- the White Sox and Orioles -- Odorizzi is making up for a rough stretch in late May and June during which he allowed 22 earned runs in 20.1 innings. That rough patch inflated his ratio stats, but he has gone at least five innings without surrendering more than two earned runs in 10 of his 19 starts this season.

Cobb (2-11) surrendered four runs on seven hits and one walk while fanning five over five innings, as he took the loss Sunday against the Twins. He exited the game in the sixth inning due to a blister on his right index finger, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Cobb's struggles continued in his latest outing, as he was lifted from the game with a 4-0 deficit. He managed to toss four scoreless innings before the wheels fell off in the fifth and sixth. The 30-year-old has failed to notch a win since June 5, and to top it off, it was revealed he's dealing with a blister on his pitching hand, although he doesn't think it'll keep him from making his next scheduled start, per Kubatko. Through 86.1 innings this season, Cobb has accrued a disastrous 6.57 ERA and 1.62 WHIP with opponents batting .318 against him.

Lewicki was optioned to Triple-A Toledo following the Tigers' 3-0 loss to the Rangers on Sunday.

Lewicki saw light usage out of the bullpen during his latest stint with Detroit, making just three appearances since being recalled from Toledo on June 22. He'll likely slot back into the Triple-A rotation and build his arm back up in the event the Tigers require a spot starter in the second half of the season.

The Royals moved Hammel to the bullpen ahead of Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Manager Ned Yost elected to pull the plug on Hammel as a starter after the right-hander was touched up for eight runs in just two innings during Friday's loss to the Red Sox. Since the beginning of June, Hammel has gone 0-6 with an 8.03 ERA and 1.95 WHIP over 37 innings in his seven starts. Reliever Burch Smith will move into the rotation while Hammel presumably settles for a mop-up role out of the bullpen.

The Athletics placed Blackburn on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with right elbow lateral epicondylitis.

The injury is better known as tennis elbow, suggesting Blackburn is likely battling a case of tendinitis. It's not expected that a long-term absence will be in play for Blackburn, but the right-hander will be sidelined through at least the All-Star break and is far from a safe bet to regain his rotation spot once he's back to full strength. Blackburn has posted a 7.16 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over six starts with the Athletics, who activated Brett Anderson (shoulder) from the DL ahead of his scheduled start Sunday against the Indians. Oakland is also expected to get fellow rotation members Daniel Mengden (foot) and Trevor Cahill (Achilles) back from the DL shortly before or after the break.

Kluber didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 6-3 extra-innings loss to the A's, giving up five hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings while striking out three.

The right-hander wasn't as dominant as usual when it came to strikeouts, but he was still in firm control all afternoon and left the game in line for his 13th win of the season before the Cleveland bullpen messed things up. Kluber had to settle instead for his 17th quality start of the year, and he'll carry a 2.49 ERA into his next outing Thursday at home against the Yankees.

Montas will see his next scheduled start bumped back to Monday, Ben Weinrib of MLB.com reports.

The Athletics will activate Brett Anderson (shoulder) off the disabled list to start Sunday's game. That bumps Montas' next scheduled start to Monday's series opener against the Astros, when he'll look to bounce back from allowing nine earned runs on 17 hits and three walks across 8.2 innings over his prior two outings.