MLB Player News

Blackburn (1-2) allowed six runs in five innings Sunday, yielding eight hits in a 10-3 loss to the White Sox. He struck out four and gave up a home run.

Blackburn cruised through the first four innings, allowing just one hit and no runs before completely unraveling in the fifth. He allowed five runs on six hits and was eventually chased by a Daniel Palka homer to lead off the sixth. The 24-year-old owns a hideous 8.83 ERA in four starts this year, striking out 11 in 17.1 innings. He'll draw a tough matchup Friday against Cleveland and should be avoided in almost any fantasy format.

Rodon (1-2) gave up two runs in eight innings Sunday, yielding seven hits and striking out three in a 10-3 win over Oakland.

Fantasy owners would've liked to see more strikeouts in this one, but Rodon still turned in a wonderful outing. His major mistake of the day was allowing a solo shot off the bat of Mark Canha in the fifth inning. The 6-foot-3 left-hander has 19 strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA across 24.1 innings in four starts since his return from the disabled list. Rodon will take the mound Saturday in Texas.

Berrios (8-5) struck out 12 batters in seven shutout innings, yielding just three hits and two walks in a 2-0 win over Texas on Sunday.

This was one of the best starts of the season for Berrios, who is really settling in to his position as Minnesota's ace. The 24-year-old righty lowered his 2018 ERA to 3.15 with a terrific 109:20 K:BB in 103 innings. In his first two years at the MLB level, Berrios had 83 walks in 204 innings, and his success this season seems to be directly correlated to his improved control. He'll look to keep it rolling next weekend in Chicago against the Cubs.

Gonzales gave up five runs on seven hits and zero walks while striking out six across six innings Sunday in a 5-0 loss in Boston.

His season ERA had been below 4.00 from May 28 to June 19, but with this outing, it is now back up over that mark at 4.04 through 16 starts. After giving up just six total earned runs in six starts from May 17 to June 13, facing teams like the Tigers, Athletics, Rangers and Rays (twice), he has now given up 11 earned runs over his last two starts on the road against the Red Sox and Yankees. While he is clearly a serviceable big-league starter, fantasy owners in mixed leagues would be wise to consider sitting or starting him based on matchups going forward. He has a favorable one on tap next weekend at home against the Royals.

Sale (7-4) struck out 13 over seven scoreless innings Sunday against the Mariners, allowing four hits while walking one en route to his seventh win of the season.

Sale only needed 93 pitches (71 strikes) in this dominant performance. He ended his day by striking out Mike Zunino with a 100-mph fastball, and then Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes each logged an inning in the combined four-hit shutout. Sale fanned 10 of the first 16 batters he faced, including the side in order in the fifth. His season ERA peaked at 3.00 on June 1, but since then he has struck out 43 in 28 innings over his last four starts, which has helped him bring that ERA back down to a more typically dominant 2.56. His next start will come next weekend in Yankee Stadium.

Dunning left his start for Double-A Birmingham on Saturday with right elbow soreness, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

This is obviously a troubling development for one of the White Sox's top prospects. Dunning will undergo an MRI in the next few days to determine the severity of the injury. Even if everything checks out OK, Dunning will likely be out for a while as the organization has every reason to be cautious. Dunning has posted a 2.71 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and a 100:26 K:BB in 15 starts between High-A and Double-A this season.

Mejia appears to be the most likely candidate to replace Fernando Romero in the Twins rotation, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Mejia has a 2.91 ERA and 9.6 K/9 at Triple-A Rochester.

Mejia is likely to be called up to start June 30 when the Twins next need a fifth starter. He has a 1.38 ERA in four June starts.

Rodriguez (9-2) was charged with five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out two over four innings in a loss to the Mariners on Saturday.

This was a rare stumble for Rodriguez following a streak of six consecutive appearances in which he earned a win. Afterward, he told the Boston Globe that he battled a lack of command, most notably with his cutter and changeup. He has struggled with efficiency this year, but Rodriguez is missing bats at a good clip and the team context is certainly favorable. Next up: Rodriguez heads to the Bronx for the second time this season.

Stroman allowed six hits and one walk while striking out five over five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Saturday.

Making his return from a bout of shoulder fatigue, Stroman threw 81 pitches (51 strikes) and did not allow an extra-base hit. It was an encouraging performance after he struggled to a 7.71 ERA in his first seven outings before landing on the disabled list May 11. He will look to build on this momentum next weekend at home against the Tigers.

Bundy (6-7) struck out eight and picked up the win in Saturday's 7-5 victory over the Braves, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks over 6.1 innings.

The right-hander cruised to an easy win after being staked to a 4-0 lead before he even took the mound thanks to Mark Trumbo's first-inning grand slam. Bundy threw 67 of 99 pitches for strikes en route to his 10th quality start of the season, and he'll take a 3.75 ERA into his next outing Thursday at home against the Mariners.