MLB Player News

Morton (6-0) held Cleveland to one run on four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts through seven innings to pick up the win Friday night.

Morton was characteristically efficient, as he needed just 97 pitches to get through seven innings and lower his ERA to a stellar 1.94. He improved his K:BB to 70:18 and has allowed more than three runs in a start just once all season long. The money pitch for Morton was the curveball, which induced seven swinging strikes on just 30 offerings. That pitch has been nasty all season. Entering Friday, Morton's 56.7 percent whiff-per-swing rate on his curveball was best in the majors. Expect him to ride that pitch all year long, including his next time out Thursday night, when he'll get another shot at Cleveland.

Clevinger (3-1) allowed three runs on eight hits and four walks with six strikeouts over 6.1 innings in a loss Friday to the Astros.

Despite the loss, Clevinger delivered his fourth straight quality start, a testament to the 26-year-old's endurance and ability to show hitters different looks as he faces them multiple times. Astros hitters were able to get to his fastball, though, as Clevinger surrendered six hits on 10 fastballs put in play. His off-speed pitches were still nasty, as his changeup, slider and curveball combined to induce 10 swinging strikes on 51 offerings, but Houston was able to get to Clevinger early enough to put him in the loss column for the first time all year. He'll get a chance for revenge in his next start when the Astros come to Cleveland on Thursday.

Gibson (1-2) allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 5.1 innings in a loss Friday to the Brewers.

A big part of Gibson's success entering Friday was his ability to keep the ball in the yard. Gibson posted HR/9 marks under 1.0 in each of his first two full seasons with the Twins, not coincidentally his two best seasons in the majors, and he had allowed just two homers in his first eight starts of 2018. The Brewers doubled that total in just three innings, as Ji-Man Choi and Jesus Aguilar both went deep. Gibson walked at least four batters for the fourth time this season as well as his ERA jumped over a half a point to 3.96.

Chirinos (elbow) completed a bullpen session Friday and will throw live batting practice Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The right-hander apparently got through Friday's session without setbacks. He'll take a full two days off before getting back to work Monday against live hitters, and he appear on track for his original projected early-June return date, at a minimum.

Cobb (1-5) picked up the win over the Red Sox on Friday, allowing three runs on 10 hits and a walk over 6.1 innings while striking out three.

The right-hander was far from dominant, but a four-run outburst by the Orioles' bats in the fourth inning was enough to get Cobb his first win of the season. After a brutal beginning to 2018 he's now delivered quality starts in three of his last four outings, and he'll take a 6.56 ERA into his next start Wednesday on the road against the White Sox.

Eovaldi (elbow) allowed an earned run on two hits and recorded four strikeouts over three innings in his rehab start for High-A Port Charlotte on Friday.

Eovaldi fired 47 pitches overall, 35 of which found the strike zone. Perhaps the most important news coming out of the outing was the fact his fastball topped out at 99 mph, helping corroborate the fitness of his surgically repaired elbow. It remains to be seen if the velocity Eovaldi demonstrated will be enough to convince manager Kevin Cash that the veteran is ready for activation from the disabled list.

McGuire was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

McGuire will take the roster spot of Jaime Garcia, who was placed on the 10-day DL with left shoulder inflammation in a corresponding move. There's a chance McGuire will toe the rubber in Garcia's place during Sunday's game against Oakland, but Sam Gaviglio is also a candidate to draw the start. Over his past four starts with Buffalo, McGuire has posted a 1.08 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with a 23:9 K:BB across 25 innings.

Hamels (neck) said he does not think he'll be able to pitch before Saturday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Hamels became a topic of discussion when he was scratched from a scheduled start Thursday. A day off earlier in the week allowed manager Jeff Banister to move up starters Doug Fister (Thursday) and Matt Moore (Friday) while maintaining their five-day routines, but a decision about Saturday's starter has not been announced. If Hamels can't go or the team wants to be cautious with the left-hander, it could call on minor leaguer Austin Bibens-Dirxx, currently scheduled to start Friday for Triple-A Round Rock, to pitch Saturday. The Rangers could also place Hamels on the disabled list retroactively to May 12, meaning he'd be eligible to return in time for Tuesday's start against the Yankees.

Boyd didn't factor into the decision against Seattle on Thursday, despite a strong outing that saw him yield two earned runs on six hits over six innings with nine strikeouts and a walk as the Tigers eventually prevailed 3-1.

The 27-year-old left-hander just continues to put up solid stat lines, as this marked his third quality start in his last four outings and the fifth time in his eight starts this year that he's held his opposition to two or fewer earned runs. He now has a 3.19 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP through 48 innings to go along with a 41:13 K:BB, so Boyd is providing all-around solid fantasy returns in the early going. It would be understandable to be wary of expecting him to keep this up all season since he's coming off a campaign that saw him log a 5.27 ERA in 135 innings and he has a 5.18 mark for his career, but for the time being, Boyd is throwing it like a pitcher that deserves to be on fantasy rosters.

Gonzales didn't factor into the decision against Detroit on Thursday, scattering five hits and allowing one unearned run over 5.2 innings, striking out two and walking one as the Mariners eventually fell 3-2.

Gonzales was able to shut down the Tigers in this contest but he wasn't rewarded with a victory as counterpart Matthew Boyd had an equally sharp outing for Detroit. It was a solid showing for the left-hander and he's demonstrated good control with a 43:9 K:BB but he's got a 4.66 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP through 46.1 innings and opponents are hitting .312 off him so far this year, so the 26-year-old will remain a risky fantasy stream until he starts to limit the baserunners and improve on those ratios.