MLB Player News

Gonzales allowed four runs on nine hits over 4.1 innings while striking out only one Wednesday but didn't factor into the decision in a 7-6 win over the Orioles.

Five straight hits in the fifth inning, sandwiched around a wild pitch, spelled the end of Gonzales' day, but Seattle's bats erased the team's deficit in the bottom half of the frame to get the lefty off the hook for a loss. The 25-year-old has yet to complete five innings in any of his three starts since being called up, making him a risky fantasy play heading into his next outing Tuesday on the road against the Braves.

Blackburn allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks over four innings Wednesday but didn't factor into the decision in a 7-6 loss to the Royals. He struck out two.

He labored through his short outing, throwing only 56 of 97 pitches for strikes, and left the game on the hook for the loss before the A's rallied to tie things in the bottom of the eighth inning. Blackburn has now allowed four runs or more in four of his last six starts but held his opponents scoreless in the other two, leaving him with a semi-respectable 4.37 ERA over that stretch. He'll next take the mound Tuesday in Baltimore.

Giolito allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out seven over six scoreless innings for Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday.

It's taken a while, but Giolito has found himself over the last five starts, posting a 1.74 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 11 walks over 31 innings. He told Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago that his season turned around when he started throwing his curveball for strikes. That improved his efficiency, resulting in fewer walks and allowing him to get deeper into games. The young right-hander appears headed for a September call-up.

Gibson's scheduled start against the Twins on Wednesday was postponed by rain.

With the makeup game being scheduled as a doubleheader on Thursday, the Twins will simply push Gibson back a day to join Jose Berrios on the double card. The 29-year-old, who owns a 6.02 ERA in 20 starts this season, will pitch Game 1 against Carlos Carrasco.

Carrasco's scheduled start for Wednesday against the Twins has been postponed by rain.

Carrasco was looking to build off an impressive last outing, when he struck out 10 hitters over eight scoreless innings against the Rays, but he'll get an extra day to rest instead. The Indians will simply slot him into the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, lining him up against Kyle Gibson.

McCullers (back) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Thursday, and manager A.J. Hinch said "there's a rehab assignment in sight," Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Thursday will mark his second bullpen in four days, and the Astros will likely wait and see how McCullers responds to Thursday's activity before deciding on his next step. He'll still need to progress to facing live hitters before he embarks on a rehab assignment, but he's inching closer to a return to the big-league rotation. A clearer timetable for his return should start to come into focus as he continues to progress in his throwing program.

Nolasco (6-12) picked up the win in the Angels' 3-2 victory over the Nationals on Wednesday after tossing 5.2 innings and giving up two runs on five hits and three walks. He also struck out five batters during the outing before departing in the sixth inning with a calf cramp, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Since Nolasco had already racked up 112 pitches on the afternoon, he likely wouldn't have remained in the game much longer, but the Angels' team trainer made the call to pull the right-hander from the outing with two outs and no runners on in the sixth inning. While he cramp issue is unlikely to result in Nolasco missing his next scheduled turn Tuesday against the Rangers, fantasy owners may want to make sure that he makes it through his pre-start bullpen session without issue. That being said, Nolasco won't make for a dependable lineup option if health prevails, as he's now sporting a 5.16 ERA and 1.45 WHIP for the season.

Bergman cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

He was designated for assignment and unsurprisingly went unclaimed. His 4.91 ERA and 1.34 WHIP are not encouraging marks, and his 33 strikeouts in 51.1 innings are even more troublesome. He will serve as organizational depth going forward.

Heaney (elbow) said that he would be activated from the 60-day disabled list to start Friday against the Orioles, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels aren't expected to officially announce the transaction until Friday, when Heaney will take the hill with the big club for the first time in 13 and a half months following a long recovery from Tommy John surgery. Heaney was solid in his final three rehab starts with Triple-A Salt Lake, registering a 3.18 ERA and 14:4 K:BB over 17 innings, and though he also posting strong numbers in his last healthy season in the big leagues, fantasy owners may want to tread carefully with the left-hander. Pitchers of higher acclaim than Heaney that have returned from Tommy John surgery have often had difficulty consistently commanding their offerings, so some volatility in his production should be expected. It may take until 2018 before Heaney flashes his pre-surgery form on a regular basis.

Boyd will make his next start Tuesday against the Yankees, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Boyd was initially lined up to start Saturday against the Dodgers, but after the left-hander had surrendered nine runs over his last two outings, manager Brad Ausmus decided it was best to give Boyd some extra time off. Michael Fulmer and Justin Verlander will both be moved up a day in the schedule to pitch on their normal four days' rest Saturday and Sunday, respectively.