MLB Player News

Ramirez was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays on Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

The 27-year-old was designated for assignment by the Giants at the end of April, but he proved to be intriguing to Toronto thanks to the 18 punchouts he recorded in 10.1 innings out of San Francisco's bullpen. That being said, he also allowed 15 runs on 16 hits in that span, so it's hard to see him carving out much of a role if he can get back to the big leagues.

Gray will start for the Athletics on Sunday against the Tigers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The right-hander will take the spot originally scheduled for Sean Manaea (shoulder), who felt soreness during recent rehab work. Gray will notch a two-start week, though he'll face a tough Tigers lineup after having trouble with the Twins on Tuesday. At least his velocity has come back strong, topping out at 96.1 mph Tuesday, since he returned from the disabled list.

Rodon (biceps) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Thursday.

He was not expected back before June, so this does not change his timetable, and simply frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for David Holmberg. Rodon is in a throwing program, but the White Sox have been vague about his progress. He was on the DL retroactive to March 30, so the earliest he could return is May 30, although he is more likely to return in mid-to-late June.

Stroman -- who left Wednesday's start early due to arm soreness -- said there are no plans for further tests on his right arm, and he's confident that he'll be ready to make his next start, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

The departure of Stroman after three innings due to "some general arm tightness" is a worrying development. However, the young gun was optimistic after the game. "It's not something I'm worried about," said Stroman. "I'll just go through my normal progression during the week and I'll be ready to rock Tuesday." The right-hander went on to say he was simply having trouble getting loose on a night when the temperature sat in the mid-50s. Moving forward, it looks safe to assume Stroman will be fine to deploy as usual.

Carrasco was fighting a fever throughout his Wednesday start against the White Sox, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

Terry Francona made sense of why he pulled his starting pitcher after just six innings and 91 pitches -- both of which were Carrasco's lowest totals since his first outing of the season. Onlookers would have no idea the 30-year-old was battling an illness based on the performance that earned him a victory. In six starts this year, Carrasco has turned in a 2.18 ERA, which currently ranks ninth among AL starters. He's also tied with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the third-most innings (41.1) in MLB.

Nolasco pitched through what he described as a hamstring cramp in Wednesday's loss to the Mariners. He will be re-evaluated Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Hamstring cramps would help explain the poor outing from the veteran, who gave up four runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings Wednesday. Nolasco reportedly pitched through the ailment, so it doesn't appear to be a serious issue and he could still make his next turn in the rotation against the Athletics on Monday. Even if he does make the start, the 25-year-old's 4.68 ERA makes him an unappealing option.

Morton (3-2) whiffed eight Rangers over six strong innings Wednesday, giving up just one run on five hits and two walks in a 10-1 victory.

Morton's evolution into a hard-throwing, strikeout-generating starter after age 30 has certainly been an unusual one, but strange as it is, it's hard to argue with a 39:10 K:BB over 34 innings. While his ERA is still high at 3.97, the deeper stats paint a prettier picture; Morton has a sharp 3.10 FIP and 3.19 xFIP, as he's been the recipient of some poor BABIP luck.

Snell struck out nine batters while allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over five innings in Wednesday's no-decision against Miami.

He left with a lead that the bullpen blew for him, but then again, that's what happens when you almost never go beyond five innings. It took Snell 109 pitches to get those 15 outs, so even though he's provided decent ERA for fantasy owners and this strikeout improvement was promising, he's still more upside than production. When he puts it all together, though -- and that could certainly happen this season -- Snell is going to develop into an excellent starter.

Boyd (2-2) gave up three runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 7.2 innings in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland.

He pitched well, shutting the Indians down outside of a three-run rally in the fourth inning, but Carlos Carrasco was just a bit better on the other end. Boyd has put a lot of runners on base this year, and that 23:16 K:BB is far from inspiring, yet he owns a decent 3.78 ERA. That seems destined to rise as his luck balances out, so Boyd should be started with great caution in fantasy.

Carrasco (3-2) pitched six strong innings in Detroit on Wednesday, striking out five while allowing two runs on five hits and a walk in a 3-2 win.

It says something about just how good Carrasco's been that this was one of his worst starts so far in 2017. That said, the 30-year-old righty has experienced some terrific luck -- including a .214 BABIP and 89.3 percent strand rate -- so expect that 2.18 ERA to regress into the threes. Of course, that still leaves him with plenty of fantasy value.