MLB Player News

Hill (blister) is unlikely to be ready for his next scheduled start Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The A's options are limited, as putting Hill on the DL would prevent him from pitching again before the August 1 non-waiver trade deadline. Jesse Hahn and Zach Neal are believed to be the most likely options to slot in for Sunday's turn in the rotation against the Rays in Oakland, but their availability will hinge on their workload at Triple-A Nashville in the coming days.

Smyly will remain in the starting rotation despite his ongoing struggles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 27-year-old southpaw is now sporting an unsightly 2-11 record and 5.64 ERA that ranks as the highest among all pitchers who've thrown at least 90 frames this season. However, despite those numbers and the fact that he's given up at least four earned runs in five consecutive starts, Smyly is not a candidate for demotion at this time according to manager Kevin Cash. "Actually we talked to Drew (Tuesday), checked in, we had a good conversation," Cash said. "Drew is trying to work through this. He knows he's in a funk. At different parts of the season, I think different things have kind of left him, different pitches that he hasn't been able to find. ... We're excited to get his work in and to see him back out there Saturday in Oakland."

Keuchel allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts over 6.1 innings in a no-decision Tuesday against Oakland.

Keuchel has really figured things out over the past month. All of his past six starts have been quality starts, and he has now gone two straight starts without allowing a home run for the first time since April 26 and May 2. His season ERA is still underwhelming at 4.70, and he hasn't looked like a Cy Young contender, but things are moving in the right direction.

Snell (2-4) allowed just one hit and three walks over six shutout innings and struck out nine in a win Tuesday over the Rockies.

This was by far the best start of Snell's career, as he set a new career high in strikeouts and posted his first shutout outing in the major leagues. He was downright nasty, as Rockies hitters swung and missed 16 times in 96 pitches. And not only did Snell dominate, he did so at Coors Field, an impressive feat for anyone, much less a rookie.

Miley (6-7) allowed three runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 6.1 innings in a loss Tuesday to the White Sox.

Miley has now taken five straight losses even though two of his past three starts have been quality starts. Still, it's hard to say Miley deserved much better Tuesday night -- he gave up a pair of home runs, and considering he allowed nine baserunners, things could have been much worse. He hasn't struck out more than four batters since June 12, and his inability to miss bats is a big reason why his ERA sits at 5.36.

Quintana (8-8) allowed one run on six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over six innings in a win Tuesday against Seattle.

The only run Quintana allowed came on a solo home run, which marks the 10th home run he has allowed in just his past seven starts. While that's a disconcerting statistic, he has also struck out 45 batters in 51.2 innings in that span. Quintana has a 3.13 ERA in large part because of that strikeout ability -- his current 8.2 K/9 is the highest of his career.

Worley (2-1) lasted just 4.1 innings Tuesday against the Yankees, surrendering three runs on three hits and four walks while taking the loss.

The start was just Worley's third of the season, and doesn't exactly give the Orioles many reasons to give him another. While pitching pretty effectively as a long reliever this season, Worley needed a season-high 88 pitches to get through 4.1 innings, and raised his ERA to 3.16. While the Orioles offense typically provides plenty of run support, Worley won't be of much fantasy help in many leagues unless he can continue to earn starts and pitch better in them that he did Tuesday.

Eovaldi (8-6) pitched 5.1 innings Tuesday, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out just one en route to a win.

Eovaldi will gladly take the good but not great start against a powerful Orioles offense in his first start rejoining the Yankees rotation after being demoted to the bullpen briefly before the all-star break. While the lack of strikeouts is frustrating for fantasy owners, Eovaldi did lower his ERA to 4.93 and should keep hold of his rotation spot for the time being following the win Tuesday.

Milone (3-2) fell two outs short of a complete games, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four in Tuesday's win over the Tigers.

Milone held the Tigers scoreless until the ninth when he seemed to run out of gas. He hadn't pitched more than six innings in a game all season until Tuesday's gem. The southpaw has won all three of his starts this month, but still owns an unappealing 4.71 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. Milone will face a tough test in Boston on Sunday for his next start.

Rodon (wrist) said his wrist felt better after throwing Tuesday and will be back at it again Thursday, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rodon was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 9 after spraining his left wrist slipping down the dugout steps. He is eligible to be activated Thursday, but will likely need more time before returning to the club, as he is going to throw again Thursday to see how he feels, and could throw from 90 feet in the coming days. He recently stated that he's getting some mobility back, and should return in the near future barring any setbacks.