MLB Player News

Gray allowed five runs over six innings in a 7-5 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday.

It was a bit of an odd outing for Gray as he looked excellent in shutting out the Rangers for the first five innings on only three hits, but then exploded in the sixth allowing five earned runs to blow a 5-0 A's lead. Aside that one poor inning, Gray has been very good since returning from the DL, allowing only three runs in 17.2 innings. Gray will next take the bump Tuesday at home against the Brewers.

Gibson (0-5) held the Yankees to three runs on six hits over 6.1 innings Thursday, but took another loss. He struck out four and walked a pair.

This was a far sight better than Gibson's first start off the DL, and he deserved a better fate -- he left the game with two on and one out in the seventh inning, then reliever Fernando Abad promptly gave up a three-run homer that plated the inherited runners. Still, Gibson's low-strikeout, high-walk ways don't add up to a fantasy-friendly formula, making him a consideration strictly for adventurous AL-only owners and those in extremely deep mixed leagues.

Manager John Farrell announced Thursday that Rodriguez will remain in the rotation, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez was hit hard in his start Thursday, allowing five earned runs on eight hits through just 4.1 innings en route to earning his second loss of the season. However, Farrell will allow Rodriguez to work through his struggles and keep him in the rotation for now. He will have a chance to bounce back from Thursday's outing when he takes the mound to face the White Sox on Tuesday.

Snell (0-1) was tagged for five runs (just one earned) on eight hits and three walks in only 3.1 innings Thursday against the Mariners.

A pair of Tim Beckham errors extended two rallies against Snell, but he also did himself no favors by throwing only 56 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Snell's posted an astounding 90 strikeouts in 63 innings for Triple-A Durham this season, so there's no doubt he can miss bats, but he's also averaged a walk almost every other inning, which is not a great formula for translating success in the minors to baseball's highest level. The 23-year-old will need to rein in his control to be more effective, but he'll likely see an extended opportunity to make adjustments while pitching at the back end of the Rays' rotation.

Paxton (1-2) held the Rays to three runs on seven hits over six innings Thursday for his first win of the season. He struck out five and walked two.

Despite the victory, this was Paxton's second-worst start of the four he's made this year -- he went unrewarded for sparkling outings against the Rangers and Indians that ended in defeat for Seattle. Once among the majors' most highly touted pitching prospects before injuries derailed his last two seasons, Paxton's delivered three straight quality starts while showcasing never-before-seen control (by his standards, anyhow) -- that 29:6 K:BB in 22 innings should have him flying off waiver wires.

Cobb (elbow) will throw his first live bullpen session on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cobb has been recovering from Tommy John surgery last May, and has progressed far enough to have a live bullpen session. The starter is expected to throw three or four bullpen sessions on a five-day rotation, then will get some rehab starts in the minors. The right-hander is 21-12 over his two full seasons in 2013-2014 with the Rays over 49 starts, with a career 3.21 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

Smyly notched a career-high 12 strikeouts but was still saddled with a no-decision Wednesday versus the Mariners. He gave up four hits and a two-run homer to Nelson Cruz over 6.2 innings.

The southpaw was brilliant save for one pitch, throwing 67 of 101 pitches for strikes and inducing a whopping 19 swings-and-misses. Considering he'd been blasted for 19 hits and 12 earned runs over his previous two starts, Wednesday's outing was a sight for sore eyes for both the Rays and Smyly's fantasy owners. His whiff total was not only a career high, but also represented his third start this season with double-digit strikeouts. He'll try to stay on the right track next Monday versus Josh Tomlin and the Indians.

Snell, who'll start Thursday afternoon against the Mariners, has a chance to stick in the rotation for the rest of the season, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 23-year-old, called up on June 12 to take Matt Andriese's spot in the rotation, has a definitive chance to carve out a role for the rest of the season with some strong performances. Snell was impressive in his major league debut April 23 against the Yankees, but was sent back down to Triple-A Durham following that outing. He's used the time since then to refine the mental aspects of his game, and believes the experience will serve him well in his second big-league go-round. "You just need to focus on this is where you're at, this is where you have to focus on being the best you can be," Snell said. "I gained more confidence, more trust in myself and I really believe a lot more in myself."

Walker's foot injury stems from him having extremely flat feet, which puts pressure on his tibia, but the Mariners are confident orthotics inserts in his shoes will solve the problem, the Seattle Times reports.

Walker aggravated the injury in his last start when he charged off the mound to field a bunt. He then couldn't use his leg to push off during his windup. The Mariners hope the shoe insert will arrive in time for his Sunday start. If not, Walker will pitch with his foot taped and hope he doesn't aggravate it again.

Sale (11-2) tossed seven solid frames Wednesday in a win against the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven.

He had a tough second inning in which he gave up all three runs, but otherwise largely kept his nose clean and got just enough help from his offense. Sale hit a bit of a rough patch over his prior four outings, giving up 17 runs in 22.2 innings, but there was no reason to expect those struggles would last for one of baseball's very best pitchers. His strikeout rate may be down this year, but the ratios are as excellent as ever.