MLB Player News

Twins starting pitcher Tommy Milone, who is on the 15-day disabled list due to a mild elbow strain, began his throwing program Thursday. Assistant general manager Rob Antony said everything went well for Milone on Thursday.

The Twins are targeting an Aug. 16 return for the left-hander, who is 5-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 14 starts.

Yankees rookie starter Luis Severino was solid in his Major League debut on Wednesday night. Severino held the Red Sox to two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk, though he did have a rather high pitch count--94, with 59 strikes.

Severino was left with the loss however, as the Yankees were unable to solve Steven Wright in the 2-1 loss. Severino gave up a run in the second inning, and then allowed a solo home run to David Ortiz in the fourth.

The rookie right-hander was rated the 25th-best prospect in the game by MLB.com at the start of the season. It seems likely that Severino will get at least one more start with the Yankees before any future decisions are made.

Good wasn't good enough for Royals newcomer Johnny Cueto on Wednesday. He was outpitched by Detroit rookie Matt Boyd.

Cueto yielded two earned runs on five hits in seven innings with two walks and just two strikeouts, his lowest total in a game in which he has pitched more than six frames this season.

His evening was marred only by a run-scoring triple by Anthony Gose in the third inning and sacrifice fly by Victor Martinez in the fourth.

Cueto remains winless in two starts with Kansas City.

It would not have been hard Wednesday against Kansas City for Tigers rookie starter Matt Boyd to improve on his last outing. All he had do for that was record one out, which somehow he could not manage to do on July 2 against Boston.

But Boyd didn't merely perform better. He was excellent in taming the Royals on just one run in seven innings for his first major league victory. Boyd allowed seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

His lone hiccup was an RBI triple by Kendrys Morales in the fourth. He escaped jams in the fifth and sixth before retiring the last four batters he faced.

Boyd nearly sliced his ERA in half with his fine performance. It shrunk from 14.85 to 7.90.

If his outing Wednesday is any indication, perhaps Mariners starter Taijuan Walker has found the consistency he has been searching for all season.

Walker performed well again, this time in the launching pad in Colorado. He gave up three earned runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned five in the no-decision.

He faced only two batters over the minimum in blanking the Rockies over the first five. He was touched by a three-run homer by sizzling Carlos Gonzalez in the sixth, but recovered to keep his team ahead in a game it eventually lost.

Walker has recorded three straight quality starts. He has surrendered just seven runs on 12 hits in his last 22 1/3 innings.

White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodon didn't have his best stuff on Wednesday against the Rays.

Rodon lasted just 4 2/3 innings because he allowed four runs on six hits. He walked two batters and allowed a home run in the no-decision. Rodon's last two starts have been shaky, as he has allowed 12 runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Rodon (4-4) now has a 5.00 ERA in 84 2/3 innings this season.

The Orioles have shuffled their rotation plans for a weekend series against the Angels with Chris Tillman's status still up in the air.

Kevin Gausman will start the series opener on Friday and will be followed by Ubaldo Jimenez. Sunday's starter has not been announced, but it could be Tillman, who was originally scheduled to pitch Saturday. He is sidelined due to an ankle injury. 

If Tillman can't pitch Sunday, then it could be Miguel Gonzalez in the series finale.

Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman, who has been sidelined all season due to a torn ACL, will throw off the mound next Wednesday for the first time since getting hurt during spring training, manager John Gibbons told reporters.

Gibbons didn't assure Stroman would be back this season, but if he is available to pitch in September, it will be out of the bullpen.

Mariners pitcher Vidal Nuno will be in the rotation for at least one more start, manager Lloyd McClendon told reporters Wednesday. However, McClendon still not viewing Nuno as a full-time starter.

The left-hander made his first start of the season Tuesday, allowing three runs on five hits (two home runs) and two walks in 3 2/3 innings at Colorado. He struck out three and threw 62 pitches.

Indians starter Carlos Carrasco went nine innings for the second straight game, but he left as the game went to extra innings, settling for a no-decision. 

Carrasco allowed just one hit and didn't give up a run, but the Indians also couldn't score. He walked one batter and struck out seven. 

Carrasco joined some elite company with a gem ending in a no-decision. He's the fourth pitcher to allow one hit to the Angels over nine innings and not earn a win, and first since Randy Johnson. 

He's the first MLB pitcher to have nine scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit or fewer in a no-decision since Matt Harvey, in 2013.

After striking out seven and allowing just two hits in a complete game last start, Carrasco is the first AL pitcher with back-to-back starts with nine innings, seven strikeouts and no more than 2 hits since Teddy Higuero, in 1987.