MLB Player News

Clarke (arm) averaged 101.2 mph and topped out at 103.1 mph with his sinker in a rehab start with Single-A Palm Beach on Saturday.

The box score results weren't favorable, as Clarke was charged with two runs on one hit and two walks over 1.1 innings. The stuff was electric, however, with the southpaw showcasing a devastating sweeper in addition to premium velocity. Clarke got a late start to the season following surgery in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm and is expected to eventually be assigned to Double-A Springfield. Durability and control have been issues for the 23-year-old, but he could skyrocket up prospect rankings if he's able to stay healthy and throw enough strikes.

Manager Walt Weiss said Saturday that Perez (forearm) is likely to return from the 15-day injured list during Atlanta's four-game home series with San Diego that begins Monday, MLB.com reports.

The lefty appears most likely to slot back into the rotation Wednesday, which would afford ace Chris Sale an extra day of rest. Perez has been on the shelf since July 6 due to a left forearm contusion, but he's made good progress in his recovery and doesn't look like he'll require a rehab assignment. The 35-year-old doesn't miss many bats (18.6 K%, 22 percent whiff rate), but he's been able to maintain a 3.54 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 81.1 innings by generating groundballs at a healthy 47.7 percent clip.

The Pirates optioned Curtis to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

The right-hander received his first promotion to the big leagues Saturday and made his MLB debut in the second game of a doubleheader in Cleveland with five scoreless innings of bulk relief. Curtis should have a better chance of returning to the majors later this summer now that he's on the 40-man roster, though his 4.96 ERA in 18 appearances between the Double-A and Triple-A levels could be a limiting factor, even after his strong performance Saturday.

Ritchie was credited with his second hold of the season in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Rangers after striking out a batter and allowing one hit and no walks over a scoreless inning of relief.

Ritchie helped cover for the demoted Hurston Waldrep last Sunday, with Atlanta deploying him for 4.1 innings of bulk relief in a 4-3 win over St. Louis. Rather than opening the second half with Ritchie as the fifth starter, Atlanta instead handed Owen Murphy his first MLB start Saturday before Atlanta manager Walt Weiss leaned on Ritchie and six other relievers to finish out the contest. Atlanta optioned Murphy to Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday, but Ritchie appears likely to stick in the bullpen for the time being with Martin Perez (forearm) expected to return from the injured list during the upcoming week.

Boyd (6-1) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over six innings in a 6-2 victory over the Twins. He struck out four.

The veteran southpaw won his fourth straight start and picked up his sixth straight winning decision since he took the loss Opening Day against the Nationals. Since returning from knee and shoulder issues in late June, Boyd has produced a 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over five outings and 28 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next weekend in Pittsburgh.

Curtis didn't factor into the decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four.

The Pirates elected to use Mason Montgomery as an opener for the nightcap before handing the ball to Curtis as the bulk reliever for his big-league debut, and the 24-year-old right-hander turned in an impressive performance. Curtis tossed 42 of 68 pitches for strikes and left the mound with Pittsburgh ahead 3-0, only to see the bullpen melt down late and cost him the win. He's struggled somewhat in the minors this season, managing a 4.96 ERA across 74.1 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, but his 97:40 K:BB highlights his potential if he can sort out his control issues. Now that he's on the 40-man roster and has shown he can get big-league hitters out, he could be on the short list to join the rotation if Pittsburgh has a vacancy.

Littell (7-7) took the loss against the Athletics on Saturday, allowing eight runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out four batters over six innings.

Littell's outing began ominously when Jacob Wilson led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. That was one of five runs given up by the righty hurler in the first frame, so he probably deserves some kudos for ultimately making it through six innings. Nonetheless, Littell tied a season-worst mark with the eight runs he allowed, pushing his ERA up to an ugly 5.34 on the campaign. He had been showing some improvement with a 2.84 ERA and 16:3 K:BB across his final four starts before the All-Star break, but he's been very streaky this year -- in fact, the other three times he gave up eight runs came in consecutive outings in April.

Jones (2-1) picked up the win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out nine.

The right-hander set a season high in strikeouts in his ninth start since returning from Tommy John surgery in late May, tossing 48 of 74 pitches for strikes. Jones' workload is still being monitored by the Pirates -- he's topped 80 pitches just once so far in 2026 -- and he's lasted five frames only three times, but he's delivered a 4.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 48:12 K:BB over 40 innings. Jones will look to build on this result in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Cubs.

Webb took a no-decision after tossing 6.2 innings against Seattle on Saturday, giving up three runs on two hits and one walk while striking out five batters.

Webb was fantastic for six frames, allowing only two baserunners (on a single and a hit-by-pitch). However, the Mariners finally got to him in the seventh, capitalizing on another hit batsman and a walk when Cole Young tied the game with a three-run homer. While Webb still finished with a quality start, that long ball really soured his outing and kept him from notching his first win of July. The veteran right-hander is tentatively scheduled to make his next start at home against the Angels.

Meyer took a no-decision Saturday against Milwaukee, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks in three innings. He struck out five.

Meyer labored Saturday, needing 74 pitches to complete three frames in his shortest outing of the campaign. The Marlins opted to give the 27-year-old extra rest ahead of the All-Star break and skip his final turn through the rotation of the first half, and Meyer showed signs of rust in the aftermath. The right-hander should revert to more typical rest ahead of his next appearance against the Padres, still holding a strong 2.68 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 121:41 K:BB over a career-high 111 innings.