MLB Player News

Vasquez covered 4.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Giants, striking out a batter while allowing three hits and one walk.

Vasquez got the start in his previous appearance but worked in tandem with JP Sears, pitching the first 2.2 innings before the lefty came on to cover the next 3.1 frames. The two essentially swapped roles Thursday, with Sears starting and yielding three earned runs over 3.2 innings before Vasquez entered in the top of the fifth to mop up. Sears and Vasquez may end up piggybacking again the next time through the rotation Tuesday in Arizona, though the makeup of the San Diego pitching staff could change by Monday's trade deadline.

Marquez is likely to work multiple innings in relief behind opener Bradgley Rodriguez in Friday's game against the Giants, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.

Rodriguez has covered exactly one inning in each of his previous three starts this season, so he'll likely be in line to work the opening frame again Friday before the Padres turn the game over to the bullpen. Marquez will be available on six days' rest and should be capable of providing some length after starting each of his last four appearances. He went 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB in 14.1 innings during that stretch.

Whisenhunt is slated to start Friday's game against the Padres in San Diego.

Whisenhunt will receive a second turn through the rotation after he took the loss last Sunday against the Angels, striking out seven and allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. With Trevor McDonald (elbow) and Hayden Birdsong (elbow) done for the season and Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle both candidates to be dealt ahead of Monday's trade deadline, Whisenhunt should have a fairly clear path to sticking around in the rotation.

Springs (hip) is listed as the Athletics' probable starting pitcher for Friday's game against the Tigers in Sacramento.

The left-hander exited his previous start Sunday midway through the second inning due to right hip discomfort, but he was apparently able to navigate his between-starts throwing program without issue. Returning to the bump at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, Springs won't be a recommended lineup option in the majority of fantasy leagues. He hasn't delivered a quality start since May 17 and has gone 0-6 with an 8.82 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in his last 11 outings.

Rodon (elbow) threw a "two up" session of about 30 pitches that went well Wednesday, and manager Aaron Boone said it's unclear if he'll next make a minor-league rehab start, MLB.com reports.

Rodon seems to be progressing well from the left elbow inflammation that has kept him sidelined for over a month. The veteran lefty is likely to need a rehab assignment before being activated from the IL, but for now it's uncertain if Rodon will complete additional live throwing sessions before logging game action. The hope continues to be that Rodon will be back in the big-league rotation at some point in August.

Woo (7-8) took the loss against the Dodgers on Thursday, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over five innings.

The big blow against Woo was a three-run homer by Dalton Rushing in the fourth inning. Beyond that, the right-handed hurler pitched pretty well, racking up 17 whiffs among his 91 total pitches. Woo finished with eight punchouts -- his most since June 18 -- but he's taken two straight losses, giving up exactly five runs in exactly five frames in both defeats. He'll carry a disappointing 4.56 ERA into his next start, which lines up to be a home matchup against Detroit.

Sasaki (5-5) earned the win over Seattle on Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven batters over 5.1 innings.

Sasaki looked dominant for most of the outing, as he racked up 18 whiffs and kept the Mariners out of the scoring column through five frames. However, the right-hander ran out of steam in the sixth, when he allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while retiring just one batter. Fortunately for Sasaki and the Dodgers, Jack Dreyer came on in relief and closed the inning without allowing any additional damage. That kept Sasaki in line for the win, which was his second straight victory following an eight-outing winless stretch. It's been an up-and-down campaign for the Japanese hurler, but he's closed July on a high note, posting a 2.25 ERA with a 26:7 K:BB over 24 innings spanning his past four starts. He's lined up to make his next appearance on the road against the Cubs.

Sears (3-4) took the loss against San Francisco on Thursday, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out two batters.

Sears was back as a traditional starter after working in long relief his previous time out. He got off to a shaky beginning, giving up a run in each of his first two frames. Sears' final line could have been much worse -- he loaded the bases in the fourth before turning the ball over to the bullpen with two outs, and Wandy Peralta got out of the jam when a pitch that was initially called ball four was overturned to strike three upon review. Sears had been pitching well coming into Thursday, posting a 2.04 ERA with a 14:4 K:BB over 17.2 innings across his first four starts in July, so he'll likely remain in the rotation for the time being. He's slated to make his next start in Arizona.

Ray (10-6) earned the win over San Diego on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings.

Ray delivered a first-pitch strike to 15 of the 22 batters he faced and notched 10 whiffs. He recorded a quality start on just 86 pitches and kept the ball in the park for a fourth straight start. Ray had a 3-6 record at the end of May, but since then he's reeled off seven consecutive wins, compiling an elite 1.65 ERA over 60 innings during that span. The veteran lefty is a prime candidate to be traded ahead of Monday's deadline, but if he remains with San Francisco, he's lined up to make his next start on the road against the Rangers.

Gray (13-2) earned the win over the Athletics on Thursday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters over seven innings.

Gray wasn't at his sharpest, and he fell behind 3-0 after four innings. However, the veteran hurler hung tough and gave up just one more run the rest of the way. Gray was still trailing when he threw his final pitch, but Boston put up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to propel the right-hander to his 13th victory -- tied with Cristopher Sanchez for the most in the league. Gray has stumbled a bit of late by allowing nine earned runs across 12 innings over his past two starts, but he's been so good this year that fantasy managers shouldn't be overly concerned about the mediocre two-start stretch. He's projected for a home matchup against the White Sox his next time out.