MLB Player News

The Twins optioned Matthews to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

After striking out 10 batters in five innings during his start Friday, Matthews will head back to the minors to create roster space for A.J. Minter and open a spot in the rotation that will presumably be filled by Dean Kremer. Matthews has posted a 5.22 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 81 innings this season and is likely to remain as a depth piece at St. Paul for most of the remainder of the year, barring an injury to one of the Twins' starters.

The Cardinals selected Mathews' contract from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

After posting a 3.13 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through 92 innings at Memphis, Mathews will make his MLB debut Saturday against a Blue Jays lineup that's put up just a .642 OPS since the All-Star break. His promotion gives the Cardinals six starters in their rotation, though the 25-year-old could claim a permanent spot with the big club if St. Louis trades away another starter before the deadline Monday. Matt Svanson was optioned to Triple-A Memphis to make room for Mathews on the active roster, and Tink Hence was DFA'd to clear a 40-man spot.

Springs (3-11) took the loss Friday versus the Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits and five walks over four innings in a 13-1 defeat. He struck out two.

Springs exited his previous start last weekend due to hip discomfort, but he was able to make his next turn through the rotation. The left-hander didn't show much command Friday, as he set a season high in walks while throwing just 44 of 86 pitches for strikes. Springs has surrendered at least one home run in five straight starts and has a 9.13 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and 15:20 K:BB over 23.2 innings during that stretch. His 11 losses this season tie him with Tanner Bibee for the most in the majors.

Wacha (5-8) took the loss against the Rockies on Friday, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out seven across six innings.

The only earned run Wacha gave up was on an RBI single in the first inning, with the other two runs in the fourth being credited as unearned due to a throwing error by Michael Massey. Wacha kept Colorado in check for most of Friday's outing but still got hit with the loss as his Kansas City teammates mustered only one run. Even so, the veteran right-hander has logged quality starts in each of his three outings since the All-Star break and is up to 15 quality starts on the season, tied for second most in the majors behind Sandy Alcantara (16). Wacha will take a 3.51 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 138.1 innings into his next start, which is lined up for next week at home against the Twins.

Johnson (2-6) took the loss Friday versus Milwaukee, giving up five runs on six hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander held the Brewers to a single run through four innings, but the wheels fell off in the fifth when Milwaukee rallied for five runs, four of which were charged to Johnson. The 23-year-old has now surrendered 13 runs across 7.2 frames in his past two outings and has allowed at least one homer in six consecutive appearances. Johnson now has a 7.63 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 37:20 K:BB over 46 innings this season.

Drohan (6-4) earned the win Friday against the Angels, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

The left-hander was originally scheduled to start Wednesday in San Francisco before having his start pushed back, and he excelled with the extra time off. Drohan delivered his fifth quality start of the campaign and has been providing Milwaukee with consistent length recently, as he's covered at least six frames in each of his past five starts. He'll carry a 3.48 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 89:24 K:BB across 88 innings into an expected matchup with the Pirates next week.

Sugano (11-4) earned the win against the Royals on Friday, allowing one run on five hits while striking out two across 6.2 innings. He did not issue a walk.

Sugano kept the Royals in check for most of Friday's start, with Carter Jensen's solo home run in the sixth being the only blemish to the right-hander's line. It was Sugano's second quality start in three outings since the All-Star break and sixth of the season. He'll take a 4.47 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 102.2 innings into his next start, which is lined up for next week at home against the Rays.

Caminiti struck out a career-high 14 batters for High-A Rome on Friday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 6.2 innings.

The 19-year-old southpaw has had a somewhat inconsistent season in the South Atlantic League, but Caminiti flashed his impressive ceiling Friday, firing 67 of 96 pitches for strikes with an incredible 32 whiffs in his longest outing of the year. Caminiti has been locked in since getting a two-week break to reset at the beginning of June, and over his last eight starts he's delivered a 2.37 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB over 38 innings. Given his current form, a promotion to Double-A seems likely before the end of the season.

Bello (3-6) earned the win Friday, throwing four scoreless innings against the Dodgers. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out three in a 9-4 win.

Bello has been lights out since his return from the minors, although it's been as a reliever. In three relief appearances, Bello has allowed one run over 13.2 innings while throwing at least four innings in each outing. He's been so effective that the Red Sox are considering starting him again, per Doug Padilla of MLB.com. "We'll talk about that," interim manager Chad Tracy said. "You got, after the off day [Monday], the 16 games in a row. So once we get past that off day and the deadline, you start looking at where we can get creative with things." As a starter in 2026, Bello has a 10.35 ERA and 2.21 WHIP over eight starts (35.2 innings).

Young didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 6-4 win over the Phillies, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

A J.T. Realmuto solo shot in the sixth inning chased Young from the game and cost him his 10th quality start of the season, but the right-hander was taken off the hook for his third loss when the Orioles' offense woke up in the seventh. Young hasn't been tagged with a loss since June 16, going 3-0 over his last seven starts with a 3.51 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 41:13 K:BB through 41 innings. He'll look to get back in the win column in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Angels.