MLB Player News

Valdez (6-5) allowed a run on six hits and two walks over seven innings Sunday, striking out seven and earning a win against Baltimore.

Valdez rolled through five shutout frames without facing too much trouble before Jordan Westburg belted a solo shot in the sixth inning. The Astros gave Valdez plenty of run support as he halted a brief two-start losing streak. It was the third time this year he's struck out at least seven batters, and each of those outings have come in his last eight starts. He's produced an impressive 2.73 ERA through 33 innings this month, lowering his season mark to 3.68 across 80.2 frames. Valdez will carry a 63:26 K:BB into his next outing, which is projected to be on the road against the Mets.

Harrison is progressing in his recovery from a right ankle sprain and had been playing catch off flat ground from up to 90 feet as of Saturday, MLB.com reports.

While the fact that Harrison hasn't been shut down from activity one week after landing on the injured list is an encouraging sign, the Giants still aren't counting on the 22-year-old lefty to rejoin the rotation until July. With all of Harrison, Blake Snell (groin) and Keaton Winn (elbow) going on the IL within the past three weeks, the Giants are left with Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks as the only healthy members of their season-opening rotation.

Ray (elbow) struck out two and allowed no runs on one hit and one walk over 2.1 innings in his rehab appearance Sunday for Triple-A Sacramento.

Ray was one of three rehabbing Giants pitchers to take the bump for Sacramento on Sunday, with the lefty and Austin Warren (elbow) working behind starter Blake Snell (groin). Before moving up to Sacramento, Ray made four rehab starts in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, covering seven total innings while striking out 15 and allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks. Though his 2.1-inning appearance Sunday didn't represent a notable uptick in his workload, Ray still finished with 45 pitches (30 strikes) and turned in another clean outing. Ray looks to be building up for a starting role as he gears up for a return from Tommy John surgery, but he'll still likely need to get stretched out to around 75 pitches before the Giants are comfortable bringing him back from the 60-day injured list. Ray likely won't be a rotation option until after the All-Star break.

Chirinos is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Royals in Kansas City.

He'll make another turn through the Miami rotation after he acquitted himself well in his Marlins debut this past Wednesday against the Cardinals, striking out six while allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks over five innings in a no-decision. With the Miami pitching staff having been decimated by injuries of late, Chirinos should have the opportunity to stick in the rotation beyond Tuesday if he continues to perform reasonably well.

Snell (groin) made a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Sacramento, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while failing to strike out a batter across 1.2 innings.

Snell wasn't particularly effective in the first start of his rehab assignment, throwing just 27 of his 51 pitches for strikes in a 5-4 win over Round Rock. Following the contest, the left-hander said he anticipates needing at least one more rehab appearance, if not more, stating that he wants to be "healthy and 100 percent" before he returns from the 15-day injured list, according to Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle. Snell had been limited to just six starts in his first season with the Giants before landing on the 15-day injured list June 3 with a left groin strain.

Lodolo was limited Sunday versus the Red Sox as a result of a blister on his left index finger, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lodolo tossed 4.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out three batters against Boston. The left-hander was tagged with the loss, while the four free passes were a season high, which is likely the result of the blister on his throwing hand. Following the contest, Lodolo said that "the feeling for the ball was not the same," but that it's "not impacting him a ton," so it's possible he'll be ready to go for his next start. The 26-year-old is tentatively set to return to the mound Friday in St. Louis, but his status will be worth monitoring in the coming days.

Cortes (4-6) was saddled with the loss Sunday, allowing three runs on five hits over seven innings against Atlanta. He struck out seven.

Cortes mostly held the Atlanta bats in check to put together his third consecutive quality start and the ninth time this season he's struck out six or more batters, but the Yankees failed to provide any run support and Cortes was left with his sixth loss. Outside of a solo home run by Jarred Kelenic in the third, Cortes' only real trouble came in the fifth, when he allowed two runs on three hits. However, he finished his day strong by retiring all six batters faced in the sixth and seventh. Cortes has tossed 100.2 innings across 17 starts, accumulating 93 strikeouts. He'll take a 3.40 ERA and 1.07 WHIP into his next start, scheduled to take place when the Yankees head to Toronto for a four-game weekend set against the division-rival Blue Jays.

Fried improved to 7-3 on the season in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Yankees, striking out four while allowing one run on six hits and no walks over six innings.

Fried kept the Yankees off the board until a solo run crossed in the sixth on an Anthony Volpe double. Three of the six hits Fried allowed came during the sixth, but a timely double play ended the inning and kept Fried in line for his seventh win. Fried has now turned in eight quality starts through 15 outing, and in seventh of those starts, he's gone at least six innings while allowing no more than one earned run. He's currently scheduled to next toe the rubber against Pittsburgh when the Pirates head to Atlanta for a weekend set.

Brubaker (elbow) tossed three scoreless innings and struck out two in his first rehab start Wednesday with Single-A Tampa Bay. He gave up two hits and no walks.

Making his first appearance in affiliated ball since October 2022 following a prolonged recovery from Tommy John surgery, Brubaker exhibited few signs of rust Wednesday, albeit while matching up against a lineup of lower-level Cardinals prospects. Given that Brubaker handled three innings and 22 pitches in the rehab start, the Yankees are seemingly preparing to build him up as a rotation option once he returns from the 60-day injured list. At the moment, the Yankees don't have an opening in the rotation, and if little changes on that front over the next few weeks, Brubaker will likely be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after he completes his rehab assignment.

Skenes did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over seven innings against the Rays. He struck out eight.

Skenes got off to a bit of a rough start, allowing two extra-base hits on his first four pitches, including a leadoff homer to Yandy Diaz on the first pitch of the game, but Skenes did not allow another run for the rest of his outing. The first overall pick in the 2023 Draft continues to dominate even as his workload increases, as he struck out eight over a career-high seven innings. He's now allowed just two earned runs and has struck out 23 over his last three starts spanning 19.1 innings. He also continues to display impressive control, having not walked more than one batter during any game since walking two in his first career start May 11. Skenes is currently scheduled to take the hill next weekend when the Pirates make the trek to Atlanta for a three-game set.