MLB Player News

Houck (4-9) took the loss Friday, coughing up five runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.1 innings as the Red Sox were routed 11-2 by the Orioles. He struck out five.

The right-hander held Baltimore off the board for three innings before a Ryan O'Hearn solo shot in the fourth cracked open the floodgates. Houck has struggled since his return to the rotation, posting a 6.05 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB through 19.1 innings in four starts, and while the Red Sox remain on the fringes of the wild-card picture, they're more likely to stick with the 27-year-old in the name of his future development rather than shift him to the bullpen. Houck's next start lines up for a meeting with the Yankees next week at Fenway Park.

Bradish (11-6) picked up the win Friday, giving up two runs on four hits over six innings in an 11-2 rout of the Red Sox. He struck out nine without walking a batter.

The right-hander cruised to his fourth straight win and fifth straight quality start, and Bradish's nine strikeouts were his most since he fanned 10 Brewers on June 8. He hasn't taken a loss since late July, posting a 5-0 record with a 2.38 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 50:12 K:BB through 41.2 innings since the beginning of August, emerging as the O's ace as the team tries to win its first AL East crown since 2014. With John Means (elbow) set to join the rotation soon, Bradish will likely get an extra day of rest before his next start, which figures to come at home next week against the Rays.

Kikuchi came away with a no-decision Friday in the Blue Jays' 5-4 win over the Royals, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out eight.

The southpaw hasn't picked up a win in over a month, but he pitched well enough Friday, generating 32 called or swinging strikes on 88 pitches. During his winless streak, Kikuchi has posted a 3.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 41:9 K:BB through 33.1 innings, so his luck figures to turn at some point. He's next set to take the mound at home next week against the Rangers.

Marsh didn't factor into the decision Friday in the Royals' 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over four relief innings. He struck out six.

Entering the game to begin the third inning after Collin Snider had supplied two scoreless frames as the opener, Marsh looked sharp as he generated 23 called or swinging strikes on only 65 pitches. The right-hander was briefly in line for his first win of the season when Kansas City took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, but the bullpen immediately fell apart in the bottom of the inning. Marsh has given up three runs or fewer in five of his last six outings, and while a blowup against Boston has left him with a 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP during that stretch, his 34:14 K:BB through 28 innings at least shows some promise. His next appearance, whether as a starter or bulk reliever, is likely to come on the road next week against the White Sox.

Kluber (shoulder) had his first rehab appearance pushed from Friday to Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Kluber had been scheduled to pitch Friday for Triple-A Worcester, but a travel issue delayed the outing until Saturday. He will return to the Red Sox as a reliever.

Gore came away with a no-decision Friday in the Nationals' 8-5 loss to the Dodgers, giving up four runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- and two walks over four innings. He struck out four.

The southpaw didn't have his best stuff and got hit hard as a result, serving up a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez in the first inning before Max Muncy and Enrique Hernandez tagged him for solo shots in the fourth. It's the third time in his last five starts Gore has given up multiple home runs, and since the All-Star break the 24-year-old has a 4.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 43:18 K:BB through 46.2 innings as he shows signs of fatigue -- he's already thrown 49.1 more innings this year than he did in 2022. If he stays on turn, Gore's next outing will likely come next week in Pittsburgh.

Sheehan came away with a no-decision Friday in the Dodgers' 8-5 win over the Nationals, giving up five runs on six hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

Twice the right-hander got handed a two-run lead, and twice he quickly coughed it up, serving up a three-run homer to Keibert Ruiz in the first inning and a two-run shot to CJ Abrams in the fifth. Sheehan's fallen short of five innings in each of his last three starts in the majors, posting a 5.84 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 13:5 K:BB and 3.6 HR/9 in 12.1 innings during those outings, and its not clear if he'll remain a regular member of the rotation over the final weeks of the season.

Liberatore (3-5) walked one and struck out three over 1.1 scoreless and hitless innings to earn the win Friday over the Reds.

Liberatore was deemed the most effective reliever and awarded the win after starter Drew Rom went just 3.2 innings. This was Liberatore's second outing since returning from a back injury, and he's struck out four without giving up a hit over 2.2 innings. The southpaw is expected to fill a multi-inning role out of the bullpen for the rest of the year. He has a 5.81 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 39:22 K:BB through 52.2 innings over 14 appearances (11 starts) this season.

Blach allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out six over five-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Friday.

Blach kept the Giants off the board for five innings, then gave up back-to-back-to-back home runs to Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger and J.D. Davis in the sixth. This is the first time all year Blach's allowed multiple homers in an outing, a feat made all the more impressive given his home park -- and more perplexing, since this was a road start. The southpaw is at a 4.58 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 34:16 K:BB over 59 innings through 16 appearances (nine starts) this season. He's lined up for a home outing against the Cubs next week.

Harrison allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out five over five-plus innings Friday in a no-decision versus the Rockies.

The Rockies got to him for three runs in the second inning and Nolan Jones added a solo home run in the sixth to end Harrison's night. Perhaps this represented progress for the rookie, but it still wasn't a particularly impressive effort. He's struck out at least five batters in all four of his starts while posting a 4.87 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 26:7 K:BB across 20.1 innings. Harrison is projected for a home start versus light-hitting Cleveland next week, which should also allow him to avoid a visit to Coors Field when the Giants and Rockies clash again next weekend.