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Jose Urena SP | LAA
White Sox's Jose Urena: Contract selected ahead of start
Urena's contract was selected as expected Saturday ahead of his scheduled start against the Tigers.
Urena opened the year in the Rockies' rotation but didn't last a month before being designated for assignment, having posted a 9.82 ERA and 9:14 K:BB across five starts. He spent most of the middle part of the season pitching for Triple-A Rochester in the Nationals system, where he struggled to a 6.31 ERA. He could remain in Chicago's rotation the rest of the year with Michael Kopech moving to the bullpen, but he's unlikely to be a usable option in many fantasy leagues.
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Brad Keller RP | PHI
Royals' Brad Keller: Returns from injured list
Keller (shoulder) was reinstated off the 60-day injured list Saturday.
Keller recorded a 4.36 ERA in nine starts before suffering a shoulder injury in mid-May, though his combination of a 15.4 percent strikeout rate and a 19.9 percent walk rate portends worse results. He's worked as a reliever while on his rehab assignment, posting a 6.10 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 10.1 innings, and figures to step into a low-leverage relief role over the final few weeks given that he isn't stretched out to start.
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MacKenzie Gore SP | TEX
Nationals' MacKenzie Gore: Lands on IL
The Nationals placed Gore on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left finger blisters, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Gore's blisters could help explain why he was tagged with four runs in four innings during Friday's loss to the Dodgers. He'll be shut down for the next two weeks which still leaves some room for him to potentially make another start before the end of the year, though it's possible the Nats keep him out for the rest of the season. Joe La Sorsa was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.
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Chase Anderson RP | TEX
Rockies' Chase Anderson: Gets another turn through rotation
Anderson is scheduled to start Saturday's game at San Francisco.
After a nearly six-week stint on the injured list while he recovered from shoulder inflammation, Anderson returned to the Colorado rotation last weekend, giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings in a no-decision against Toronto. Though he owns a poor 5.98 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 64.2 innings in the majors this season, Anderson looks like he'll stick around in the Colorado rotation for the foreseeable future after Austin Gomber back) was recently shut down for the season.
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Randy Vasquez SP | SD
Yankees' Randy Vasquez: Candidate for starting role
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has mentioned Vasquez and Jhony Brito as possible replacements for Luis Severino (side) in the team's rotation, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Severino exited Friday's game against the Brewers with a left side injury, and he was placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday. That means New York now has a rotation spot to fill, and rookies Vasquez and Brito appear to be the leading candidates for the role. Vasquez has posted a solid 2.35 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 26.2 innings this season, though his 22:13 K:BB isn't ideal. He's pitched twice in relief since being recalled from the minors Sept. 1 but was mostly used as a starter during earlier stints with the Yankees this season.
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Jhony Brito RP | SD
Yankees' Jhony Brito: Could move into rotation
Brito is a candidate to replace the injured Luis Severino (side) in the Yankees' rotation, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Severino was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday after leaving Friday's start early due to an injury to his left side. Brito took over for him in the fifth frame, allowing a run on three hits and a walk while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings. Though the rookie right-hander has been coming out of the bullpen of late, 13 of his 20 big-league outings have been as a starter, and he's compiled a 4.83 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 57:26 K:BB over 76.1 innings overall. Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that Brito and Randy Vasquez are both in the running to take Severino's spot in the rotation moving forward.
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Luis Severino SP | ATH
Yankees' Luis Severino: Placed on injured list
Severino landed on the 15-day injured list with an upper-body injury on his left side Saturday.
Severino's test results have not yet been revealed, so he's yet to be officially diagnosed with an oblique strain, but the Yankees don't seem optimistic. He'll technically have time to return to the mound before the end of the year, but there's a very real chance he's already thrown his last pitch in pinstripes given that his contract is up at the end of the year. If his season is indeed over, the 29-year-old righty will finish with a 6.65 ERA and 1.65 WHIP across 19 outings, a far cry from the career 3.39 ERA and 1.12 WHIP he'd posted through the end of 2022.
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Tanner Houck SP | BOS
Red Sox's Tanner Houck: Bounced by O's
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.
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Kyle Bradish SP | BAL
Orioles' Kyle Bradish: Fans nine in 11th win
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.
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Yusei Kikuchi SP | LAA
Blue Jays' Yusei Kikuchi: Sharp in no-decision
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.