MLB Player News

Burnes (6-4) earned the win against Toronto on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out nine and walking two over 7.2 innings.

Burnes allowed three runs Saturday, just his fourth time in 15 games this season he has allowed at least three earned runs. The nine strikeouts were his third-highest single-game total of the year. The righty threw 64 of 105 pitches for strikes in the outing and picked up his 11th quality start. Burnes will take a 2.41 ERA into his next appearance.

Angels interim manager Phil Nevin said Suarez will be called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to start Sunday's game against the Mariners in Anaheim, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Suarez was optioned to Triple-A last Sunday, one day after he struck out seven over 4.1 scoreless frames while starting one half of a doubleheader with the Mariners. He'll get another crack against Seattle this weekend, this time taking on the club at home. With the Angels sending the struggling Reid Detmers back to Triple-A earlier this week, Suarez could be in line for a more permanent stay in the big-league rotation.

Kikuchi (2-4) took the loss to the Brewers on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one over two innings.

Kikuchi gave up five runs, two of which were earned, to the Brewers. He threw 43 of 69 pitches for strikes across just two frames. Kikuchi has not reached five innings pitched in a game since May 25 and has met that mark in only five of 14 games this season. The lefty allowed at least two earned runs for the 11th time this season and will take a 5.08 ERA into his next appearance.

Manager Torey Lovullo confirmed that Keuchel will be called up from the minors to start Sunday's game against the Tigers, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

The club needs to make room on the 40-man roster before calling up the veteran left-hander. Keuchel was designated for assignment by the White Sox on May 28 and was picked up by Arizona later that week. He made two starts with the Diamondbacks' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, tossing 12 innings and striking out 17 between the two outings while conceding seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits and two walks.

Gray gave up two earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven innings in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers on Saturday. He did not factor into the decision.

Gray had one of his best starts of the year and has continued to show a propensity to pitch well on the road. He now boasts a 2.01 road ERA on the season and an excellent 1.13 ERA over the month of June. The home run has been Gray's major weakness, and the two-run blast he surrendered to Nathaniel Lowe was his 15th long ball in 14 appearances this season. Look for Gray to take the mound at home against the Marlins on Friday.

Keller (2-9) took the loss to the Athletics on Saturday, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking two across 3.2 innings.

Keller struggled to keep the Athletics off the board Saturday, allowing five runs, four of which were earned. It was a stark difference from Keller's previous outing, also against Oakland, when he allowed no runs on only one hit. The righty was inefficient Saturday, throwing 55 of 93 pitches for strikes over 3.2 innings. The outing raised his ERA to 4.56.

Mikolas gave up one earned run on four hits and a walk over six innings in a 5-3 win over the Cubs on Saturday. He struck out nine and did not factor into the decision.

Mikolas has now strung together four consecutive quality starts dating back to June 9, giving up only five earned runs over 29 innings of work during the stretch. He dominated the Cubs with a vicious 12-6 curveball and racked up nine strikeouts to match a season high. The 33-year-old veteran has a 14.5% K-BB%, which matches his season-long total from 2018, when he was an All-Star before missing significant time due to injury. He is tentatively scheduled to make his next start Friday at Philadelphia.

Fried pitched 6.2 innings against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out nine. He did not factor in the decision.

Fried held the Dodgers scoreless heading into the seventh inning, but a two-out single by Cody Bellinger in that frame resulted in Los Angeles' first run. Will Smith relieved Fried and allowed an inherited runner to score, and the Dodgers tied the contest in the following inning, taking both starters out of the decision. Though he wasn't able to notch a win, Fried put forth another strong effort, setting a season high with nine strikeouts while racking up 20 swings-and-misses. He posted his 11th quality start of the campaign, which trails only Joe Musgrove for most in the National League.

Lynn (1-1) gave up five earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out eight over 6.2 innings against the Orioles on Saturday. He was tagged with the loss.

Lynn's struggles continued in his third start since returning from the IL, and he has now given up 11 earned runs over those starts. The silver lining is that Lynn struck out a season-high eight batters and went fairly deep into the game while throwing 109 pitches. Three of his earned runs came in to score on a bases-loaded hit off Jose Ruiz, who was pitching in relief of Lynn in the seventh. Lynn appears to be completely healthy after suffering a meniscus tear during spring training, so there is reason to believe that the 35-year-old veteran will pitch closer to his career norms once he gets more starts under his belt.

Watkins (1-1) threw five scoreless innings, giving up five hits and one walk while striking out four, in a 6-2 win over the White Sox on Saturday.

Watkins' scoreless appearance on 78 pitches lasted just long enough for him to earn his first win of the season. It was a nice bounce-back performance after a very rough start his last time out against the Rays when he gave up three earned runs without recording an out. The Orioles' defense made two sloppy errors behind him in the third inning Saturday, but Watkins maintained his composure and was able to limit the damage to one unearned run. Watkins remains one of the least-effective pitchers in the league and has a poor 18:16 K:BB ratio over 35 innings this season. He is expected to make his next start at Minnesota on Friday.