MLB Player News

McCullers (2-4) took the loss after throwing three innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five, during Friday's 7-3 loss to the Rangers.

McCullers' struggles on the season continued as he failed to make it through five innings for the sixth time in 10 starts. He needed 83 pitches to get through three innings, an alarming level of inefficiency, The 31-year-old has a 6.48 ERA on the season, well off the eighth-year pro's career 3.60 ERA. With 49 strikeouts in 41.2 innings this year, he's still striking out batters at a decent rate, but he must bring down his allowed walks (26) and home runs (nine) if he's to find his form again after the All-Star break.

Castillo (6-5) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings while striking out six in the 12-3 victory over the Tigers.

Castillo shined early, yielding just one earned run through the first five innings before running into trouble opening the sixth, allowing back-to-back hits and another run before being removed with a runner on third. The 32-year-old entered the matchup coming off his best start of the season and has now posted a 3.60 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 11 walks over his last six outings.

Burger (quad) said after Friday's win over Houston that he expects to play in Saturday's contest, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Burger had to come out of Friday's game after injuring his left quad while running to first base in the fifth inning, but it doesn't seem like the damage will be enough for him to miss any starts. The 29-year-old has been hot since returning from an oblique injury July 2, going 10-for-35 (.286) with a home run, six RBI and six runs scored over nine games.

Langford went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run during Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Langford kept the momentum going after his great series against the Angels and was retired only one time in Game 1 against the Astros. In the last four games, the outfielder has multiple hits in three of them, compiling a .563 batting average, two home runs and seven RBI. After hitting another homer Friday, the 23-year-old is up to 15 on the season, only one off his total from his entire rookie season.

Schultz (finger) threw a bullpen session on Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Schultz has been on the IL since late June due to inflammation in his right middle finger, and Friday is the first time since then that he's thrown off a mound. He figures to have a good chance to return when eligible immediately after the All-Star break, though his job security in Toronto's bullpen is less certain.

Garcia went 2-for-5 with a solo home run during Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Garcia homered in back-to-back games for the first time since late March, taking Lance McCullers deep in the third inning. The 32-year-old is in the midst of his most consistent stretch of hitting this season, up to a season-long seven straight games with at least one hit. He is slashing .234/.277/.398 on the season with 12 home runs and 54 RBI.

Garcia (ankle) threw a bullpen session Friday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Friday marks the first time Garcia has thrown a bullpen session since he landed on the injured list Saturday with a sprained left ankle. He won't be eligible to come off the IL until shortly after the All-Star break, but his return to the mound is a positive development for his chances of being activated following a minimum-length stay.

Fairbanks (4-3) took the loss and blew a save Friday, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while recording just one out in the 5-4 defeat to the Red Sox.

Fairbanks ran into trouble in the ninth. After retiring the first batter he faced, the 31-year-old issued a walk to Roman Anthony before surrendering a walk-off two-run homer that erased the Rays' late lead. It marked just his third blown save of the season, but the right-hander has now allowed multiple runs in three of his last 10 appearances, a stretch that has dented an otherwise solid 2025 campaign.

Leiter (5-6) picked up the win after throwing 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out six, during Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Leiter did enough to pick up the win Friday, aided by five runs of support during his outing, but struggled with his control again. The right-hander walked four batters to bring his season total up to 38 in 80.1 innings. On the flip side, the 25-year-old has struck out 18 batters over his last three starts, his most over a three-start stretch at any point this season. He enters the All-Star break with a 4.37 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 1.8 K/BB this season.

Larnach went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 2-1 win over Pittsburgh.

Larnach's 13th home run of the season came in the fourth inning against All-Star right-hander Paul Skenes, which is certainly no easy feat. Although the lefty-hitting Larnach tends to struggle versus southpaws, he's been quite effective against righties this year. Through 259 at-bats versus right-handed pitching, Larnach is hitting .270 with 12 homers, 12 doubles and 35 RBI.