MLB Player News
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Tarik Skubal SP | DET
Tigers' Tarik Skubal: Dazzles in rehab start
Skubal (elbow) tossed five scoreless innings Sunday in a rehab start with High-A West Michigan, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out six batters.
Back on the mound for the first time since undergoing surgery May 6 to remove a loose body from his left elbow, Skubal exhibited no signs of rust. Though he was facing off against lower-caliber competition, Skubal was supremely efficient, spotting 44 of his 54 total pitches for strikes. According to Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press, Skubal tossed an additional 15 pitches out of the bullpen following the start, so he could be stretched out enough to make his next appearance with the big club. The Tigers will presumably reassess Skubal in a bullpen session within the next few days, and if all goes well, he could rejoin the Detroit rotation as soon as Friday in Cleveland. Even if the Tigers elect to send Skubal out for another rehab start, he's still on track to easily beat his initial estimated recovery timeline of 2-to-3 months following surgery.
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Justin Foscue 2B | TEX
Rangers' Justin Foscue: Contributes early in win
Foscue started at second base and went 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Sunday's 10-0 win over Cleveland.
Foscue got the rout started early with a two-run home run in the first inning. This was just his second start in the last eight games, both when the Rangers faced a left-hander. The semi-regular role he had at second base went away when the Rangers added free agent Nicky Lopez. Now, with Corey Seager back from the injured list, Ezequiel Duran will be the primary starter at the keystone.
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Kevin Gausman SP | TOR
Blue Jays' Kevin Gausman: No-decision vs. Baltimore
Gausman did not factor into Sunday's decision against the Orioles, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five across five innings. He did not issue a walk.
Gausman was dominant through four innings, limiting the Orioles to just one baserunner over that span. Unfortunately for the right-hander, he proceeded to give up four runs in the fifth inning, three of which came on home runs from Taylor Ward and Colton Cowser. It was a bit of bad luck for Gausman, as three of those runs wouldn't have happened if Brandon Valenzuela could have squeezed a foul tip that would've ended the inning with a strikeout, which ultimately led to an RBI double from Blaze Alexander. Gausman escaped with the no-decision after his teammates rallied for five runs in the fifth, but he's now given up four runs in back-to-back starts, which has him at a 3.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 80 innings this season. His next start is slated for next weekend at home against the Yankees.
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Wyatt Langford LF | TEX
Rangers' Wyatt Langford: Pops homer in win
Langford went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 10-0 win over the Guardians.
Langford launched just his second home run of the season in the fourth inning. Of course, he has a good excuse for the low HR output; Langford missed a little more than six weeks with a forearm injury and was recently activated from the IL on Friday. He batted leadoff for the second time in three games off the IL, both coming against left-handers.
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Yohendrick Pinango LF | TOR
Blue Jays' Yohendrick Pinango: Sparks five-run sixth inning
Pinango went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during the Blue Jays' 6-4 win over the Orioles on Sunday.
Shane Baz kept the Blue Jays off the board through the first five innings, but Pinango turned things around for his team with a solo home run in the sixth, the first of five runs in the frame. It was the fourth home run of the season for Pinango, who is slashing .301/.333/.456 with 17 RBI and eight extra-base hits over 108 plate appearances this season. While he's been productive at the plate, Pinango has not been as good in the outfield, which has limited his playing time. He could be facing even less reps in the outfield once Addison Barger (elbow) returns from the injured list.
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Steven Kwan CF | CLE
Guardians' Steven Kwan: Lone bright spot in loss
Kwan went 2-for-3 in Sunday's 10-0 loss to Texas.
Not much went right for the Guardians, but Kwan's two-hit effort continued a positive stretch for the slumping outfielder. This was his fourth multi-hit performance over the last 10 games. Kwan has gone 12-for-35 (.343) with six runs scored during that stretch.
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Louie Varland RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Louis Varland: Records four-out save Sunday
Varland collected his 11th save of the season against the Orioles on Sunday, when he allowed one hit while striking out two across 1.1 scoreless innings.
Varland was brought out in the eighth inning with a man on base, who ended up being stranded after the right-hander struck out Leody Taveras. Varland was brought back out for the ninth and gave up an infield single to Colton Cowser, but the former closed the door on the Orioles with another punchout, marking the 14th time this season that Varland has recorded at least two strikeouts. He's now a perfect 11-for-11 on save opportunities and has a 0.26 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45:9 K:BB across 34.2 innings this season.
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Griffin Jax SP | TB
Rays' Griffin Jax: No-decision vs. Miami
Jax did not factor into Sunday's decision against the Marlins, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four across five scoreless innings.
It was a nice bounce-back performance from Jax after he allowed three home runs in his last outing against the Tigers this past Monday. He tossed 37 strikes on 62 pitches Sunday while generating nine whiffs, and it was the third time this season that he completed five frames, all of which have come over his last five starts. Jax sits at a 4.15 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 36:18 K:BB across 39 innings this season, and his next start is slated for next weekend on the road against the Angels.
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Ranger Suarez SP | BOS
Red Sox's Ranger Suarez: Sharp in no-decision
Suarez did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Yankees, allowing a run on six hits over 6.1 innings. He struck out six.
It was a strong effort from Suarez, who made it through six innings for the first time since April 27, as he held the Yankees scoreless until Paul Goldschmidt's two-out RBI single in the fifth. Suarez had been struggling coming into the day, allowing nine runs over 10 innings in his previous two outings. Overall, his ERA sits at 3.18 with a 1.14 WHIP and 63:19 K:BB across 12 starts (65 innings) this season. Suarez is tentatively lined up to face the Rangers at home in his next start.
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Cam Schlittler SP | NYY
Yankees' Cam Schlittler: Rebounds Sunday
Schlittler did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Red Sox, allowing a run on four hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
It was an encouraging bounce-back showing from Schlittler after he gave up five runs in 4.1 innings in a loss to Cleveland his last time out. The right-hander blanked the Red Sox for five innings before giving up a lone run on a Willson Contreras two-out double in the sixth. Most encouraging was Schlittler's fastball velocity, which averaged 97.5 MPH, up from the 96.8 he averaged against the Guardians. Schlittler's ERA now sits at an AL-best 1.87 with a 0.87 WHIP and 89:14 K:BB across 14 starts (82 innings). He's currently slated to face the Blue Jays on the road his next time out.