MLB Player News

Mize (3-1) picked up the win Saturday in a 3-1 victory over the Royals, allowing one run on four hits and one walk over seven innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander took a shutout into the seventh inning before serving up a solo shot to Freddy Fermin. Mize delivered his second quality start in four outings on 88 pitches (63 strikes), and he'll take a 2.22 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB through 24.1 innings into his next trip to the mound, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Orioles.

Fermin went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Tigers.

The 29-year-old backstop supplied the only offense of the afternoon for the Royals, spoiling Casey Mize's shutout bid by launching a seventh-inning slider over the fence in left-center field. it was Fermin's first long ball of the season, and through 12 games he's batting .214 (6-for-28) with two RBI and four runs.

Lugo (1-3) took the loss Saturday, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks over 6.2 innings as the Royals fell 3-1 to the Tigers. He struck out five.

The veteran right-hander delivered his second quality start in five outings on 105 pitches (68 strikes), but Kansas City's offense had trouble solving Casey Mize, magnifying the impact of Lugo's only real mistake -- a fifth-inning splitter that stayed up to Spencer Torkelson and got deposited in the left-field bullpen for a three-run homer. Lugo will take a 3.90 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB through 30 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Astros.

Rice was diagnosed with a left elbow contusion after getting hit by a pitch in Saturday's game against the Rays, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Rice was plunked twice during Saturday's contest and ran for himself on both occasions, but the Yankees decided to pull him in the sixth inning. The 26-year-old slugger also received X-rays and a CT scan on his elbow to make sure he didn't suffer any structural damage, and both tests came back negative, per Boland. He can be considered day-to-day.

Kjerstad left Saturday's game against the Reds in the third inning after getting hit by a Hunter Greene fastball on the elbow in the first inning, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

X-rays on Kjerstad's elbow came back negative after he was pulled, per Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, so he seems to have escaped with only a bruise. Ramon Laureano replaced Kjerstad in left field and could be in for more playing time if the latter ends up needing to sit another game or two. The 26-year-old Kjerstad is off to a strong start at the plate, hitting .261/.300/.500 with three homers so far, and he's now been hit by seven pitches in 70 career major-league games.

McCullers (forearm) was scratched from his rehab start at Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday due to an illness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCullers is currently fighting off a case of the stomach flu and will presumably make his next rehab start as soon as he's feeling better. His next outing is expected to be his final appearance in the minors if all goes well, which puts him on track to make his season debut for the Astros near the end of April.

Topa will open Saturday's game against Atlanta, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Topa has given up just one run in 6.2 innings this season, and he'll now be tasked with facing the top of Atlanta's lineup Saturday in what will be the first start of his major-league career. The 34-year-old righty will likely remain in the game for just one inning before handing things over to Simeon Woods Richardson, who is due to pitch in bulk relief.

Woods Richardson will pitch in bulk relief Saturday versus Atlanta, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

The 24-year-old was originally penciled in to start for the Twins, but the team will instead use Justin Topa as an opener, which will limit the number of times Woods Richardson has to face Alex Verdugo, Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna. Woods Richardson enters Saturday's contest with a 4.30 ERA and 1.57 WHIP alongside a 16:5 K:BB across 14.2 innings.

Rodgers isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Rodgers' base hit in Friday's contest snapped what had been an 0-for-12 stretch at the plate, and he'll now get to rest against Michael King and the Padres. Jose Altuve will shift to second base as a result, moving Yordan Alvarez into left field while Yainer Diaz serves as the DH.

Woods Richardson was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against Atlanta.

It's unclear why Woods Richardson is being held out of Saturday's contest, but the Twins should provide more information in the near future. In the meantime, Justin Topa will fill in as an opener.