MLB Player News

Springs (hip) is listed as the Athletics' probable starting pitcher for Friday's game against the Tigers in Sacramento.

The left-hander exited his previous start Sunday midway through the second inning due to right hip discomfort, but he was apparently able to navigate his between-starts throwing program without issue. Returning to the bump at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, Springs won't be a recommended lineup option in the majority of fantasy leagues. He hasn't delivered a quality start since May 17 and has gone 0-6 with an 8.82 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in his last 11 outings.

Langford went 1-for-4 with with a walk, a double and an RBI in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Rays.

Langford gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning with a run-scoring double. He seems to have moved past an ankle injury suffered last weekend, when he fouled two balls off his foot, even though he didn't miss any time. However, Langford has gone just 3-for-21 (.143) in the five games since.

Bradford (elbow) struck out seven and allowed four hits and no walks over four scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Round Rock.

Making the fourth start of his rehab assignment, Bradford spotted 40 of his 56 pitches for strikes and induced 15 swings and misses. The left-hander -- who is working his way back from a June 2025 internal brace surgery -- has permitted just one run between stops with Round Rock and Double-A Frisco while posting a stellar 16:2 K:BB in 10 innings. While Jordan Montgomery (elbow) appears likely to beat him back from the 60-day injured list to take over a spot in the Texas rotation, Bradford could end up claiming a starting role once he's cleared to return. The 28-year-old will likely need just one or two more rehab starts before coming off the shelf.

Rodon (elbow) threw a "two up" session of about 30 pitches that went well Wednesday, and manager Aaron Boone said it's unclear if he'll next make a minor-league rehab start, MLB.com reports.

Rodon seems to be progressing well from the left elbow inflammation that has kept him sidelined for over a month. The veteran lefty is likely to need a rehab assignment before being activated from the IL, but for now it's uncertain if Rodon will complete additional live throwing sessions before logging game action. The hope continues to be that Rodon will be back in the big-league rotation at some point in August.

Chisholm (leg), who was removed from Thursday's game against the White Sox in the 11th inning, was dealing with cramping, MLB.com reports.

That's encouraging news after the speedy Chisholm had to be replaced by a pinch runner in the 11th frame after being intentionally walked. The veteran infielder limped off the field following a groundout in the ninth, but manager Aaron Boone said after the contest that the incident was the beginning of Chisholm's cramping issue rather than another type of injury, per the New York Post. Chisholm shared that he received treatment for the issue and is improving, so there's a chance he'll be back in the lineup Friday.

Woo (7-8) took the loss against the Dodgers on Thursday, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over five innings.

The big blow against Woo was a three-run homer by Dalton Rushing in the fourth inning. Beyond that, the right-handed hurler pitched pretty well, racking up 17 whiffs among his 91 total pitches. Woo finished with eight punchouts -- his most since June 18 -- but he's taken two straight losses, giving up exactly five runs in exactly five frames in both defeats. He'll carry a disappointing 4.56 ERA into his next start, which lines up to be a home matchup against Detroit.

Contreras went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday in a 5-4 win over the Athletics.

The Red Sox trailed by a run going into the eighth inning, but they tied the score on a solo homer by Wilyer Abreu. One batter later, Contreras launched another long ball to center field to provide what turned out to be the game-winning run. The homer was Contreras' 23rd of the campaign, one shy of the regular-season career-high mark he established with the Cubs in 2019. With 67 RBI on the campaign, he's also on pace to surpass the career-best 80 runs driven in that he recorded last year.

Barnett allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over five innings in a no-decision against Boston on Thursday.

After working in bulk relief in his previous appearance, Barnett made his first start of the season Thursday. He got through four scoreless frames before fading in the fifth, when the Red Sox tagged him for three runs on three hits. That ended up being his final frame, and he threw 73 total pitches, his highest mark in a big-league game so far this season. Barnett may not be ready for a completely full workload yet, and he could return to the bullpen when J.T. Ginn (finger) is activated from the IL, which could happen early next week.

Chapman earned a save against the Athletics on Thursday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters with no walks over one inning.

Chapman entered in the bottom of the ninth inning with Boston clinging to a one-run lead. He gave up a one-out double to put the tying run in scoring position but then struck out Colby Thomas and Nick Kurtz to slam the door shut. Chapman ran his scoreless streak to 10 appearances and notched his 26th save of the season, tied for fourth most in the majors. He could challenge his career-best mark of 38 saves.

Gray (13-2) earned the win over the Athletics on Thursday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five batters over seven innings.

Gray wasn't at his sharpest, and he fell behind 3-0 after four innings. However, the veteran hurler hung tough and gave up just one more run the rest of the way. Gray was still trailing when he threw his final pitch, but Boston put up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to propel the right-hander to his 13th victory -- tied with Cristopher Sanchez for the most in the league. Gray has stumbled a bit of late by allowing nine earned runs across 12 innings over his past two starts, but he's been so good this year that fantasy managers shouldn't be overly concerned about the mediocre two-start stretch. He's projected for a home matchup against the White Sox his next time out.