MLB Player News

Spence (6-6) earned the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Spence allowed a run in the third inning and was pulled at 85 pitches after yielding another in the sixth. He generated only six swinging strikes but limited hard contact and received plenty of early run support. On the season, the 26-year-old owns a 4.67 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 75:26 K:BB across 88.2 innings and lines up for a rematch with the Angels next week.

Verlander (neck) threw 40 pitches during a bullpen session Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Verlander is recovering from a neck injury that has sidelined him since June 18, but he's thrown a pair of bullpen sessions in the last week and was stretched out to 40 pitches Saturday. At this point, it's unclear if the 41-year-old will require a minor-league rehab stint.

Kochanowicz (0-2) took the loss against the Athletics on Saturday, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings.

Kochanowicz surrendered a three-run home run to Brent Rooker in the first frame and then four more runs in the fourth. The rookie has yielded 11 earned runs in his first seven major-league innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Should he remain in the rotation, the 23-year-old lines up for a rematch with the Athletics next week.

Tucker (lower leg) participated in "intense defensive drills" Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Tucker resumed baseball activities this week that have progressed from light to intense. Saturday's update indicates that Tucker could be ready for a rehab assignment in the near future -- an expected step in his recovery considering he's been shelved since early June.

Guerrero went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Tigers.

Guerrero singled in the first and fourth innings before crushing a two-run homer in the sixth. After cooling down a bit to open July, the first baseman has homered in three consecutive contests while tallying three hits twice. On the season, he is batting .293 with 16 home runs, 59 RBI and 49 runs scored across 423 plate appearances.

Rogers went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Rogers broke the game open with a grand slam off Trevor Richards in the sixth inning. The long ball was his first since June 29, as he has been sharing catching duties with Carson Kelly. On the year, the 29-year-old is hitting .204 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and 28 runs scored across 199 plate appearances.

Kikuchi (4-9) took the loss against the Tigers on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings.

Kikuchi allowed one run over his first five frames but loaded the bases to open the sixth. He was pulled at 94 pitches and all three inherited runners scored on a grand slam. The southpaw generated an impressive 15 swinging strikes, but he has now yielded at least four earned runs in six of his past 10 starts and hasn't won a game since June 11. On the season, he owns a 4.54 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 125:28 K:BB over 111 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Rangers next week.

Dubon is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mariners, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chroniclereports.

Dubon entered the All-Star break hitless in his last 10-at bats and has been on the bench in back-to-back games to open up the second half of the season. Once again, Joey Loperfido, Jake Meyers and Trey Cabbage will fill the outfield from left to right.

An MRI on Saturday revealed Bichette's right calf strain to be moderate, and he'll miss multiple weeks due to the injury, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Bichette strained his calf Friday for the second time this month and was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier Saturday. Further testing revealed the injury will require a multi-week absence, keeping the star shortstop sidelined into August. In his stead, Leo Jimenez should handle most of the shortstop work, though Addison Barger and Ernie Clement could mix in at the position.

Buxton is starting in center field and batting third Saturday versus the Brewers.

Buxton was absent from the Twins' lineup for the team's final two games prior to the All-Star break, but he'll be back in action Saturday. A streaky hitter, Buxton has been on a tear since early June, batting .376 with six home runs, 22 RBI, 25 runs scored and three stolen bases over his last 101 at-bats. He'll look to keep up the hot streak as Minnesota officially kicks off the second half of their season against Milwaukee.