MLB Player News

Flexen (2-6) took the loss Friday against Arizona, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out two.

Flexen couldn't avoid Arizona's bats in this outing, yielding a season-high nine hits and generating only six whiffs out of his 75 pitches. The Chicago right-hander now owns a 5.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 51:26 K:BB in 67.1 innings this season. Flexen returns home -- where he has been especially poor with a 5.70 ERA over 36.1 innings -- for his next scheduled start against the Astros.

Bello (6-4) took the loss Friday against the Yankees, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

Bello surrendered a two-run homer to Alex Verdugo in the first inning before the Yankees tacked on two more runs in the fifth. It's been a tough stretch for the 25-year-old, who's struggled to a 7.04 ERA over his last six starts. Bello's ERA sits at 5.00 on the season with a 1.40 WHIP and 56:24 K:BB across 63 innings. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week in Toronto.

Bradish reported having issues with his right elbow after the fifth inning of Friday's game against the Phillies, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Manager Brandon Hyde said after the game that Bradish will undergo tests on his elbow to determine the cause of the issue. The 27-year-old missed the first month of the season after suffering a UCL sprain during spring training, so it makes sense that the Orioles would be cautious with him. He's lined up to pitch again next Friday against the Astros, but his chances of making his next start will likely depend on the results of the testing.

Littell (2-5) yielded seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and a walk over two innings Friday, striking out two and taking a loss against Atlanta.

Atlanta jumped all over Littell right out of the gate, tallying five runs in the first inning and two more in the second. It was Littell's shortest outing of the year and he saw his ERA jump from 3.63 to 4.24 in the process. Over his last six starts, he's posted a 5.79 ERA in 31.2 frames. Still looking for his first win since May 11, Littell's next start is projected to come in Minnesota.

Gil (9-1) picked up the win Friday over the Red Sox, allowing one run on four hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out four.

Gil struggled with his command, but he managed to limit Boston to a lone fourth-inning run. The 26-year-old right-hander allowed three runs in his last outing against the Dodgers, but he's held opponents to one run or fewer in eight of his last nine starts. Gil's ERA is down to 2.03 with a 0.98 WHIP and 96:39 K:BB across 80 innings this year. He's currently slated for a road matchup with the Orioles in his next outing.

Verdugo went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and four total RBI in Friday's 8-1 win over the Red Sox.

It was a memorable return to Fenway Park for Verdugo, who belted a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw in the first inning from Brayan Bello before driving in two more runs later in the game. It was Verdugo's first homer since May 29 -- he's up to nine long balls on the season, just four shy of his career high. The 28-year-old outfielder is slashing .266/.319/.438 with 41 RBI and 35 runs scored through 69 games this year.

Dubon went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Friday's victory over the Tigers.

Dubon popped a 371-foot blast of Tarik Skubal in the sixth inning for his third homer of the season. The Houston utility man drew the start at first base -- his third this season -- after the Astros released Jose Abreu earlier in the day. Jon Singleton will likely see most of the action at first base, but the move does give Dubon another path to playing time. The 29-year-old sports a .301/.327/.404 slash line in 165 plate appearances with 21 runs scored and 23 RBI.

Brown (3-5) earned the win Friday against Detroit, allowing five hits and no walks over seven scoreless innings. He struck out nine.

Brown entered the game on a hot streak, firing a 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 26:8 K:BB in 24 innings over his last four starts. He kept rolling, generating 15 whiffs en route to tying his season high with nine punchouts. The right-hander has been outstanding since May 1, going 3-1 with a 2.58 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 52:15 K:BB in 45.1 innings over seven starts. Brown is slated to face the White Sox on the road in his next outing.

Skubal (8-2) took the loss Friday in Houston, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk over 6.1 innings. He struck out two.

Skubal failed to produce a quality start for just the fourth time in 14 outings this season. After completing five scoreless innings, the Tigers lefty allowed all four of his runs in the sixth, capped by a Mauricio Dubon two-run homer. In 86 innings this year, Skubal sports a 2.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 98:16 K:BB. The 27-year-old is currently scheduled to make his next start against Atlanta on the road.

Caballero was removed from Friday's game against Atlanta due to an illness, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Richie Palacios replaced the 27-year-old infielder at second base during the third inning. Caballero is slashing .241/.333/.483 across 33 plate appearances since the beginning of June and will continue to rest as he fights off his sickness.