MLB Player News

The Athletics placed Stripling on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to a strained right elbow.

Stripling is coming off a disastrous outing against the Astros on Friday, during which he allowed six runs on eight hits while striking out three over 3.2 innings to take the loss. The veteran right-hander is 1-9 over 11 starts this season with a 5.82 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 35:12 K:BB over 55.2 innings. The severity of Stripling's elbow strain is not yet clear, but he will be on the shelf until at least June 9. The Athletics selected the contract of left-hander Jack O'Loughlin from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move, and the southpaw is a candidate to enter Oakland's rotation with eight starts in the minors under his belt this season. Kyle Muller started in 13 games for the Athletics last season, and he could also see some time in the rotation with Stripling sidelined.

Renfroe went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

Renfroe did a little of everything in this contest. He's starting to find some modest success at the plate, going 7-for-27 (.259) with six RBI over his last nine games. The outfielder is slashing .164/.243/.291 with four homers, one steal, 19 RBI, 16 runs scored and five doubles over 148 plate appearances. Despite the poor numbers, Renfroe is still getting a majority of the playing time in right field over Dairon Blanco, Nelson Velazquez and Adam Frazier.

Garcia went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

Garcia's hitting streak is up to 11 games, during which he's gone 17-for-48 (.354) with five steals, six extra-base hits and eight RBI. The third baseman has 13 thefts on the year, and he's yet to be caught stealing. He's added a .266/.313/.425 slash line with five home runs, 32 RBI, 31 runs scored, 12 doubles and three triples over 50 contests as the Royals' near-everyday leadoff hitter.

Witt went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

The long ball was his third during his current seven-game hitting streak. In that span, Witt is 11-for-29 (.379) with eight extra-base hits and 11 RBI. The shortstop is having another excellent year, slashing .305/.361/.557 with eight homers, 16 steals, 34 RBI and 47 runs scored over 52 contests.

The Athletics recalled Ferguson from Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday.

Ferguson returns to the Athletics after being optioned down to Triple-A on Monday. The 30-year-old right-hander didn't give up a run over his first five major-league outings this season, but he allowed four runs on two hits and two walks over one inning against the Royals on May 19. Ferguson will rejoin Oakland's bullpen, while right-hander Brandon Bielak was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Hernandez pitched a perfect inning in Friday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

Hernandez got three straight flyouts from Jonathan Aranda, Randy Arozarena and Jose Caballero to finish off the lopsided game. Hernandez missed nearly two months to begin 2024 as well as all of spring training due to a pinched nerve in his right shoulder. He pitched to an 8.22 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB over 7.2 innings during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha, though he kept runs off the board in five of his last six outings before he was activated. The Royals' bullpen has been OK this year, with James McArthur and John Schreiber leading the way for high-leverage opportunities, so Hernandez is likely to be eased in for his first few appearances.

Frazier is starting at second base and batting sixth against the Rays on Saturday.

Frazier will get his first start at second base since May 18 against the Athletics. With Michael Massey dealing with lower-back tightness, Frazier could see some more time at second base in the immediate future. Frazier has gone 6-for-31 with one home run and three RBI in May.

Massey (back) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays.

Massey exited in the sixth inning of Friday's 8-1 over win over Tampa Bay due to lower-back tightness. Before the injury, he went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning. While the Royals evaluate Massey's back injury, Adam Frazier will start at second base Saturday and bat sixth against Rays right-hander Aaron Civale.

The Rays reinstated Devenski (knee) from the 15-day injured list Saturday.

Devenski landed on the IL on April 29 due to right knee tendinitis. He made three rehab appearances with Triple-A Durham, and in his last outing he gave up one run on two hits while striking out three over three innings. Devenski will be available for the Rays' weekend series against the Royals, and the 33-year-old right-hander is expected to be used as a long reliever upon his return.

The Rays placed Lowe on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right oblique strain.

Lowe left Wednesday's game against the Red Sox due to right side tightness, and an MRI on Thursday revealed an oblique strain for the 26-year-old. Lowe began the year on the IL due to a Grade 1 right oblique strain, and he didn't make his season debut until May 6. The severity of the new oblique strain isn't known, but given that it's on the right side again, Lowe could be on the shelf beyond the 10-day minimum. For his part, Lowe said Saturday that he's hopeful for an abbreviated stay on the shelf, and he expects to resume baseball activities Monday, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. For whatever length of time Lowe misses, Jonny DeLuca, Jose Siri and Richie Palacios should benefit from more playing time in the outfield.