MLB Player News

Julien went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Julien led the game off with a single and added another base knock in the top of the eighth, stealing second base and scoring on an RBI double by Max Kepler in the frame. The stolen base was his fifth of the season and third over the last four games. Julien is now batting .224 with seven home runs, 15 RBI, 21 runs scored and five stolen bases over 125 at-bats in 40 games this year.

Rafaela went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI double during Sunday's 3-2 win over Washington.

Rafaela scored Garrett Cooper and Vaughn Grissom in the second inning, notching a double off MacKenzie Gore. Rafaela has generated at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 games, batting .326 with 12 RBI and six runs scored during that stretch.

Jansen picked up the save Sunday against Washington, allowing one hit and no walks over a scoreless ninth inning. He didn't log a strikeout.

Jansen got an assist from catcher Connor Wong, who ended the game by throwing out Jacob Young during an attempted steal of second base. The 36-year-old has converted on seven of his eight save chances, owning a 2.63 ERA with 19 strikeouts over 13.2 innings.

Torkelson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Astros.

Torkelson finally broke through for his first home run of the 2024 season, launching a two-run shot off of Houston reliever Seth Martinez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. After producing 31 home runs over 159 games in 2023, it took the first baseman 38 contests to go deep in 2024. Torkelson is now batting .224 with a home run, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored over those 38 games.

Bello (4-1) picked up the win Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over five innings against the Nationals. He struck out one.

Bello picked up right where he left off before going on the IL with a lat injury, tallying a third straight win and yielding fewer than three earned runs for a fourth consecutive outing. The two runs charged against Bello came in the fourth when Eddie Rosario swatted a two-run home run. Despite the long ball, Bello was extremely efficient, getting through five innings on 68 pitches. Bello's restrictions should lighten throughout his next few starts, beginning with a road bout with the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Flaherty (0-3) was tagged with a loss Sunday after he pitched 6.2 innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits while striking out seven batters in a 9-3 defeat to Houston.

Flaherty opened Sunday's contest by firing five scoreless innings before Kyle Tucker launched a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning. The Astros scratched across another run on him in the seventh frame before the right-hander's day came to an end with two outs in the inning. The performance marked his third straight quality start and sixth of the season over eight outings. Flaherty now owns a 3.88 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 63 strikeouts over 48.2 innings in eight starts in 2024 and will look to earn his first win of the year in his next projected start Saturday on the road in Arizona.

Urena (1-3) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three over 6.2 innings, but he took the loss Sunday versus the Rockies.

Urena pitched well, especially given the unfriendly venue, in his second start of the campaign. He's allowed four runs (three earned) with a 5:3 K:BB over 11.2 innings across two starts since moving into the rotation. Urena has a 3.62 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB over 32.1 innings across 12 appearances this season, though he began the year as a long reliever. If Nathan Eovaldi (groin) can return when first eligible May 18, Urena will likely return to the bullpen. A pair of off days (Thursday and Monday, May 20) could also allow the Rangers to get by with a four-man rotation temporarily, though Urena's pitched well enough that it wouldn't be odd to see him get another start.

Tucker went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two walks in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Tigers.

Tucker took Tigers starter Jack Flaherty deep for a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning, giving Houston a 2-0 lead. The outfielder has now gone deep 13 times this season and five times in his last six contests. Over those six games, he's gone 5-for-20 with five home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base.

Meyers went 3-for-3 with three RBI in Sunday's 9-3 win over the Tigers.

Meyers entered the game as a pinch hitter for Trey Cabbage in the top of the seventh inning, notching an RBI single. He proceeded to add two more RBI base knocks in the eighth and ninth frames, making the most of his three at-bats in the contest. The outfielder is now batting .360 with two triples, a double, four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base over 25 at-bats in May.

Verlander (2-1) earned the win after he pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out eight batters in Sunday's 9-3 victory over the Tigers.

Verlander was back to being sharp Sunday, limiting Detroit to just four baserunners while recording a season-high eight punchouts. The 41-year-old was coming off of allowing seven runs over five innings against the Yankees on Tuesday, but he rebounded with his third quality start over five outings in 2024. Verlander now owns a 3.38 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 29.1 innings this season, and his next projected start is set to come Friday at home versus the Brewers.