MLB Player News

Alexander (ribs) allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits, a walk and a hit batsman without recording an out during a rehab appearance Friday for Triple-A Las Vegas.

The veteran southpaw had fired a scoreless frame with two strikeouts against San Jose in his second rehab outing Tuesday, but Friday's appearance saw Alexander fall apart in alarming fashion. Given the results, Alexander, who threw 22 pitches Friday, may be in line for at least one more rehab appearance in order to build some momentum before being activated.

Kimbrel (4-1) picked up the win in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings victory over the Diamondbacks, striking out one in a scoreless 11th inning.

He hit Christian Walker with his first pitch of the frame, but Kimbrel quickly escaped the jam by fanning Jake McCarthy and then inducing a double-play grounder from Eugenio Suarez. The veteran reliever then got rewarded when Jordan Westburg walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Yennier Cano worked the ninth inning at home in a tie game -- usage normally reserved for a team's closer -- while Danny Coulombe handled the 10th, so Kimbrel may not be back in the top spot in the O's bullpen just yet, but efforts like this should help him get there.

Taveras went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Rockies.

Taveras has three multi-hit efforts in May and is hitting .333 (12-for-36) over 10 contests this month. He has two homers and two steals over his last four games. The outfielder is up to a .256/.329/.395 slash line, three long balls, four steals, 10 RBI, 20 runs scored, seven doubles and a triple through 38 games this season. While Taveras is stuck at the bottom of the Rangers' order, he is enjoying a near-everyday role as a switch hitter.

Gelof (oblique) played a full game at second base in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Round Rock on Saturday, going 1-for-5 with a solo home run.

Gelof's ability to both play a full game on defense and generate enough force with the bat to clear the fences speaks to his seemingly improved health. Gelof is set to be evaluated after each rehab game to determine his progress, and if he doesn't have any concerning residual effects overnight, the 24-year-old could be back in Las Vegas' lineup Sunday.

Heaney allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out eight without walking a batter over five-plus innings, taking a no-decision Saturday versus the Rockies.

Heaney gave up a solo home run to Hunter Goodman in the third inning, and a second run was tacked onto his line when Jose Leclerc balked in a run in the sixth. This was another solid start for Heaney -- the eight strikeouts were a season high, and he issued zero walks for the fourth start in a row. He's at a 4.39 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB through 41 innings across eight starts this season, but he remains in search of his first win. Heaney is projected to make his next start at home in a favorable matchup with the Angels.

Means escaped with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks, giving up four runs on six hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The southpaw got tagged for two runs in the third and fifth innings, but the Orioles scored in the eighth to tie up the game and take Means off the hook for his first loss before eventually walking it off in the 11th. He tossed 60 of 89 pitches for strikes, and he has a 3.09 ERA and 11:0 K:BB through his first 11.2 innings on the year. Means will look to sharpen things up on his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home next weekend against the Mariners.

Brebbia earned a save against the Guardians on Saturday by retiring all three batters he faced, including one by strikeout, in the ninth inning.

Michael Kopech has emerged as Chicago's primary closer early in the campaign, but manager Pedro Grifol opted to go to Brebbia in the ninth Saturday with the team holding a two-run lead. The right-hander got the job done, setting down the side in order on 14 pitches for his first major-league save since 2018. It's unclear why Kopech wasn't used despite getting Friday off -- it's worth noting that he notched back-to-back saves Wednesday and Thursday -- but if he has to miss time for any reason, Brebbia would be among a group of White Sox relievers who could snap up any save opportunities that arise.

Guerrero went 4-for-5 with a run scored, three RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 10-8 win over the Twins.

The first baseman banged out singles in each of his first four plate appearances, with the last one bringing home two runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at 8-8 after the Blue Jays had fallen behind 7-1 in the top of the third. Guerrero has four multi-hit performances in the last five games, a stretch in which he's gone 11-for-21 (.524) with a homer and eight RBI. The surge has boosted his slash line on the season to .272/.360/.391, as he continues to look for his power stroke.

Clevinger allowed one run on four hits and no walks while striking out five batters over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Saturday.

Clevinger struggled mightily in his season debut Monday, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks over two innings. The veteran looked much better Saturday, yielding just a fourth-inning run while cutting the free passes entirely out of his stat line. Clevinger needed just one more out to qualify for the win, but he was pulled for a lefty reliever after giving up a single to the final batter he faced in the fifth frame. Despite that minor disappointment, this was a promising outing considering his disastrous previous start, and it should help him as he works to push up his pitch count after missing spring training and signing with Chicago in early April.

Romano gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his sixth save of the season in a 10-8 win over the Twins.

The right-hander stayed perfect in save situations on the season, but Saturday's performance was only the fifth time in nine appearances that Romano has avoided getting tagged with a run. His 4.15 ERA and 1.38 WHIP are well off from his usual standards, but his 8:2 K:BB through 8.2 innings isn't far from the mark, and his stuff appears to be fine -- he topped out at 99 mph with his fastball.