MLB Player News

Quero went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Tigers.

The 23-year-old catcher brought home a run in the first inning with a sacrifice fly before launching a solo shot off Framber Valdez in the seventh. Quero has started three of the last four games -- two against left-handed pitchers and one against a righty -- and may have pushed his way back into the top spot on the depth chart over Drew Romo. Since May 17, Quero is batting .346 (9-for-26) with two homers, eight RBI and nine runs in 11 games, while Romo is batting .190 (4-for-21).

Dominguez struck out one in a perfect eighth inning Saturday to record his first hold of the season in a 7-1 win over the Tigers.

After being used in the top of the ninth inning of a tie game Friday, Dominguez was brought back Saturday with the White Sox up 4-1 and Detroit's 2-3-4 hitters coming to the plate. The right-hander got the job done on 15 pitches (eight strikes), and the White Sox then added some insurance runs before letting Trevor Richards finish the game with a big lead. Dominguez has produced four straight scoreless appearances, and on the season he sports a 3.97 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 28:11 K:BB through 22.2 innings while converting 11 of 14 save opportunities.

Kay (5-1) picked up the win in Saturday's 7-1 victory over the Tigers, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over five-plus innings. He struck out three.

The lefty cruised through five frames, giving up just a solo shot to Wenceel Perez in the third inning, but Kay got the hook after 84 pitches (54 strikes) when the first two Detroit hitters reached to open the sixth. Kay has four wins in his last five starts, a stretch in which he's delivered a stellar 1.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 22:9 K:BB through 27.1 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is set to come on the road next weekend in Philadelphia.

Valdez (2-4) took the loss Saturday, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings as the Tigers fell 7-1 to the White Sox. He struck out four.

The southpaw got tagged for two runs in the first inning and two runs in the seventh, getting lifted after 89 pitches (59 strikes) having received little support from his offense. Valdez has allowed at least four runs in three of his last five outings, stumbling to a 5.93 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 22:11 K:BB in 27.1 innings over that stretch. He'll look for his first win since April 19 in his next start, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the Mariners.

Manager Matt Quatraro said Saturday that Avila will start Monday's game against the Reds, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

With Cole Ragans (elbow) set to spend more time on the 15-day injured list than the Royals originally expected following a setback, Kansas City will turn to Avila to temporarily fill the fifth spot in the rotation. The 24-year-old righty struggled to find his footing in the majors early in the season but has settled in as of late, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 14.1 frames since the beginning of May. He likely won't be able to handle a full starter's workload Monday after throwing just 67 pitches over three frames during his last appearance Tuesday against the Yankees, and he'll also be tasked with taking on a Reds lineup that's posted a .742 OPS across its last 10 games.

Cease (hamstring) is throwing a bullpen session of 25-to-30 pitches Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Cease landed on the 15-day IL on Monday, so it's promising that he's already throwing a bullpen five days later. The hurler has been optimistic that he'll be able to return to the Blue Jays' rotation when first eligible, and a successful BP on Saturday would be a big step toward making that a reality. Depending on how the bullpen goes, Cease's next step could be either another BP or facing hitters, per Zwelling.

Kirk (thumb) has been taking on-field batting practice and is expected to begin hitting off a high-velocity pitching machine in the coming days, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk has been sidelined since April 4 and is currently on the 60-day IL. He's probably still at least a week away from beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so the backstop doesn't seem likely to be activated until mid-June, at the earliest. Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman have been handling catching duties for the Blue Jays while Kirk has been out of action.

Barger (elbow) has been hitting in the batting cage at Toronto's complex in Dunedin, Florida, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Zwelling describes Barger's hitting sessions as "flips, tee work, etc." The slugger has missed most of the season to this point, first due to an IL stay following an ankle injury and then due to his current elbow issue. While Barger seems to be making progress in his recovery from the latter injury, he may require a minor-league rehab assignment before he's ready to be activated.

Carter, who isn't starting Saturday versus the Royals, is getting "precautionary" X-rays on his left foot, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Carter was hit on his left foot by an 86.9-mph slider from Eli Morgan in the seventh inning on Friday. He was able to stay in the game, but he's still feeling some soreness, so the Rangers are sending him in for imaging. Michael Helman is taking over in center field in Carter's absence Saturday.

Altuve (oblique) took BP, ran the bases and fielded grounders Saturday, and he's slated to face live pitching in the coming days, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Altuve continues to show accelerated progress in his recovery from the left oblique strain that has sidelined him since mid-May. In fact, manager Joe Espada said earlier this week that the team is considering having the veteran infielder skip a minor-league rehab assignment in lieu of taking simulated at-bats. If Altuve's upcoming sessions against live pitching go well, he could be back with the Astros in the early part of June.