MLB Player News

Avila did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four over four innings against the White Sox.

Avila ran into trouble immediately, walking the first batter he faced before serving up a two-run homer to Miguel Vargas. He was tagged again in the second inning, allowing three consecutive hits that led to two more runs. Command continues to be the biggest concern for the right-hander, as he has now issued at least three walks in five of his six starts since joining the rotation. During that stretch, Avila owns a 5.68 ERA and 23:18 K:BB. His next start is set to come Sunday at home against the Phillies.

Gasser is slated to start Monday's game against the Reds, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

After Brandon Woodruff was reinstated from the injured list last Monday, the Brewers kept a five-man rotation intact by shifting Gasser to the bullpen. The 27-year-old lefty wasn't needed in relief during the team's series with the Cubs over the weekend, and he'll now step back into a starting role after manager Pat Murphy previously told Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Brewers would shift to a six-man rotation through the All-Star break while Milwaukee closes its first-half schedule with 18 games in 17 days. Gasser -- who has submitted a 3.74 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 24:6 K:BB in 21.2 innings over his last four outings -- looks like an intriguing short-term pickup, particularly in leagues with weekly lineups. He'll tentatively line up for a two-start week, with his second appearance expected to come next Sunday in Arizona.

Torkelson went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-5, 10-inning loss to the Astros.

Torkelson started the contest on the bench and didn't enter until the eighth, but he provided a single in his first at-bat, then delivered his 13th home run of the season in the 10th. It was the slugger's first long ball since June 15, and he went just 7-for-37 with 11 strikeouts in between homers. Torkelson remains a boom-or-bust fantasy option who can be frustrating due to his propensity for falling into slumps.

Hoskins went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Mariners.

Hoskins entered the game as a pinch hitter for Kyle Manzardo in the seventh inning and made an immediate impact. After singling in his first plate appearance, he came through with a go-ahead two-run double in Cleveland's five-run eighth inning to help complete the comeback victory. The veteran's afternoon was a welcome boost amid an otherwise difficult month, as he is batting just .161 with a 35.2 percent strikeout rate in June.

McKinstry went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-5, 10-inning loss to the Astros,

McKinstry hit just his third home run of the season in the second inning to give the Tigers an early lead. It's mostly been an offensive struggle for the utility player, as he's batting just .191 with a .574 OPS, though he does now have consecutive multi-hit efforts. McKinstry is also seeing more regular time at shortstop recently, and he could start to raise his fantasy value a bit if he can string together a few more good performances.

Smith earned the save Sunday against the Mariners, allowing one unearned run on two hits while striking out one in the ninth inning.

After Cleveland erupted for five runs in the eighth inning, Smith was called on to protect a two-run lead. He allowed back-to-back singles before a throwing error by Victor Robles allowed a run to score. The right-hander stranded runners on second and third to preserve his 26th save of the season. Following a brief rough patch over his last few appearances, Smith has begun to steady himself and lower his ratios. He owns a 3.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 57:10 K:BB across 38.1 innings.

Jansen (1-4) allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits and a walk across 1.1 innings of relief to take the loss in Sunday's extra-inning contest against the Astros. He struck out one.

Jansen got through the top of the ninth inning of a 3-3 game without any problems, but things came unraveled in the 10th. The veteran started the frame by allowing a walk, a single and a three-run home run. The rough outing pushed Jansen's ERA from 4.26 up to 5.31. It's been a poor campaign overall with four blown saves and now four losses as well. He's become increasingly hard to trust in fantasy leagues.

Alexander will operate as the Rangers' opening pitcher Monday in Cleveland, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Alexander is set to become the first pitcher since 1969 to record saves in back-to-back games and then start the following contest. He'll likely handle no more than an inning or two before turning the game over to the bullpen. The Rangers haven't indicated whether a pitcher will work in bulk relief behind Alexander, but Winston Santos is the freshest arm in the bullpen and had worked at least four innings in each of his last six outings at Double-A Frisco before being recalled Wednesday.

Webb (3-2) worked around a hit and a walk to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win in Sunday's 4-3, extra-inning victory over the Brewers. He struck out three.

Webb got into some trouble in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 1-1 game by putting two runners on base, but his ability to generate strikeouts helped bail him out. The righty reliever then earned the win when the Cubs scored three times in the top of the 10th. Webb now has a 3.47 ERA and 45 strikeouts across 36.1 innings this season, and he's presumably Chicago's top option for saves at the moment with Daniel Palencia (elbow) on the injured list.

Wicks worked around a walk to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the save in Sunday's 4-3, extra inning win over the Brewers.

With the Cubs starting opener Ryan Rolison, the team had already gone through six pitchers by the time Wicks came on in the 10th. The lefty did a good job of working out of some trouble left behind by Ethan Roberts, and that earned Wicks his first save of the season and just the second of his MLB career. The 26-year-old is still sitting with a rough 13.50 ERA overall, and he's not really in the mix for saves most days as more of a low-leverage option.