MLB Player News

Happ is hitting .184/.262/.211 in nine games since coming off the IL, though he has scored six runs. Pete Crow-Armstrong experienced great success in the leadoff spot while Happ was out, so the Cubs could revisit the decision to slide him back down to the middle of the order. Of course, the team is playing well, and Happ still has a nice .345 OBP for the year; there’s not much of a sense of urgency here.

It’s believed to be a hamstring injury for Nimmala, though the Jays haven’t commented. The 20-year-old was hitting .308/.375/.369 in 18 games since being moved up to Double-A at the beginning of May.

It’s another big blow to the Reds pen just after losing Graham Ashcraft. Johnson had a 3.27 ERA, one save and four holds over 22 innings to start the season. With him and Ashcraft out of the mix, Tony Santillan is looking like the heavy favorite for saves until Emilio Pagán returns.

Richardson, 26, had a 4.54 ERA in 37 2/3 innings out of the Reds pen last year. He cleared waivers back in January, but he’s back now after compiling a 4.75 ERA and a 34/14 K/BB in 30 1/3 innings over 17 relief appearances and one start for Triple-A Louisville. He’ll work in middle relief.

Nicolas saw time with the Reds in April but gave up seven earned runs and 13 walks in 7 1/3 innings. He had since pitched for Triple-A Louisville, amassing a 5.17 ERA and a 20/17 K/BB in 15 2/3 innings. The arm is there for him to be helpful in a major league pen, but control has always been an issue and he’s faring worse than ever there at age 27.

The 372-foot homer off Beau Brieske was Montgomery’s first since he homered in three straight games from May 14-16. He was 3-for-29 with 13 strikeouts from May 17-25, but he seems to have snapped out of that little skid with eight hits in his last five games.

Wenceel Pérez’s third-inning homer was the only damage. Kay left after a walk and an error to begin the sixth, but fortunately for him, the White Sox didn’t mess around and turned right to Grant Taylor, who successfully negotiated the jam. It’s third straight start in which Kay has allowed exactly one earned run, and he’s 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his last five turns. We still wouldn’t want to bet on him in mixed leagues, but it’s been quite a run for the 31-year-old. He’ll make his next start in Philadelphia.

Some interesting bullpen usage for the White Sox today, as Grant Taylor came in during the sixth with a 2-1 and escaped a jam for Anthony Kay. He then worked a scoreless seventh. It was a 4-1 game when Domínguez entered, but it doesn’t seem likely that he would have been asked for a two-inning save after working a scoreless ninth in a tie game Friday. Perhaps Bryan Hudson would have been in line for a save, but it proved moot after the White Sox made it a 7-1 game in line for the ninth. Trevor Richards finished up at that point. Hudson could still get a save Sunday, since we assume both Domínguez and Taylor will be unavailable.

Valdez got into all kinds of trouble at the start of the game, allowing a leadoff double and two walks before a run-scoring wild pitch. Still, he limited the damage to two runs and the proceeded to hold the White Sox scoreless through the sixth. He came back out for the seventh and gave up a leadoff homer to Edgar Quero and then eventually a double and an RBI single before being pulled. That cost him what would have been his eighth quality start in 12 tries. With the Tigers hardly scoring at all, Valdez is 0-3 in May and 2-4 overall. He’ll face Seattle on Friday.

With left-hander Framber Valdez on the mound for Detroit, this is a game that Benintendi probably would not have started if not for Munetaka Murakami’s injury. He did double off Valdez, though, before eventually putting the game away with a two-run homer off Beau Breiske that made it 7-1 in the eighth. Benintendi struck out in his other two at-bats. He is hitting .236/.283/.388 with four homers through 181 plate appearances.

This could have been an awkward bobblehead day if not for Kyle Teel’s setback, as there’s a good chance Quero, who has been splitting time evenly with Drew Romo, would have been in Triple-A at this point. The home run off Framber Valdez was just his second of the year, and he’s batting .196/.280/.259 in 134 plate appearances.