MLB Player News

There was plenty of both good and bad in Gipson-Long’s first start since September 28, 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. As far as the good, his velocity was around 92-93 mph, which is just a hair below where he sat back before the injury. Also, each of his four pitches forced multiple swings-and-misses to total 12. The strength of his secondary pitches is what made him so interesting when he debuted. Yet, his command of those secondary pitches is what set him apart and that clearly wasn’t quite there yet. A couple of his changeups wound up in the heart of the plate and he was lucky those didn’t get crushed. Also, the White Sox two-run rally in the third inning was partially fueled by a hittable few sinkers. All in all, this was a fine return. Especially considering he was only able to work his way up to 70 pitches because his rehab assignment was cut short since the Tigers needed someone to replace Jackson Jobe. Gipson-Long’s next start is scheduled to come against the Orioles in Baltimore.

Kreidler impressed with some surprising power last month, but the Twins didn’t buy in and sent him back down on Apr. 22 anyway. Given another chance last week, he’s gone 5-for-13 in four games. Overall, he has three homers in 32 plate appearances, topping his total of two in 211 career major league plate appearances entering the season. His average bat speed is over 74 mph, up from 71 mph last year and 68.5 mph in 2024. As crazy as the idea would have seemed to be a few months ago, it’s probably time for the Twins to give him a look as a starter at short or third.

Ryan got 19 whiffs and had a 38 percent CSW in his most dominant performance yet this season. Since providing everyone a big scare by leaving his May 3 start with an elbow issue, Ryan has had three straight outings in which he’s allowed exactly one run in six innings. He’s 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA and a 61/14 K/BB in 56 2/3 innings.

Working with a three-run lead, Morris retired Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Jake Meyers in order. The rookie has a 4.29 ERA and a 17/6 K/BB through 21 innings as a reliever. That’s not overly exciting, but the Twins don’t have any clearly better options in the ninth right now. Morris might be worth a try in deeper leagues.

The runs came on homers from Victor Caratini and Ryan Kreidler, bringing Burrows’ total to 12 given up in 56 1/3 innings this year. He also managed just two strikeouts and walked three today. It’s probably time for Burrows to head to Triple-A for spell, but if not, he has a favorable matchup next week in Texas.

The Twins really need Caratini to step it up with Ryan Jeffers out for at least a month. He’s hitting .198/.304/.261 in 135 plate appearances, which is a far cry from his .263/.329/.406 line in his two years with Houston.

Winn is back at shortstop and hitting sixth following a one-game absence due to left knee discomfort. The positive news is that an MRI didn’t turn up any structural damage and he’s feeling well enough to get back in the lineup after a brief hiatus.

Ohtani returns to two-way status after three consecutive starts where he pitched exclusively since April 22. The 31-year-old generational talent recently snapped out of an extended funk at the plate, hitting .429 (12-for-28) with one homer, nine RBI and one steal over his last seven games. The Dodgers have made an effort to reduce his massive workload by giving him time off from hitting while pitching recently, so it’s notable that he’s in the lineup for a pivotal showdown against San Diego.

This was always a potential outcome. The decision was made to perform a full reconstructive procedure after surgeons discovered UCL damage while performing an elbow operation to address his preexisting fracture and loose bodies. The 31-year-old right-hander’s absence is a hit to Toronto’s rotation depth since there was a slight possibility he would pitch again later this season. He’s likely to miss a significant portion of next year given the timing of the procedure.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters Thomas is available off the bench, but they’re going to try to give him some extra rest ahead of Thursday’s off-day. The 30-year-old suffered the minor ailment during Tuesday’s game against Boston. He’ll presumably be ready for Friday’s series opener against the Mariners.

Nimmo has been dealing with hamstring issues since early May and wound up departing Wednesday’s contest following a fifth-inning single. The 33-year-old veteran finished 1-for-3 before departing. There should be a definitive update on his status prior to Friday’s series opener against the division-rival Angels.