MLB Rumors

Rays catcher Jose Molina went 2 for 4 with a run scored Wednesday against the Blue Jays in his return to the starting lineup. Molina missed three starts with a hamstring injury. He scored the team's second run in a 4-3, 10-inning loss. 

Molina has multiple hits in three of his last four games to raise his batting average to .235. 

Indians pitcher Brett Myers made his second rehab start for Double-A Akron Wednesday, as he continues to recover from right elbow soreness.

Myers struggled, allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings on two hits and four walks. He struck out two, while throwing 74 pitches. He is expected to make at least one more rehab start before potentially being activated from the disabled list. 

Padres infielder Jedd Gyorko continued his strong play Wednesday against the Cardinals with his fifth home run of the season.  

Gyorko had a solo homer off Cardinals starting pitcher Tyler Lyons in the seventh inning for the first Padres' run. He added a single and a run scored in the ninth inning of a 5-3 loss. He finished with an RBI and two runs scored, while raising his batting average to .284.

Gyorko is hitting .424 with two home runs and four RBI over the last nine games. 

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina snapped out of a mini-slump Wednesday against the Padres, going 4 for 5 in a 5-3 win.

Molina hit four singles to left field, one of which accounted for an RBI. He raised his batting average 14 points, to .333, after going 1 for 11 in his previous three games.

Molina is batting .360 in May with six RBI, but he has no home runs in 20 games. 

Padres starting pitcher Burch Smith could not make it out of the second inning Wednesday in his third major-league start.

He surrendered three runs in the first inning on three hits and three walks, then gave up singles to the first two hitters in the second before being pulled. One of those runners would score, leaving Smith with four earned runs on five hits and three walks in one inning.

This is the second time in three starts Smith has been unable to get out of the second inning. He threw 42 pitches as his ERA rose to 18.41. Smith took the loss in the 5-3 defeat.

Smith is not assured another turn in the rotation with how poorly he has pitched, although he is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Mariners. 

Recently recalled Cardinals pitcher Tyler Lyons made his first career start Wednesday at pitcher-friendly Petco Park against the Padres.

He held the Padres to a run on a Jedd Gyorko solo home run in the seventh inning, while scattering four hits and a walk. He struck out four and needed just 81 pitches to finish his seven innings of a 5-3 win.

Lyons' win was the 11th by a Cardinals' rookie pitcher this season. He is expected to make his second start Tuesday against the Royals in Kansas City. 

Astros catcher Jason Castro raised his batting average nearly 15 points Wednesday with a three-hit effort against the Royals.

Castro went 3 for 4 with an RBI double and a run scored in a 3-1 victory. He is hitting .252 with two multi-hit games in his last four.

Astros outfielder J.D. Martinez continued to turn his season around Wednesday against the Royals, as he hit his fourth home run in a 3-1 win.

Martinez went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run in the first-inning for his second multi-hit game in as many nights. He finished with two RBI and a run scored.

He is batting .255 since being recalled from Triple-A at the beginning of May, with two home runs and seven RBI in 13 games. 

Tigers closer Jose Valverde pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation Wednesday in a rain-delayed win at Cleveland. 

Valverde went 1-2-3 with a strikeout and his ERA is at 0.90. He's gone 4 for 5 in save situations thus far for Detroit.

Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez was hit hard Wednesday at home against the Tigers. Jimenez gave up two runs in the first inning and four in the the third and was done after four innings. 

Jimenez (3-3) took the loss as he allowed six earned runs on seven hits and three walks. He threw 96 pitches, 58 for strikes, and struck out three. His ERA is 6.04.

He had given up two or fewer runs in four-straight outings, winning three of them, before Wednesday. He does have 47 Ks over 44 2/3 innings. He'll look to bounce back Monday at Cincinnati.