The Seattle Mariners promoted their top pitching prospect, right-hander George Kirby, from Double-A Arkansas on Sunday.

Losers of 10 of their past 11 games entering the day, the Mariners hope Kirby can give them a boost.

Kirby, 24, started Sunday’s series finale against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

Baseball America ranks Kirby as the No. 11 overall prospect, making him the highest-rated pitching prospect to debut with the Mariners since Felix Hernandez in 2005.

Hernandez, who won a Cy Young Award with the Mariners, was the No. 2 overall prospect, according to Baseball America.

Kirby, a native of Rye, N.Y., was scratched from his planned start in Arkansas on Saturday. He was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft from Elon.

In five starts in the Texas League this season, Kirby is 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.

In a corresponding move, the Mariners optioned right-hander Riley O’Brien to Triple-A Tacoma. O’Brien, 27, made his Seattle debut in Saturday night’s 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, throwing one scoreless inning with one hit, a walk and a strikeout.

The Mariners recalled him from Tacoma on Thursday.

In another transaction, Seattle transferred right-hander Ken Giles to the 60-day injured list with a right middle finger sprain. The 31-year-old hasn’t pitched in a game since September 2020 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

He missed the 2021 season because of Tommy John surgery.

The Mariners close their series against Tampa Bay on Sunday and host the Philadelphia Phillies for three games beginning Monday.

–Field Level Media

The New York Mets officially released veteran second baseman Robinson Cano on Sunday.

The eight-time All-Star was designated for assignment on May 2 with about $40 million remaining on his contract.

Cano, 39, passed through waivers unclaimed and now becomes a free agent.

He posted a video of himself in the batting cage and taking groundballs Sunday on Twitter with the caption: “Never stop. Never settle.”

Never stop. Never settle. #training pic.twitter.com/70aiwoRUNH

— Robinson Cano (@RobinsonCano) May 8, 2022

Cano, who missed the 2021 season following a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, batted .195 with one homer and three RBIs in eight games this season.

Cano has 2,632 career hits, third among active players behind Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, both members of the 3,000-hit club. A five-time winner of the Silver Slugger award, he has 335 career home runs and 1,305 RBIs in 2,246 games with the New York Yankees (2005-13), Seattle Mariners (2014-18) and Mets.

He signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with Seattle in December 2013, and the Mariners traded him to the Mets in December 2018 as part of a six-player swap.

–Field Level Media

Dallas Keuchel enjoyed his best start of the season and Jose Abreu belted a key two-run double on Sunday afternoon as the visiting Chicago White Sox edged the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, to complete a three-game sweep.

Keuchel (2-3) allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one. Chicago extended its winning streak to six games and pushed Boston’s losing streak to five.

There was drama in the ninth inning when J.D. Martinez led off with a double off the wall in left field off Jose Ruiz. But with two outs, rookie left-hander Bennett Sousa came in and retired pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki on a fly ball to center field for his first MLB save.

The White Sox turned to Sousa because closer Liam Hendriks had five saves in six days.

Keuchel kept the Red Sox off the board until the sixth inning. Rafael Devers, who had three hits, singled and scored on Martinez’s RBI groundout. With two outs, Christian Vazquez’s run-scoring single trimmed Chicago’s advantage to one run.

Chicago’s bullpen threw three shutout innings. In the eighth inning, right-hander Matt Foster struck out Trevor Story, Devers and Xander Bogaerts in order.

Tanner Houck started for Boston in place of Michael Wacha, who landed on the 15-day injured list with left intercostal irritation.

Houck made his first start since April 21, and his seventh appearance (four starts). Because Houck threw 2 1/3 innings on Thursday, the Red Sox made Sunday a “bullpen game.”

All the runs the White Sox needed came in the third inning. Reese McGuire singled to open the inning and scored on Leury Garcia’s RBI single, and Abreu laced a two-run, two-out double to left.

Houck (2-3) was charged with three runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The game was delayed 20 minutes with one out in the fourth inning due to an umpire injury. Home plate umpire Ron Kulpa was struck in the mask by a Jake Burger foul ball. Shaken, he was tended to by the medical staff before first base umpire Marty Foster replaced Kulpa behind the plate.

–Field Level Media

The Minnesota Twins placed outfielder Trevor Larnach on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a right adductor strain.

Larnach, 25, is batting .313 with nine doubles and seven RBIs in 22 games this season. His designation is retroactive to Saturday.

The Twins recalled catcher Jose Godoy from Triple-A St. Paul to replace Larnach on the 26-man roster.

Godoy, 27, appeared in one game for Minnesota this season and went 0-for-3 with two walks and two runs against the Chicago White Sox on April 24.

–Field Level Media

The Arizona Diamondbacks called up top prospect Alek Thomas from Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

The 22-year-old outfielder was set to make his major league debut Sunday against the visiting Colorado Rockies. He was in the lineup batting eighth and starting in center field.

Thomas is Arizona’s No. 1 prospect and rated No. 18 overall by MLB Pipeline. The 2018 second-round draft pick was the Diamondbacks’ 2021 minor league player of the year.

He is batting .277/.362/.495 at Reno this season with four homers and 14 RBIs in 24 games.

Thomas replaces catcher Carson Kelly on the active roster. Kelly was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with a strained left oblique.

Kelly, 27, is batting .105 with one RBI and 20 strikeouts in 20 games this season.

–Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Phillies placed right-handers Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin on the COVID-related injured list Sunday.

Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez was named the 27th man for Sunday’s home doubleheader against the New York Mets and will replace Eflin as the starter in Game 2.

The Phillies recalled right-hander Connor Brogdon from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and right-hander Francisco Morales form Double-A Reading in corresponding transactions.

Wheeler, 31, is 1-3 with a 4.10 ERA through five starts this season. He made the All-Star team in 2021 and was runner-up in the National League Cy Young Award voting after finishing 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA and a league-leading 247 strikeouts.

Eflin, 28, is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA through five starts in his seventh season with the Phillies.

Sanchez, 25, is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in four appearances this season. He’s given up six runs on eight hits and five walks with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings.

Brogdon, 27, has made three relief appearances this season for the Phillies, allowing two runs on four hits in two innings. He has a 1.35 ERA with two saves in seven games for Lehigh Valley.

Morales, 22, is 1-0 with a 0.55 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings in nine relief appearances at Reading. He has yet to make his major league debut.

–Field Level Media

The Boston Red Sox placed right-hander Michael Wacha on the 15-day injured list with left intercostal irritation.

He was scratched from Sunday’s start against the Chicago White Sox after experiencing soreness in his side. His injury designation is retroactive to Thursday.

Right-hander Tanner Houck started in place of Wacha for the series finale at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox also recalled right-hander Tyler Danish from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding transaction.

Wacha, 30, has been Boston’s best starter so far this season. He is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA through five starts.

Danish, 27, appeared in four games for the Red Sox last month and posted a 3.86 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

The New York Yankees placed outfielder Tim Locastro on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left lat strain.

Right-hander Ron Marinaccio was recalled from Triple- A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and outfielder Estevan Florial added as the 27th man for Sunday’s home doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.

Locastro, 29, is batting .231 with one homer and two RBIs in 15 games this season. The Yankees acquired him in a July 2021 trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Marinaccio, 26, made four relief appearances with New York in April and posted an 11.25 ERA with no decisions.

Florial, 24, is batting .272 with two homers, nine RBIs and eight stolen bases in 22 games this season in Triple-A.

–Field Level Media

Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black wanted his lineup to be more aggressive yet also more selective at the plate on Saturday after his team was subdued a night earlier by Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly in Phoenix.

The Rockies had more strikeouts (eight) than hits (seven) against Kelly in a 4-1 loss.

Black got what he wanted Saturday but things looked bleak again going to the ninth inning.

Colorado faced the prospect of its sixth straight road loss with another scoring shortage against the Diamondbacks, trailing 1-0 with two outs in the ninth.

That’s when Colorado rallied for four runs against Arizona closer Mark Melancon, who blew the save by allowing consecutive run-scoring singles to Yonathon Daza, Jose Iglesias and Connor Joe as part of a four-run rally in the 4-1 win.

“We have been aggressive, which at times can be really advantageous,” Black said. “You are on the attack as an offense, and you find, a lot of times, good pitchers throw first-pitch strikes. So be ready to hit.

“But at times that can work against you. Temper that aggressiveness with truly making sure you are swinging at good pitches to hit.”

The upstart Diamondbacks, buoyed by their starting pitching, must feel snakebitten after coming so close to reaching their fifth straight win — a feat they did not achieve last season.

“We played well enough to win but I think we could have done more to make it a little bit easier on ourselves,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’ve gotta regroup and come out tomorrow ready.”

Right-hander Zac Gallen, one of three Arizona starters with an ERA of 1.50 or less, will start Sunday against Colorado right-hander German Marquez (0-2, 6.92 ERA) in the rubber match of the three-game series.

Gallen (1-0, 1.27) does not qualify to be among the National League ERA leaders because he has pitched 21 1/3 innings in Arizona’s 28 games (a pitcher must pitch at least one inning per number of games played by his team to be rated among the leaders).

Kelly has an ERA of 1.22 in 37 innings. Madison Bumgarner has a 1.50 ERA in 24 innings.

Gallen is 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA in seven career starts against the Rockies.

Marquez has faced the Diamondbacks 19 times, including 18 starts, in his career and is 5-5 with a 3.98 ERA.

Lovullo was impressed by Saturday’s starter, Zach Davies, who allowed only three hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out six and walking two.

“Zach Davies was fantastic for six and a third and it’s the first time he’s been over 100 pitches,” said Lovullo of Davies, who had 104 pitches. “His pitch count ran up and we turned it over to the bullpen. They did a really nice job and handed it off Mark. But we’ll get them (Sunday).”

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland was equally impressive as Davies on Saturday with five strikeouts and two walks in six scoreless innings while scattering five hits.

–Field Level Media

It might seem like a grind at times, but Walker Buehler continues to see positive results on the mound for the surging Los Angeles Dodgers.

Buehler will look to help the visiting Dodgers to a sixth straight win and series sweep of the Cubs, who have dropped four in a row, on Sunday night.

A Sunday afternoon roster move will keep Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman out of the start, with left-hander Justin Steele getting the call against the Dodgers instead. Stroman was placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons.

After going 1-1 with a 4.02 ERA in his first three 2022 starts, Buehler (3-1, 2.12 ERA) has thrown 14 scoreless innings to win his past two. Following his complete-game, three-hit, 10-strikeout performance at Arizona on April 25, the right-hander opened May by yielding six hits, but no runs, over five innings in Los Angeles’ 6-3 home win over Detroit last Sunday.

“To still manage an outing, to up some zeroes, get him back on line for his next start — that’s what top-end guys do,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Buehler, who won a career-high 16 games in 2021.

Buehler is 0-1 in four regular-season starts against the Cubs, but he has a 2.92 ERA in those outings. He might have a good chance to lower that ERA against a Chicago club that was outscored 13-2 while being swept in Saturday’s split doubleheader.

Losers in 13 of 16 since starting 6-4, the Cubs have been outscored 45-11 during their current 1-7 rut.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have outscored their opponents 31-7 while going 5-0 in May. This is the second time they’ve won at least five straight games this season.

Stroman finally seemed to be pitching like the guy the Cubs gave $71 million over three years to during the offseason. He had a 1.38 ERA over his last two outings, but he will hit pause for the time being.

Steele (1-3, 5.50) will make his sixth start of the season and the 15th of his career, all over the past two seasons. He last started April 30, giving up four runs (two earned) over three innings in a 9-1 road loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Steele did face the Dodgers last season, but just for a scoreless inning on May 4 when he had two strikeouts. It ended up being his first career victory, though.

The loss of Stroman comes at an inopportune time for the Cubs, who have been searching for rotation stability. Left-hander Drew Smyly started Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Dodgers after eight days off, while on the bereavement list, and gave up three runs (two earned) over 4 1/3 innings. But Los Angeles won Game 1 by a 7-0 score and won Game 2 by a 6-2 count.

“We have the mindset that we’re going to lead this team to a victory, and go pitch well and do our job,” Smyly said about the Cubs’ starters. “It takes a lot to win a game. They’re never easy. I think we’re throwing the ball pretty well.”

The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts is back to looking like an All-Star again following a slow start. Betts delivered a three-run double and two-run homer during the Dodgers’ Game 2 victory Saturday.

Betts is batting .387 (12-for-31) with three home runs and eight RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak.

Chicago’s Nico Hoerner has never faced Buehler, but he is one of the few Cubs striking the ball by batting .316 during a five-game hitting streak.

It’s uncertain if the Cubs’ Patrick Wisdom will miss time after he exited Saturday’s nightcap with an ankle issue.

–Field Level Media