MLB Player News

Francis was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday.

The 27-year-old righty has a 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 13.2 innings across six relief appearances this season. He had been working as a starter at Triple-A but should operate in low-leverage situations while up with the big club.

Jackson was placed on the family medical emergency list Monday.

Jackson must be on the bereavement list for at least three days an no more than seven days. Bowden Francis was recalled to take his place in the bullpen in the short term.

Silseth will start Monday's game in Atlanta, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Silseth was squeezed out of the Angels' six-man rotation after the acquisition of Lucas Giolito last week, but the young right-hander will end up getting a spot start Monday after Griffin Canning was scratched due to general soreness. Canning is optimistic that he'll be ready to go when his next turn through the rotation comes up this weekend, so Silseth could head back to the bullpen immediately after Monday's start. Silseth holds a 4.44 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over 24.1 innings this season and won't make for a reliable streaming option Monday in a road matchup versus a talented Atlanta offense.

Gage was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old lefty has a 1.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 19.2 frames in the big leagues, but he has been up and down between the majors and minors this season. Look for Gage to work in low-leverage situations.

The Astros designated Taylor for assignment Monday.

Houston opted to swap Taylor off its 40-man roster in favor of another reliever in right-hander Jake Cousins (shoulder), whom the team claimed off waivers from the Brewers on Monday before activating him from the 15-day injured list and optioning him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Should he go unclaimed after hitting waivers himself, Taylor will likely stick around in the organization and join Cousins in the Sugar Land bullpen. Taylor made 92 appearances out of the Houston bullpen across the past three seasons but has pitched exclusively at the Triple-A level in 2023, submitting a 5.15 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 25:22 K:BB in 36.2 innings.

The Astros activated Cousins (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land after acquiring him off waivers from the Brewers on Monday.

Cousins struggled over his 12 appearances with Milwaukee prior to landing on the shelf in early June with a right shoulder injury and wasn't especially sharp during his five rehab appearances in the minors, so he'll attempt to work out the kinks in Sugar Land before getting a look in the Houston bullpen. The 29-year-old right-hander has shown the ability to make bats miss at the big-league level, but any success he might have moving forward will hinge on keeping his walk rate in check.

The Astros claimed Cousins (shoulder) off waivers from the Brewers on Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Cousins owns a 3.08 ERA and a 31.4 percent strikeout rate over 52.2 innings in parts of three seasons in the big leagues, but he's struggled with reining in free passes throughout his career (16.2 BB%) and hasn't been able to stay healthy in either of the past two seasons. He last pitched for Milwaukee on June 3 before landing on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, but he's already made five rehab appearances in the minors and should be on the cusp of a return. The 29-year-old has two minor-league options remaining, so Houston could elect to send him to Triple-A Sugar Land once he's reinstated from the IL rather than getting an immediate look at him with the big club.

Marinaccio was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Marinaccio came into the year looking to build on a breakout 2022 campaign, but he has given up eight earned runs on eight hits and five walks over his last eight appearances (7.1 innings), so he will get a reset at Triple-A. Jhony Brito was recalled to take Marinaccio's place in the bullpen.

Jimenez (shoulder) fired a scoreless two-thirds of an inning in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Sugar Land on Sunday.

Jimenez was making his fourth rehab appearance overall and was able to bounce back from a rocky outing Thursday where he'd surrendered three earned runs over one-third of an inning. Sunday's appearance was Jimenez's first with the Aviators in which he didn't allow a run, so the Athletics would likely want to see him build up some more momentum before activating him.

Estevez (5-1) earned the win in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. He allowed an unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two over two innings.

Working two full innings for the first time this season, Estevez allowed just the free runner to score in the 10th inning to lock down a 3-2 win. The 30-year-old Estevez now has wins in his last two appearances -- his ERA is down to 1.88 with a 1.33 WHIP and 53:22 K:BB across 43 innings this season while going a perfect 23-for-23 in save chances. The Angels have already brought Reynaldo Lopez in to help bolster their bullpen, and other additions are likely, though Estevez should maintain a firm grasp on the ninth-inning job.