MLB Player News

Soriano earned a hold against the Rangers on Thursday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning.

Soriano got the call in the eighth frame in a close contest, emphasizing how quickly he's ascended the bullpen pecking order. Part of that rise is due to injuries to Ben Joyce (elbow) and Matt Moore (oblique), but Soriano has certainly earned his manager's trust as well. The rookie right-hander has yet to surrender a run in six big-league appearances, yielding just one hit and posting a 10:2 K:BB over seven innings. He's picked up five holds in those six outings, so he's worth a look in fantasy leagues that count that category, especially while Moore and Joyce remain out.

Estevez allowed one run on three walks without recording an out Thursday against Texas.

Estevez got the call in the ninth inning with the Angels up by three runs, but he could barely get the ball over the plate, tossing just eight of 20 pitches for strikes. The right-hander worked the count full against each of the three batters he faced and ended up walking them all before getting the hook, but Jacob Webb managed to contain the damage and notch the save. Estevez has been exceptional this season with a 1.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 39:16 K:BB and 18 saves in 18 chances, so Thursday's meltdown isn't likely to impact his job security.

The Astros optioned Gage to Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

He was called up Sunday to take the place of Ryne Stanek as he went on the bereavement list. Gage made two appearances during his brief stint, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings while striking out three batters and walking one. His solid, if brief, MLB track record isn't consistent with his performance in the minors this season (6.59 ERA, 2.05 WHIP), but Gage still figures to be on the short list of potential bullpen reinforcements for Houston later this season.

Stanek was activated from the family medical emergency list Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Stanek had been away from the Astros since last weekend while tending to family matters. He returns to a 4.57 ERA and 21:14 K:BB over 21.2 innings.

Rodriguez (shoulder) is throwing a simulated game Friday at Fenway Park, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

It'll be a big step forward in Rodriguez's recovery from a bout of left shoulder inflammation, which has kept him sidelined since June 1. He could feasibly return to the Red Sox bullpen by early next week, but he has struggled in limited action this year and figures to be sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated.

Stephan (3-2) allowed a walk and struck out one over 1.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win Thursday over the Padres.

Starter Logan Allen was ineffective, and three relievers prior to Stephan combined to yield one run on five hits and two walks. The official scorer decided Stephan was the most effective reliever of the bunch, giving him his first win since May 6. The right-hander has a 5.2-inning scoreless streak with a 5:1 K:BB in that span. For the season, he's been steady with a 2.40 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 33:10 K:BB while adding two saves and 11 holds over 30 innings in a setup role.

Moran (0-2) took the loss in Thursday's 8-4 defeat the hands of the Tigers. He allowed three runs on three hits with one strikeout over one inning.

The 26-year-old made his mess in the fifth inning, highlighted by Javier Baez's two-run triple that tied the game at 4-4. Moran had allowed just one run over his previous 11 appearances (10.2 innings), while Thursday's outing was the first time he'd given up more than one run since April 18. His ERA is now up to 4.50 with a 1.43 WHIP and 31:14 K:BB across 28 innings while working in middle relief for the Twins.

Tarnok (shoulder) started Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Reno on Thursday and fired 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings during which he issued two walks and recorded two strikeouts.

Tarnok's sizable jump in affiliates from the Athletics' AZL team to the Aviators essentially went off without a hitch. The right-hander threw 42 pitches, and although only 21 got into the strike zone, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports Tarnok's fastball consistently sat between 93 and 94 mph. While the spotty control leaves room for improvement, his first two rehab outings -- he's allowed just one hit and three walks over 4.2 frames while generating a 4:3 K:BB -- have been encouraging. Tarnok figures to require at least a couple more rehab outings before a decision is made on when he might join the big-league club and make his Oakland debut after coming over from Atlanta in the Sean Murphy trade.

Pruitt (1-4) took the loss against the Rays on Thursday, allowing an earned run on three hits over 2.1 innings during which he didn't record any strikeouts.

Pruitt was able to eat up some innings and fired 24 of his 34 pitches in for strikes. However, the 33-year-old made one mistake, hanging an eighth-inning curveball that Luke Raley drove 410 feet to center field for a home run that proved to be the difference in the game. The stumble notwithstanding, Pruitt has largely been a reliable multi-inning option for manager Mark Kotsay of late, pitching to a 2.57 ERA over the 14 frames covering his last 10 appearances despite a 1-3 record in that span.

Garcia (1-3) took the loss Thursday, giving up a run on four hits in an inning of relief against the Orioles. He struck out two.

After getting the final out of the fifth inning, Garcia stayed in for the sixth and got tagged for three straight two-out singles to allow what proved to be the winning run for Baltimore. The right-hander has slipped out of a high-leverage role in the Toronto bullpen -- he has eight holds on the season, but only one over the last month -- and he's been scored upon in five of his last nine appearances, posting an 8.00 ERA and 1.89 WHIP despite a 12:0 K:BB through nine innings over that stretch.