MLB Player News

Yates (knee) threw 26 pitches to hitters Tuesday and could next begin a minor-league rehab stint, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Yates said his body "felt good" during the session but acknowledged that his legs aren't quite up to speed yet. "The hard part is, I didn't get a chance to do anything with my legs for 12-to-13 days. So we're trying to play catch-up with that. The legs aren't as fresh as I'd probably like them to be. But, overall, I think it was good," Yates said after throwing. Manager Kurt Suzuki echoed that sentiment, saying, "I thought he looked fine. Obviously, first time in a while throwing to hitters, so it's going to take time. Build his stamina, his legs back up, get his legs under him again... But hopefully we'll see him sooner than later." Yates said he's hoping his next step will be a rehab assignment with a minor-league squad but stated that he's going to talk that over with coaches and trainers Wednesday.

Cruz (1-0) earned the win over the Athletics on Tuesday, walking two batters and striking out one over 1.1 hitless and scoreless innings.

Cruz threw only 10 of 20 pitches for strikes and walked two batters in the eighth inning, but he fanned Max Muncy to get out of that frame unscathed. The righty reliever moved in line for the victory when New York struck for four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Cruz has been working in a setup role in front of closer David Bednar and has recorded three holds through six appearances. He's pitched 4.2 frames, allowing one run while posting a 7:4 K:BB.

The Mariners transferred Vargas (lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

The transaction will clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe, who was called up from Triple-A Tacoma. Vargas has been out all season while recuperating from a right lat strain and now won't be eligible to return until late May. It's not clear whether Vargas has resumed throwing or remains shut down.

The Rays recalled Scholtens from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Scholtens will give the club an extra bullpen arm while Drew Rasmussen is away on paternity leave. The 32-year-old Scholtens got into two games for the Rays last season, allowing seven runs (five earned) over 8.1 innings but also notching 12 strikeouts.

Kelly retired both batters he faced in the seventh inning to earn a hold in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Milwaukee.

Kelly entered a high-leverage situation that might normally be entrusted to Justin Slaten, but Slaten was unavailable due to an oblique injury. With Boston leading, 3-1, the bases loaded and one out, Kelly limited the damage to one run on a pair of groundouts and recorded his first hold. In three appearances since being called up from Triple-A Worcester last week, the right-handed reliever has allowed one run and one hit while striking out one over 2.2 innings. The 31-year-old Kelly is a well-known commodity in the bullpen, having made 98 appearances for the Red Sox over the previous four seasons.

Helsley picked up the save in Tuesday's win against the White Sox, allowing one walk while striking out two over a scoreless inning.

Helsley entered the ninth with a two-run lead and issued a leadoff walk to Dustin Harris but quickly regained control, retiring the next three batters, including two via strikeout. While the righty has now converted four saves, his 4.15 ERA, 2.08 WHIP and 7:4 K:BB in 4.1 innings reflect his inconsistency lately. Still, outings like Tuesday's offer a positive sign as Helsley looks to settle into a more reliable groove moving forward.

The Red Sox placed Slaten on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a right oblique strain.

Boston had previously noted that Slaten wasn't available out of the bullpen for Tuesday's 3-2 win over Milwaukee due to a sore oblique, but the righty reliever will now be shut down for at least two weeks after being diagnosed with a strain. The Red Sox recalled lefty Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester to take Slaten's spot in the bullpen. For his part, Slaten believes his injury is minor and is hopeful to return from the IL when first eligible April 20, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.

The Red Sox recalled Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Samaniego was a late cut after a nice spring training and didn't have to wait long for a promotion. The lefty has permitted three runs (two earned) with a 3:2 K:BB over 5.1 frames in his first three appearances with Worcester. Samaniego will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.

Leiter (0-1) blew the save and took the loss in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees. He allowed four runs on four hits and no walks with no strikeouts over two-thirds of an inning.

Leiter entered in the eighth inning with a two-run cushion but quickly gave it up -- a two-run homer from Amed Rosario gave the Yankees the lead. The veteran right-hander has now recorded a blown save in both of his past two appearances and owns a 10.38 ERA and 2.54 WHIP through 4.1 innings. Leiter is still the only Athletics reliever to record a save this season, but with a closer-by-committee setup and a lack of defined roles in the bullpen, blow-up outings like Tuesday's hurt his chances of seeing consistent high-leverage opportunities.

Bednar struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his fifth save of the season in a 5-3 win over the A's.

The right-hander leads the majors in saves in the early going, one ahead of a group that includes the Dodgers' Edwin Diaz, the Phillies' Jhoan Duran and the Padres' Mason Miller. Bednar hasn't been quite as sharp as some of his peers, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and 5:3 K:BB through 5.1 innings, but he has a firm hold on the closing gig with the Yankees.