MLB Player News

Duran picked up the save Saturday against the White Sox. He allowed three hits and zero walks while striking out three over two scoreless innings.

His pitch count ticked up to 40 by the end -- a season high -- but Duran was able to get Tim Anderson to ground out to shut the door in the ninth. Duran now has six saves this season to go along with a dominant 51:8 K:BB over 42 innings, and with Emilio Pagan out of the closer role for Minnesota, Duran should have plenty of chances to add to his saves total in the second half.

Bautista was unavailable for Saturday's game against Tampa Bay due to upper-body soreness, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Bautista was conspicuous by his absence in Saturday's extra-innings win. Manager Brandon Hyde did not go into much detail afterward, but he admitted Bautista was down due to injury. Bautista has solidified his standing as one of the team's top bullpen arms with a 1.72 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 44:14 K:BB in 36.2 innings so far this season.

Alexander will be the first pitcher on the mound in what's expected to be a bullpen game Sunday against the Guardians, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Alexander does have starting experience, as he's started 29 games at the big-league level in his career, but he's not expeced to pitch too deep into Sunday's contest. He's topped out at 3.2 innings over his last 12 appearances, and the Tigers should be able to use plenty of relievers with a three-day break coming up after Sunday's game.

Castro (shoulder) won't throw for the next four weeks, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Castro hit the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Saturday, an injury which is apparently quite significant. He won't throw again until at least mid-August and will have to build back up at that point, so a move to the 60-day injured list can't be ruled out.

Hernandez (elbow) was activated off the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Hernandez is finally ready to go after making his way back from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in April of 2021. He made 16 rehab appearances, posting a solid 3.60 ERA but a worryingly high 19.7 percent walk rate. Prior to his long absence, Hernandez looked like a potential closer for the Rangers. The team is currently using a closer committee, so Hernandez could get the chance to stake his claim for the role at some point, but he may need some lower-leverage outings first to prove that the control issues he showed in the minors were merely temporary.

Alexy was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Alexy made his first major-league appearance of the season Friday against the Mariners and allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two in two relief innings. The 24-year-old recently transitioned into a relief role in the minors and will likely continue to work out of the bullpen in Round Rock following his demotion.

Reyes (undisclosed), who has been on the 7-day minor-league injured list since July 1, will begin a rehab assignment at High-A Aberdeen on Saturday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Reyes was sent down by the Orioles in early June, and he's apparently been dealing with an injury in recent weeks. While the nature of his injury isn't clear, the right-hander will return to game action with the High-A club just over a month after making his last appearance in the minors. It's not yet clear when he'll return to Triple-A Norfolk.

Lakins (elbow) recently had a setback in his recovery process, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Lakins has been on the injured list with right elbow inflammation since May 20, and he was shifted to the 60-day IL last weekend. The right-hander hadn't started a minor-league rehab assignment prior to his setback, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action.

Criswell (shoulder) was claimed off waivers by the Rays and optioned to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Criswell has been out all year while recovering from shoulder inflammation, and the Angels evidently didn't have a spot available for him now that he's healthy. He posted a 3.50 ERA and 24:4 K:BB across 18 rehab innings but will remain in the minors for now.

Castro was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Saturday, retroactive to July 13.

Castro hasn't made any appearances since Sunday due to a shoulder injury, and he underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed a strain. The right-hander won't be eligible to return until late July, while Tim Locastro was recalled to take his place on the active roster.