MLB Player News

Zerpa was returned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Friday.

Zerpa served as the starting pitcher during Thursday's series opener in Toronto and he earned the win by allowing a run on four hits and two walks while striking out two in five innings. However, he'll head back to the minors after Carlos Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Hernandez made seven starts for the Royals early in the season and posted a 9.10 ERA and 2.16 WHIP in 29.2 innings prior to his demotion in mid-May. He isn't listed among the team's probable starters for the team's weekend series in Toronto so he should be available as a long reliever, as the club is dealing with several absences due to the vaccination requirements in Canada.

Staumont (neck) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Staumont landed on the injured list with a neck strain in late June. He recently made a pair of rehab appearances at Triple-A Omaha, allowing one run and one walk while striking out four in two scoreless innings, and he'll rejoin the Royals' bullpen ahead of Friday's game against the Blue Jays.

Patino (oblique) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of Friday's start against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Patino had his rehab assignment shut down in early July due to a blister and won't be fully stretched out for Friday's start as a result. However, he's been cleared to rejoin the Rays ahead of the series opener against the Orioles, who have won their last 10 games. The right-hander tossed 78 pitches during his rehab start July 2, but it's not yet clear how many pitches he'll be able to throw following his layoff. Tommy Romero was sent down to make room for Patino on the active roster.

Carlton was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Friday.

Carlton was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, and he'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster after Jose Cisnero (shoulder) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Friday. Carlton has made five relief appearances for the Tigers this year and posted a 2.08 ERA and 0.46 WHIP in 8.2 innings.

Cisnero (shoulder) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Friday.

Cisnero hasn't yet made his season debut, but he resumed a rehab assignment in late June and posted an 8.44 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 5.1 innings over six appearances in the minors. The 33-year-old made 67 relief appearances for the Tigers last year and converted four of eight save chances while picking up 18 holds with a 3.65 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 61.2 innings. While the team could choose to ease Cisnero back into action with some lower-leverage work, it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn high-leverage opportunities at some point during the second half of the season.

Strahm (wrist) has been unable to play catch the last two days and may be placed on the injured list, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. "If he's not able to play catch tomorrow (Friday), I think the smart move is probably to put him on the IL," Boston manager Alex Cora said.

Strahm was hit by a comebacker Tuesday and X-rays came back negative. Cora reports the left-hander is feeling better but not to the point where he can throw or play catch. The Red Sox will need roster spots to accommodate the returns of Nathan Eovaldi (back) and Garrett Whitlock (hip) on Friday, so Strahm's potential placement on the IL could open up one of those spots.

Santana (3-5) took the loss Thursday against Seattle, allowing three runs on three hits and a hit batsman while striking out one over a third of an inning.

Santana, who lost a second consecutive appearance, was part of a bullpen meltdown that squandered a gutsy performance by Martin Perez, who allowed one run and needed 102 pitches to complete five innings. Over his last six outings, Santana has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 11 hits and six walks, accelerating his ERA from 1.44 to 4.29. He's pitched well out of the bullpen, but Texas' starting staff puts a lot of stress on its relievers. The Rangers rank eighth in relief innings pitched, and while the 'pen has been good for much of the season, the workload may be catching up to Santana.

Beeks earned a save against the Red Sox on Thursday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one batter over one inning.

Tampa Bay took its first lead with a five-run seventh inning, and manager Kevin Cash turned to Brooks Raley and Jason Adam -- who have combined for eight saves this season -- to handle the eighth. That gave Beeks the opportunity to nail down his first save of 2022, and he did so successfully despite allowing three baserunners and one run. The bullpen usage Thursday highlights the peril of looking to Rays relievers for saves in fantasy -- eight different pitchers have notched at least one save for the club this season, and none has more than six. It doesn't seem likely that Beeks will be one of the team's most frequent closers despite Thursday's successful save.

Herget (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Herget said that he felt "great" following the bullpen, which was his first since he went on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement June 22. The right-hander was originally expected to need close to a minimum stay on the IL, but continued discomfort necessitated a longer break from throwing. Herget is next expected to either toss another standard bullpen or progress to facing live hitters.