MLB Player News

The Rangers activated Santana from the COVID-19-related injured list Sunday.

Santana was inactive for the past week and a half after testing positive for the virus, but he looks like he'll be an available option out of the Texas bullpen for Sunday's series finale in Oakland. Before falling ill, Santana made three relief appearances for the Rangers, gathering two holds while allowing one earned run over 3.1 innings.

The Rangers activated Howard (finger) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Though Garrett Richards is slated to open Sunday's game against the Athletics, Howard is expected to serve as the primary pitcher behind him as the righty makes his return from a brief stay on the IL with a blister and cracked nail on his throwing hand. The Rangers will likely wait and see how the Richards/Howard pairing fares Sunday before deciding whether Howard will serve a traditional starting role in his subsequent turns in the rotation or continue to work as a primary pitcher.

Karinchak (shoulder) is expected to progress to bullpen work this weekend, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Karinchak was shut down from throwing in spring training, but Withers reports the reliever has thrown from 250 feet on flat ground without pain. He's still got a few more steps to go before potentially returning to the Guardians, and it's unclear at this time if the 26-year-old will require a rehab assignment.

Brentz (0-3) took the loss Saturday versus the Mariners. He allowed five runs on a hit and four walks with one strikeout in one-third of an inning.

Brentz entered the game in the eighth inning, but he threw just 11 of his 29 pitches for strikes. Dylan Coleman relieved him and allowed two inherited runners to score on a Ty France home run. It's been an inconsistent start to the season for Brentz, who has surrendered nine runs with an 8:9 K:BB across 4.1 innings. He's picked up two holds in addition to his three losses, but the southpaw may be pitching himself out of the high-leverage conversation if he continues to struggle with command.

Tate walked one and struck one in a scoreless inning to earn a hold in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Angels.

Tate was considered a possible closer after the Orioles' bullpen shakeup just before they broke camp, but Jorge Lopez has seized that role with four saves so far. Instead, Tate's worked in more of a setup role. He has three holds and a 0-1 record through eight appearances. The right-hander has a 2.89 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 7:1 K:BB across 9.1 innings, and he's prevented hits in four of his outings.

Baker (1-0) allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one in one inning, earning the win Saturday over the Angels.

Baker worked the sixth inning, allowing a two-run home run to Brandon Marsh. The Orioles quickly got the right-hander off the hook, putting up three runs in the seventh to put him in line for the win. This was the first time in six outings that Baker's allowed multiple runs. He owns a 4.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB with a hold in six innings this season. The 27-year-old looks like he'll continue in a middle-relief role.

Robles (1-1) allowed three unearned runs on one hit while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning and was tagged with a blown save/loss in Saturday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to Tampa Bay.

Robles was the pitcher of choice after Boston grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the 10th inning, and he was in control. The right-hander fanned the first two batters faced before balking the ghost runner to third. It looked like a Boston win when he induced a grounder to second base, but Trevor Story's throw was wide to the bag, allowing a run to score and giving the Rays life. Kevin Kiermaier then took Robles deep to right field... game over. Despite the outcome, Robles has been dominant this season and hasn't given up an earned since August of 2021.

The Guardians optioned Pilkington to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Pilkington has gotten the job done in his three relief appearances with the Guardians, covering five scoreless innings and striking out five while allowing only three baserunners. Cleveland still likely views the 24-year-old southpaw as a potential starter at the big-league level, however, and with no rotation spot available with the Guardians at present, he'll head back to the minors to pick up regular starts.

Brash didn't factor into the decision during Saturday's 13-7 win against Kansas City, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Brash permitted one run in the first and kept Kansas City off the board despite traffic on the bases until the fifth inning, when the bullpen allowed two inherited runners to score once Brash was pulled. The 23-year-old rookie has a serviceable 4.20 ERA through three starts and 15 innings, but he's walked an MLB-leading 11 batters including 10 over his last two turns. He'll look to limit the free passes as he's tentatively set to face Miami on Friday for his next start.

Loup (0-1) was saddled with the loss in a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Orioles on Saturday, allowing three unearned runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

Loup relieved starter Noah Syndergaard in the sixth and worked out of a two-on two-out jam. Manager Joe Maddon opted to stick with the lefty for the seventh and an error led to three unearned runs crossing the plate and a loss. Despite the hiccup, Loup is yet to allow an earned run through seven innings while permitting just one hit and walk compared to five strikeouts.