MLB Player News

Barnes (illness) is expected to be activated from the COVID-19 injured list prior to Wednesday's game against the Mariners, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Barnes' August struggles led to him losing his firm hold on the closer role before he tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of the month. He was originally expected to make multiple rehab outings in Triple-A before being activated over the weekend, but the latest update indicates that he'll return after just one scoreless inning with Worcester. Boston could try to get Barnes some work in low-leverage innings before putting him in an important spot.

Ort was optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The right-hander joined the Red Sox last Friday, but he did not make an appearance during his four games with the club. Martin Perez's (illness) return from the COVID-19 IL pushes him back to Worcester for the time being, but he could rejoin the big-league roster should Boston need to add an arm during the final three weeks of the regular season.

Warren (undisclosed) said Tuesday that he's been throwing bullpens and is expected to face live hitters within the next few days before being activated during the upcoming homestand, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Warren rejoined the Angels last week after spending nearly two weeks on the COVID-19 injured list. The right-hander has been getting his arm back in shape, and based on his update, he could be activated during the upcoming weekend series against Oakland. Once reinstated, Warren will resume his major-league campaign with a 1.69 ERA and 17:4 K:BB.

Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Loaisiga (shoulder) is "close" to throwing and is "making positive strides" after landing on the injured list last week, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

The right-hander moved to the IL on Sept. 5 after suffering a strained rotator cuff. While Boone noted the progress, the club is still unsure of when exactly he'll resume playing catch. Once he's able to ramp up his throwing, Loaisiga's return timeline should gain some clarity, but for the time being it looks like he has a decent chance to return before the end of the regular season.

Zimmermann (ankle) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie on Saturday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Zimmermann hasn't pitched in a major-league game since mid-June because of biceps tendinitis and a severe ankle sprain. The club said last week that the southpaw still has a chance of returning to log big-league innings this season, and him beginning a rehab assignment over the weekend is a key step toward that becoming a reality. It's unclear how many outings Zimmermann is expected to need in the minors, but he could have a chance to return to the major-league roster by late September assuming he builds up to work as a reliever.

Armstrong accepted an assignment to Triple-A Durham after clearing waivers Tuesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Armstrong was DFA'd by the Rays on Sunday when Nick Anderson was activated from the 60-day injured list. The right-hander holds a 6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 44:15 K:BB across 36 innings with Tampa Bay and Baltimore this season, so it's not overly surprising to see him go unclaimed on waivers.

Yang was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.

Yang served as added bullpen depth while the Rangers dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak but will head back to the minors as players start to return to the roster. He owns an unremarkable 5.60 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 35.1 major-league innings this season.

Diplan was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to Tuesday's game against the Yankees.

Diplan was sent back to Norfolk after allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against Toronto. He'll return to the Orioles with Tanner Scott (knee) shifting to the IL, and he should have plenty of opportunities to pitch during the season's closing weeks.

Scott was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left knee sprain.

Scott last pitched Saturday, allowing six runs on six hits in just one-third of an inning against Toronto. He'll be eligible to come off the injured list Sept. 22 against Philadelphia, but per Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, manager Brandon Hyde said the southpaw's season is probably over. If he is indeed done for the year, Scott will conclude the campaign with a 5.17 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 70:37 K:BB across 54 innings.

Sewald recorded his 12th hold in a win over the Red Sox on Monday despite allowing two earned runs on two hits over an inning during which he also recorded two strikeouts.

Sewald encountered trouble for the third straight appearance after opening the frame with consecutive strikeouts of Enrique Hernandez and Kyle Schwarber. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers subsequently tagged him for back-to-back solo home runs to bring the Red Sox within a run before Sewald escaped by retiring J.D. Martinez. The hard-throwing right-hander boasted a 2.39 ERA and 0.98 WHIP as recently as Sept. 5, but a three-appearance stretch where he's given up five earned runs over three innings has bumped those figures up to 3.12 and 1.02, respectively.