MLB Player News

Nittoli signed a minor-league deal with the Twins on Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Nittoli was let go by the Mariners on Thursday, and it didn't take long for him to find a new team. He posted a 5.61 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 41:7 K:BB over 33.2 innings for Triple-A Tacoma before being released, and he'll now report to Triple-A St. Paul for the Twins.

Barnes issued a walk, hit a batter, and threw a wild pitch while striking out two over a scoreless ninth inning in Thursday's 12-2 win over the Twins.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora talked about getting Barnes into low-leverage situations, and situations don't get much more low-leverage than this. The plan is to fix whatever's been ailing Barnes during the month of August, but Thursday's results were not encouraging.

Barlow saved Thursday's 6-4 win against the Mariners, throwing a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

One day after blowing the save against Houston, manager Mike Matheny once again turned to Barlow, who made quick work of the top of Seattle's order on just eight pitches. The 28-year-old-righty has endured a tumultuous August that's presented more positives than negatives, featuring two wins, three saves and a hold in addition to three blown saves. Barlow is the favorite to pitch the ninth until he falters or Greg Holland returns.

Trivino (5-7) took the loss in Thursday's 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Yankees, allowing one run on a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.

Manager Bob Melvin opted to deploy his closer in a tie game and it backfired as a two-out walk eventually came around to score the game's decisive run. The six earned runs Trivino has surrendered over his last three appearances -- all three losses-- are double the 29-year-old righty's total from June and July combined.

Stephan (3-0) allowed one run on two hits and struck out four in 2.2 innings, earning the win Thursday over Texas.

The 25-year-old once again worked as a long reliever behind starter Sam Hentges. It's been a fruitful role for Stephan, who has earned wins in each of his last two appearances. The right-hander has a 4.50 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 53:25 K:BB across 48 innings this year. Cleveland hasn't announced this as an official piggyback situation, but it's worth keeping an eye on, as Stephan's fantasy value would receive a boost if he can continue to vulture some wins.

Chapman saved Thursday's 7-6 triumph over the Athletics, allowing one hit with one strikeout in the ninth.

Manager Aaron Boone trusted Chapman to protect a one-run lead and the flamethrower delivered with his first save since returning from the IL, inducing a Matt Olson groundout with a runner on second to end the game. The lefty now owns a 3.77 ERA will look to build on the solid performance moving forward after allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over his previous three outings.

Loaisiga (9-4) earned the win during Thursday's 7-6 victory against Oakland, allowing one walk with two strikeouts in two innings.

Loaisiga pitched the seventh and eighth innings for New York and became the pitcher of record when it took the lead in the top of the ninth. The 26-year-old is enjoying a blistering August that features a 0.67 ERA in 13.1 innings, and he should remain a key cog in the bullpen down the stretch for manager Aaron Boone.

Kimbrel allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn save Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Kimbrel returned to the closer role, with Liam Hendriks likely unavailable for the game after throwing 39 pitches Tuesday. Kimbrel took advantage of the opportunity, as the only baserunner he allowed came on a two-out single. He now has 24 saves on the season, though this was his first since joining the White Sox. Kimbrel will likely return to a setup role moving forward, though Hendriks has a 7.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP -- albeit with a 17:2 K:BB -- across nine innings in August.

Akin (1-8) allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out six across seven innings to earn the win Thursday against the Angels.

Akin allowed a leadoff home run to Shohei Ohtani, but he otherwise dominated the Angels. It was his longest start of the season and only the second time he's surpassed five innings in any of his 12 starts. The effort also ended a run of bad starts for Akin, as he entered this outing having allowed 12 earned runs across his last 12 innings. For the season, Akin has a 7.26 ERA with a 63:29 K:BB across 70.2 frames.

Barria allowed one earned run on five hits and two walks while striking out two across 3.1 innings Thursday against the Orioles. He did not factor into the decision.

Barria was hardly sharp, but he did manage to limit the damage before he was pulled from the game. He was bailed out by the bullpen, as he exited with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning -- yet no additional runs scored. Barria has worked a combined 8.1 innings while allowing nine earned runs across his last three starts. Overall, he has a 5.56 ERA with a 19:13 K:BB in 34 innings this season.