MLB Player News

Stanek struck out one over a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his second save in a 3-0 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday.

With Ryan Pressly on the paternity list, the Astros did not have their closer available and were forced to improvise. This seemed like an ideal spot for the recently acquired Kendall Graveman, but manager Dusty Baker had the former Mariners closer pitch the eighth inning against the heart of the Los Angeles order.

Colome threw a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save in Tuesday's win over the Reds. He gave up a hit and walk with a strikeout.

He received the first save opportunity since Hansel Robles was traded Friday. With Taylor Rogers possibly missing the rest of the season with a thumb injury, Colome may become Minnesota's closer by default. The right-hander began the season as Minnesota's closer, but he was moved to low-leverage roles after he struggled with an 8.31 ERA and three blown saves in April. He's improved lately, however, posting a 3.72 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in July. However, the closer role for the Twins could be in flux, as they may want to give Jorge Alcala and other younger players opportunities as they look toward 2022.

Hentges allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning during Tuesday's 7-2 loss to Toronto.

Hentges was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on July 22, but Tuesday was his first appearance since rejoining the major-league roster. The 25-year-old has worked as both a starter and a reliever this year, and he's been a long-relief option since his call-up. He owns an 8.04 ERA, 2.02 WHIP and 45:25 K:BB across 43.2 innings in 16 appearances (eight starts).

Fulmer worked around a hit to pitch a clean inning and record a hold in Tuesday's win over the Red Sox. He struck out three.

Fulmer got the seventh inning in this one and after allowing a leadoff single, the righty settled in and struck out the side, allowing him to pick up his fifth hold of the season in the 4-2 win. Since returning from the injured list last week, Fulmer has pitched four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, though he's yet to see a save opportunity. Gregory Soto shut things down Tuesday for his 12th save of the season. Both pitchers should remain in the mix for saves depending on matchups.

Cisnero pitched a clean eighth inning in Tuesday's win over the Red Sox to record his 15th hold of the season.

The 15 holds easily pace the team, as Cisnero has established himself as a reliable setup man, though it appears Michael Fulmer and Gregory Soto have the inside track on save opportunities at the moment. Fulmer pitched the seventh in this one, while Soto ended the game to earn his 12th save of the season. Cisnero should remain in the mix, but his fantasy appeal is limited by the other two relievers for the time being.

Wells (1-2) was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after being charged with the loss Tuesday against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. He allowed six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and zero walks over 2.1 innings.

Wells gave up a run on two hits across the first two frames, but things fell apart in the third as New York tallied five runs on five hits, an error and a hit batsman. The Orioles have two scheduled off days within the next week, and the young lefty will make his way back to the minors with a 7.64 ERA across 17.2 innings this season.

Soto allowed one hit while striking out two Tuesday, closing out the Tigers' 4-2 win over the Red Sox for his 12th save of the season.

Soto allowed a two-out single to Jarren Duran and nothing more Tuesday night, as he struck out Rafael Devers to end the game and earn his 12th save of the season. After a couple of tough outings to close out July, the left-hander's August has gotten off to a much better start.

Barnes tested negative for COVID-19 and is expected to be activated from the injured list Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Barnes was placed on the specialized injured list Tuesday, but he'll quickly rejoin the Red Sox after producing a pair of negative test results. The 31-year-old will immediately slot back into the closer's role after missing Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Detroit.

Phillips signed a minor-league deal with the Rays on Tuesday and will join Triple-A Durham, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The righty pitcher finds a home with the Rays just one day after being released by Baltimore. Phillips was unremarkable with Triple-A Norfolk this season, posting a 5.04 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 25 relief innings. That being said, the Rays' ability to turn unheralded minor leaguers into big-league weapons is well documented, so it will be interesting to see how Phillips' career progresses from here.

Howard (finger) will start Thursday's game against the Angels, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports.

It was unclear whether Howard would start or follow an opener as the bulk guy, but Tuesday's update confirmed the former. He'll make his Rangers debut after posting a 5.72 ERA and 31:17 K:BB in 28.1 games with the Phillies this season. Howard appeared in 11 games for Philadelphia, seven of which were starts.