MLB Player News

Howard (finger), Josh Gessner and Kevin Gowdy were traded from the Phillies to the Rangers in exchange for Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Howard has been a dominant pitcher in the minors, posting a 1.85 ERA and a 34.7 percent strikeout rate in 30 starts across the last four years. He hasn't come close to replicating that thus far in the majors, with his strikeout rate dropping to 22.5 percent and his ERA spiking to 5.81, though that comes in a small sample of just 52.2 innings.

Hendriks will have to share his closer role with the newly acquired Craig Kimbrel down the stretch, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Henriks looked like one of the safest closers around, as he's coming off back-to-back seasons with an ERA of 1.80 or below and owns a well-supported 2.58 ERA this season to go with his 25 saves, the second-highest total in the league. Kimbrel appears to be just as strong of a weapon, however, as he's bounced back from a couple of surprisingly poor seasons and is back in peak form, cruising to an 0.49 ERA and 46.7 percent strikeout rate, both of which represent the top marks among qualified relievers. For now, the White Sox intend to give both pitchers save opportunities, though the exact split between the two may take some time to become clear.

Kimbrel was traded from the Cubs to the White Sox in exchange for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer on Friday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

Kimbrel will head south along the Red Line in one of the biggest deals of the deadline. The landing spot is one of the few that could potentially hurt Kimbrel's fantasy value, as it's unclear whether it will be him or Liam Hendriks who receives most of the save chances for the White Sox. Kimbrel owns an incredible 0.49 ERA and 46.7 percent strikeout rate this season, both of which beat Hendriks' 2.58 ERA and 41.0 percent strikeout rate, but Hendriks was dominant in each of the previous two seasons while Kimbrel had easily the worst two years of his 12-year career. The initial plan is to have the two split the ninth inning, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Jax will be called up to start Friday against the Cardinals.

Jose Berrios had been the team's scheduled starter but was instead traded to Toronto. Jax has made two starts and four relief appearances at the big-league level this season but hasn't shown much, struggling to a 7.48 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. Still, the fact that he's getting the first opportunity in Berrios' absence could indicate that he'll have an inside track at a starting role down the stretch, which could make him worth keeping an eye on in deep leagues.

Holmes pitched a perfect inning and struck out one batter against Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The Yankees trailed by 14 runs when Holmes came into the contest in the eighth inning, so he wasn't exactly pitching under pressure. Still, it was a positive New York debut for the right-hander, who was acquired from the Pirates on Monday. Holmes figures to see mostly low-leverage work for the Yankees given his 4.81 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 5.2 BB/9 on the season.

Abreu allowed six runs on four hits and two walks without recording an out against Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The right-hander came into the contest with a 1.88 ERA across 14.1 innings and left with his ERA having ballooned to 5.65. Abreu tossed only 18 of 33 pitches for strikes and was pounded when he did throw the ball into the zone, as three of Tampa Bay's four hits against him left the park. It was the first time this season that Abreu has allowed more than one run in an appearance.

Woods Richardson is part of the trade package going from the Blue Jays to the Twins in exchange for Jose Berrios, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Woods Richardson was Toronto's top pitching prospect following the graduation of Alek Manoah, though he's struggled at Double-A this season with a 5.76 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 67:26 K:BB across 45.1 innings (11 starts). The right-hander is still only 20 years old and has shown swing-and-miss stuff with a 33.2 percent strikeout rate, but his command has been inconsistent with a 12.9 percent walk rate. Still, it's a strong return for the Twins, who will also receive shortstop/outfielder Austin Martin in the deal for Berrios, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. Woods Richardson is currently playing with the U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo, so he won't be joining his new organization immediately.

Hernandez (2-1) earned the win Thursday against the White Sox after tossing six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while fanning four.

Hernandez only has three starts on the year and all of them have come in July. This was the first time he tossed more than four complete frames and was his best outing of the season so far. The right-hander owns a 4.15 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across five appearances this month.

Armstrong was sent from the Orioles to the Rays in exchange for cash considerations Friday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Rays are famous for their ability to get the most out of otherwise unheralded pieces, so it's possible they see something in Armstrong that the rest of the world has missed. There's not much to like in his numbers, however, as the 30-year-old owns a career 4.65 ERA in 151 innings at the big-league level and an 8.55 ERA in 20 frames this season. He isn't on the 40-man roster and will report to Triple-A Durham for now.

Patino (2-2) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out eight across six scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Yankees.

Patino dominated the Yankees lineup throughout this start and out-pitcher Gerrit Cole to earn the win. Patino flashed great swing-and-miss stuff, inducing 19 swinging strikes across 97 total pitches. With Rich Hill out of the picture, it's reasonable to project that Patino will remain in a starting role barring the Rays' acquiring another starter prior to the trade deadline. As both a starter and reliever this season, Patino has a 4.26 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 31.2 innings of work.