MLB Player News

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.

Manager Kevin Cash said Feyereisen (biceps) will begin throwing off a mound soon, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Having been on the injured list since July 22, Feyereisen figures to require considerable mound work and possibly a rehab assignment before rejoining the Rays. The righty was scuffling before going on the IL, as he allowed five earned runs in his last five appearances after holding opponents scoreless in his previous 13 games.

Fairbanks (shoulder) threw Tuesday for the first time since landing on the injured list July 29, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The righty doesn't appear too close to being activated, as he still needs to progress to mound work and live bullpens before potentially heading out on a rehab assignment. More details about Fairbanks' progress and recovery should become available later in the week.

McHugh (arm) will throw live batting practice Wednesday and, barring any setbacks, is expected to be activated for the weekend series in Baltimore, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The slider-spinning righty landed on the IL on July 25 with a dead arm, but he appears very close to rejoining the Rays. McHugh has established himself as a huge asset in Tampa Bay's bullpen, posting a 1.51 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 41.2 innings this season after not pitching in 2020.

Barnes was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. He has not tested positive for the virus yet.

The righty's initial test came back negative, but he's expecting another result Tuesday night. How long Barnes is sidelined depends on whether he tests positive, as a positive test would keep him out for at least 10 days. An update on his status figures to come out Tuesday night or whenever his test results are determined.