MLB Player News

Graveman allowed one walk and struck out two across a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Tuesday against the Rockies.

Graveman was given a two-run lead and had little trouble closing the door to earn his ninth save of the season. He walked the first batter he faced, but proceeded to retire the next three -- two via strikeout. It was also Graveman's first save since July 4, with Paul Sewald logging two in that span. Even so, Graveman hasn't allowed an earned run across his last nine outings, so he should remain in the closer mix as long as he remains with the Mariners.

Raley (COVID-19 protocols) reported to Triple-A Sugar Land for a rehab assignment Tuesday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Raley has cleared the COVID protocols and is nearing his return from the injured list. He's expected to pitch Tuesday for Sugar Land, and it's unclear whether he'll require additional appearances before being activated.

Kay was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Kay will head back to Triple-A after allowing five runs in Monday's blowout loss to Boston. While the shaky outing inflated the southpaw's ERA to 5.61, he still figures to be a candidate for another call-up when the team needs another bullpen arm.

Hatch won't start as scheduled Tuesday versus the Red Sox since the game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Hatch was promoted Monday and slated to make his season debut Tuesday versus Boston, but he'll lose out on that chance due to the postponement. Robbie Ray will remain on schedule to start Wednesday, per Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun, so Hatch may not make his first start of 2021 anytime soon, as Alek Manoah (back) is expected to miss only one turn through the rotation.

Edwards (oblique) has begun throwing bullpen sessions, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Edwards is dealing with a strained left oblique and will be ineligible to return from the 60-day injured list before mid-August. However, given that he's already throwing bullpens several weeks before his stay expires, he seemingly has a good shot to be activated when first eligible.

Harvey (lat) has begun his rehab work in Sarasota but won't embark on a rehab assignment until late in the month or perhaps early August, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The oft-injured righty's latest ailment is a strained right lat, an injury he suffered in late June. Previous reports indicated he had a chance to return by the end of July, but he no longer appears to be on that schedule.

Manager Kevin Cash said that Anderson (elbow) felt good after throwing 20 pitches during live batting practice Tuesday and will start a rehab assignment with the club's rookie-level affiliate in the coming days, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Anderson has been targeting an August return to the Rays' bullpen after missing the entire season to this point with a partially torn ligament in his throwing elbow. The right-hander appears to be on track to satisfy that timeline, as he will likely get a handful of minor-league outings under his belt before being activated within the next few weeks. Anderson posted an impressive 0.55 ERA and 0.49 WHIP across 16.1 innings in 2020, so he could have a chance to reclaim a high-leverage role when he returns.

Pearson (groin) has begun to build back up after being diagnosed with a sports hernia but will do so as a reliever, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Pearson received plenty of hype heading into last season but has thus far failed to establish himself thanks to a long list of injuries. He appears to be finally turning a corner with his last issue, however, with the Blue Jays expressing relief that he wasn't diagnosed with anything worse. He's on track to throw live batting practice next week. Pearson won't have time to build up to a starter's workload by the end of the year, but he certainly has the stuff to help the team in a relief role. Of course, that'll limit his fantasy utility outside of leagues that count holds.

The Twins optioned Jax to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.

Jax was called up from Triple-A to start the first game of Monday's doubleheader with the White Sox and acquitted himself well in the 3-2 victory. He didn't factor into the decision, but Jax limited the White Sox to one run on one hit and one walk while striking out six over four innings before departing when he developed a blister. The finger abrasion shouldn't cost him any time, but he won't stick around in Minnesota since the Twins won't need a sixth starter for the foreseeable future.

Lowther landed on the injured list at Triple-A Norfolk with a left shoulder strain Tuesday, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Lowther owns a 10.80 ERA in 8.1 innings at the big-league level this season and a 6.93 mark over seven Triple-A starts. He hasn't done much to earn another major-league opportunity and will now be out of the picture for some time until his shoulder heals.