MLB Player News

Taylor allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Boston.

This was Taylor's first appearance since being activated from the injured list Monday. He had been on the IL since mid-April due to a sprained ankle. Houston's bullpen has had a few meltdowns within the last two weeks, so Taylor could emerge with a high-leverage or setup role if he can get outs consistently.

Hendriks did not allow a baserunner and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning to record the save Thursday against the Tigers.

Hendriks was tasked with protecting a three-run lead and had no issue doing so to earn his 14th save of the season. Since a somewhat rocky start to the campaign, Hendriks has now turned in 15 consecutive scoreless appearances. Overall, he's maintained a 1.96 ERA with a 38:3 K:BB and is among the elite closers in the league.

Barlow pitched two hitless innings, allowing one walk and striking out a pair to secure the save in Thursday's win over the Twins.

Barlow earned the multi-inning save as he kept the one-run lead intact. This was an important outing for the 28-year-old, as the closing situation in Kansas City is becoming more fluid and Barlow could see increased opportunities to finish games. He primarily serves as the setup man and boasts a 1.86 ERA and a 13.3 K/9. He has clearly been the most consistent reliever in the Royals' bullpen and is deserving of a share of the team's save situations.

Yarbrough (3-3) allowed two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out six in nine innings to earn the win against the Yankees on Thursday.

Yarbrough earned his first win in nearly a month during Thursday's outing, and he also ended the Rays' five-year streak without a complete game. The southpaw gave up solo home runs in the third and seventh innings against New York, but he got plenty of run support from Tampa Bay's offense. Yarbrough has now posted a 3.95 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 66 innings across 12 appearances this year, and he tentatively lines up to make his next start at home against the Nationals on Wednesday.

Rodriguez (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Rodriguez displayed increased velocity during a minor-league rehab appearance Monday and will now return to the major-league bullpen after he missed nearly a month with right shoulder irritation. The right-hander made eight relief appearances prior to the absence and posted a 2.30 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 15.2 innings. Catcher Anthony Bemboom was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move.

Graveman (COVID-19 protocols) is out of quarantine and has rejoined the team in Seattle, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Graveman hasn't pitched since May 16 while on the COVID-19 injured list, so he'll need to build his workload back up before he returns to major-league action. The righty could require simulated games or a rehab assignment before he's cleared to rejoin the Mariners' bullpen, but he appears to be trending in the right direction.

Bolanos was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.

Bolanos served as the 27th man during a doubleheader in mid-May, but he failed to make an appearance in the twin bill. He'll now return to the major-league club after he posted a 3.31 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 16.1 innings during four starts with Triple-A Omaha this year. The right-hander will likely serve as a low-leverage reliever but could be available as a spot starter if needed.

Fleming will start Friday's game in Texas, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He worked behind an opener en route to the win in his last appearance, and he has secured the win in four of his last five appearances, although he only started one of those five games. Fleming has pitched exceptionally well this season (2.98 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) and the Rangers are a pretty nice matchup on paper, but he is slightly less likely to qualify for the win working as a true starter.

Kay (finger) was activated from the 10-day injured list Thursday and optioned to Triple-A.

He was already at Triple-A Buffalo on a rehab assignment and will stick around in the Bisons' rotation for the time being. The Jays will undoubtedly need rotation reinforcements at some point soon, but Kay's 6.62 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in the majors this season may lead to him getting passed over for the next opportunity if Toronto has any better options.

Lowther was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday.

This latest stint in the majors lasted just one game, in which he didn't pitch. Lowther has been working as a starter at Triple-A and as a swingman in the majors. He has a 3.22 FIP at Triple-A and a 6.43 FIP in the big leagues.