MLB Player News

Manager Joe Maddon said after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Rays that Rodriguez was removed from the contest early due to right shoulder irritation, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

After needing just six pitches to complete a clean sixth inning, Rodriguez was slated to return to the mound for the seventh, but Maddon opted to pull the right-hander early after his shoulder began barking. The skipper indicated Rodriguez will be reevaluated Thursday before the Angels determine his next steps. The 22-year-old rookie has been solid in a setup role this season, posting a 2.30 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB in 15.2 innings while scooping up two wins and two holds.

Smeltzer was recalled by the Twins on Thursday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Smeltzer was sent down by the Twins in late April, but he'll return to the major-league bullpen after Lewis Thorpe was optioned in a corresponding move. Smeltzer allowed one run (zero earned) on a hit and a walk while striking out three in 4.2 innings during his first relief appearance of the season.

Fleming will serve as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Collin McHugh in Thursday's game against the Angels, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

For the second time in his five appearances on the season, Fleming will be working out of the bullpen. In his other outing as a primary pitcher April 25 against the Blue Jays, Fleming took the loss while giving up a run over 4.1 innings. Though following McHugh will likely suppress Fleming's innings count, it should increase the lefty's chances of factoring into any possible winning decision.

Manager Kevin Cash said McHugh would serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Thursday's series finale against the Angels, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Before he was activated from the injured list earlier this week after missing time with a lower-back strain, McHugh had been building up for a multi-inning relief role. As such, he should be capable of working at least two frames Thursday before giving way to primary pitcher Josh Fleming, who had served as a traditional starter in three of his prior four appearances.

King (3-1) allowed two hits and struck out three over 2.2 scoreless innings to earn the win over Minnesota on Wednesday.

With Hyeon-Jong Yang making his first MLB start and not completely stretched out, the Rangers knew there would be a need for one of their relievers to tote a multi-inning load. King was that man Wednesday, coming in during the fourth inning to get out of a bases-loaded jam. He then authored two more frames for his third multi-inning outing in his last four appearances. He's been one of the Rangers' best relievers, posting a 1.13 ERA over 16 innings -- not bad for a guy who never pitched above High-A prior to 2020. The left-hander credits a move to the third-base side of the rubber and a new meditation process for his early-season success, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Hendriks (1-1) was tagged with the loss Wednesday after allowing an unearned run on two hits over a third of an inning against the Reds.

Hendriks entered in a non-save situation, as the game was tied with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. He rescued the White Sox from that jam but gave up two hits to open the 10th, giving Cincinnati a walkoff win.

Trivino (1-1) was tagged with the loss and the blown save Tuesday against the Blue Jays, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks while retiring only one batter.

For the second straight outing, Trivino was summoned in the eighth inning rather than the ninth. The results weren't pretty, as the right-hander allowed five baserunners and retired only one hitter. Trivino entered the contest with a 1.59 ERA, five saves and three holds, so it's unlikely that one poor outing will knock him out of a high-leverage role. However, given his usage over the past two outings, it stands to reason that the Athletics aren't committed to using Trivino exclusively as their closer.

Junis allowed a solo home run in one inning during Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Cleveland. He was charged with a blown save.

Junis continues to struggle in a bullpen role. He allowed the game-tying solo shot to Jose Ramirez in the eighth inning. Junis has allowed four homers in his last 14 innings, spanning two starts and two relief outings. The right-hander carries a 5.19 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 29:9 K:BB across 26 innings. Without a spot in the rotation, there's little to like about Junis' current usage.

Barlow earned a hold with 1.1 perfect innings in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Cleveland. He struck out two.

Barlow was able to retire Harold Ramirez via groundout to end Cleveland's threat in the sixth inning. The 28-year-old Barlow then retired the side on 11 pitches in the seventh for his fifth hold of the season. Jakob Junis was charged with a blown save for allowing the game-tying home run to Jose Ramirez in the eighth inning. Barlow has been relatively effective with a 2.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 22:7 K:BB across 17.1 innings this season. He should continue to see mostly high-leverage work.

Yarbrough (2-3) earned the win against the Angels on Wednesday, pitching four innings and allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three.

Yarbrough worked as the primary pitcher in the contest, entering the game in the third inning following a pair of scoreless frames by opener Andrew Kittredge. Yarbrough tossed 65 pitches in his four innings, throwing 40 for strikes and limiting Los Angeles to a lone third-inning run. The outing was the left-hander's shortest of the campaign, as he had tossed at least five frames in each of his previous six appearances. He'll carry a 4.58 ERA and 29:8 K:BB into his next appearance, though it's unclear whether that will again come as a primary pitcher or if he'll switch back to a traditional starting role.