MLB Player News

Cleveland placed Wittgren on the paternity list Monday.

Wittgren will be away from the team for up to three days after his wife gave birth to the couple's son earlier Monday. Cleveland recalled Kyle Nelson from its alternate site to provide an extra arm out of the bullpen while Wittgren is inactive.

The Athletics optioned Kolarek to their alternate training site Monday.

Kolarek was demoted to clear a spot in the bullpen for Mike Fiers (hip), who is expected to work in long relief after being activated from the 10-day injured list. Acquired from the Dodgers in February, Kolarek has endured a tough start to his tenure in Oakland, posting an 8.44 ERA and 1.88 WHIP through his first eight outings with his new team.

Garcia was officially called up as expected ahead of his scheduled start Monday against the Orioles.

The 21-year-old lost the fifth starter job to Domingo German after a poor camp, but the Yankees plan on going with a six-man rotation temporarily, so he should be up for at least a few outings. It's unclear exactly what he'll offer after posting an unremarkable 4.98 ERA in his six-start debut last season, but he lines up with a very interesting two-start week, as he's expected to face the Tigers on Sunday.

Rodriguez (1-0) took the win against Houston on Sunday, pitching a scoreless inning in relief. He allowed one walk and struck out two.

The rookie came on in the seventh frame after starter Dylan Bundy allowed a two-run home run to Yuli Gurriel that tied the score. Rodriguez wasn't flawless -- only 12 of his 24 pitches went for strikes, and he allowed two baserunners on a walk and hit-by-pitch -- but he closed out the inning without allowing any additional runs. Shohei Ohtani put the Angels back ahead with a solo homer in the eighth, giving Rodriguez his first victory as a major leaguer. The right-hander has a good chance of moving into a starting role at some point in his career, but for now he is holding his own as a member of the bullpen, registering a 3.18 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 16:7 K:BB across 11.1 innings.

Crochet developed a blister on his hand while throwing three scoreless innings in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Rangers, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. He allowed three hits and a walk while striking out one to earn his third hold.

Crochet was seen bleeding from his thumb during the eighth inning when he got out of a jam with a double-play lineout. It's unclear how the blister will impact him going forward, but after throwing 46 pitches Sunday, Crochet will not be available for the next few days.

Lowther allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning during Sunday's 8-1 win over the Athletics.

The southpaw entered the game in a low-leverage situation with the Orioles holding a large lead. Lowther got the job done for a solid start to his big-league career. The 24-year-old posted a 2.55 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 154:63 K:BB across 148 innings as a starter with Double-A Bowie in 2019, but he'll begin this season in the bullpen.

Fulmer allowed one hit and two walks while striking out two in three scoreless innings in Sunday's loss to the Royals. He didn't factor into the decision.

Fulmer threw only 36 pitches Sunday since he was pitching on three days' rest, but the right-hander held Kansas City in check to begin the game. Fulmer has made six appearances (three starts) to begin the season, and he's posted a 3.32 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 19 innings during that time. He lines up to make his next start on the road against the Yankees on Friday.

Fleming (1-2) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out three in 4.1 innings to take the loss against the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Fleming served as a traditional starter in each of his first two outings of the season, but he entered Sunday's game as the primary pitcher behind right-hander Luis Patino. Fleming was still relatively effective in Sunday's series finale, but he was charged with the loss since he gave up the only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning. Fleming has posted a 1.23 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 14.2 innings to begin the year. He lines up to make his next appearance at home against the Astros on Friday.

Patino allowed no hits and one walk while striking out three in 2.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays. He didn't factor into the decision.

Patino made his team debut as Sunday's opener, and he tossed 42 pitches before primary pitcher Josh Fleming entered the game. Patino posted a 5.19 ERA in 17.1 innings with the Padres last year but could earn more opportunities with the Rays if he continues to pitch effectively.

Mayza (1-0) allowed no runs on two hits and no walks in one-third of an inning to earn the win against the Rays on Sunday.

Mayza entered Sunday's game in the fourth inning after Hyun Jin Ryu (glute) was removed from the contest early, and he picked up his first win of the year as the Blue Jays scored the lone run of the game in the top of the fifth. The left-hander has made nine relief appearances to begin the year and has struck out seven in six scoreless frames.