MLB Player News

Swanson (forearm) worked out with the team Thursday and could be activated from the injured list in the near future, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Swanson was placed on the injured list Aug. 20 with a forearm strain. No exact timetable has been established for when the right-hander could be activated, but it sounds like sometime within the next week is not out of the question. The 27-year-old has struggled in six appearances this season, allowing nine runs in just 5.1 innings.

Pop said Thursday that he is back to "full-go" after having Tommy John surgery in May of 2019, Roch Kubatko of masnsports.com reports.

Pop resumed light throwing back in November and says he is now throwing 94 mph during his bullpen sessions. Pop did not get an invite to the Orioles' alternate training site, but continues to work out at his home in Canada. The right-hander reliever remains a somewhat intriguing prospect after posting a 0.84 ERA across 10.2 innings with Double-A Bowie in 2019.

Fairbanks (2-0) picked up the win in a victory over the Yankees on Wednesday, firing a pair of scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and one walk while recording three strikeouts.

The right-hander has now put together four straight scoreless efforts, a stretch during which he's logged six innings of work and yielded just three hits overall while recording six strikeouts. Curtiss has yet to allow more than one earned run in any of his eight appearances, including one start. The versatile 27-year-old is likely to continue seeing multi-inning relief assignments on occasion for the balance of the regular season.

Flores was recalled from Chicago's alternate training site Thursday.

He takes the roster spot of Reynaldo Lopez, who was bumped from the rotation, but Flores is expected to simply offer length out of the bullpen in the short term. He had a 3.33 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 78.1 innings at Double-A last year.

Lopez was optioned to Chicago's alternate training site Friday.

This is a performance-based demotion for the hard-throwing righty. Lopez has a 5.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB in nine innings over three starts since coming off the injured list Aug. 22. The shoulder injury that sidelined him may still be affecting his performance, but he will nonetheless be out of the rotation going forward. Carlos Rodon (shoulder) is expected to replace him.

Puk (shoulder) could join the big-league bullpen early next week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Even with the doubleheaders piling up, it sounds like Puk will be used as a reliever once he is activated from the injured list. He will have one more live batting practice session Friday at the alternate training site before joining the big club.

Mengden was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He is asymptomatic, but will nonetheless have to quarantine until he tests negative, so he should be considered out indefinitely. The Athletics say that Mengden did not violate safety protocols, so there will be no discipline from the team. Mike Minor was added to the active roster in a corresponding move.

Devenski (arm) could return during this current road trip that lasts through Sept. 13, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

He progressed to throwing off a mound in mid-August and the fact that he is traveling with the team suggests his activation could come soon. If Devenski is back to his old self, he could immediately be a setup option ahead of closer Ryan Pressly.

Heller was ejected from Wednesday's loss to Tampa Bay after hitting Hunter Renfroe with a pitch in the fifth inning.

Heller's third pitch drifted far inside and drilled Renfroe on the leg, leading to the right-hander's ejection. The decision to toss Heller was likely escalated due to the heated history between the squads and Tuesday's postgame confrontation following Aroldis Chapman's heater that came dangerously close to Mike Brosseau's head. Heller's general wildness over his career -- he has 14 walks and four HBPs in 30.1 innings -- lends support to his claim that the errant fastball was unintentional, though it remains to be seen whether the league will take further action against him.

Lopez could be replaced by Carlos Rodon (shoulder) in the rotation, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Since Lopez returned from the 10-day injured list, the White Sox have him on a pitch count -- he departed Wednesday after 53 pitches, although he wasn't very sharp. With Rodon expected to come off the IL, possibly by the next turn through the rotation, he could slot in for Lopez. "We'll probably have a discussion at some point and time to go over how we will continue to proceed and make a decision," manager Rick Renteria said. "Not going one way or the other. We'll just have a conversation." Lopez has allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits and six walks while striking out 10 over the nine innings since his return.