MLB Player News

Alcala was recalled by the Twins on Saturday.

Alcala will take the bullpen spot that had belonged to Zack Littell, who landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain in a corresponding move. Alcala will presumably handle a low-leverage role, as he's thrown just 1.2 career big-league innings and just 9.1 innings above the Double-A level.

Littell was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Saturday.

Littell struggled through his first two outings of the year, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out just one over three innings. It's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Jorge Alcala was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.

Junis will start Sunday's game against the White Sox, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Junis has been on the injured list since late July due to a positive COVID-19 test, but he'll be able to make his season debut Sunday after building up his strength at the alternate training site. The right-hander made 31 starts for the Royals last season, posting a 5.24 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 175.1 innings. Assuming all goes well Sunday, Junis should be available in the rotation going forward.

Fulmer won't pitch Saturday against the Reds as the game has been postponed due to rain.

Fulmer had been scheduled to start (or at least open) for the second time this year and was looking to bounce back from his season debut, when he allowed four runs in just 2.2 innings against the Royals. The game will be made up as part of a seven-inning doubleheader Sunday, though Fulmer isn't scheduled to start either game.

Norris will start Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Reds.

Norris missed nearly all of camp due to COVID-19 protocols but has been building up his workload at the Tigers' alternate training site. The southpaw was expected to need one more session ahead of joining the major-league club, but he'll be in line to start in Sunday's seven-inning contest. If all goes well, Norris should reclaim his spot in the rotation going forward.

Fairbanks (1-1) took the loss in Friday's defeat at the hands of the Orioles, allowing an earned run on two hits and a walk over 1.1 innings. He struck out two.

Fairbanks settled things down after Blake Snell allowed three straight extra-base hits -- including back-to-back home runs -- to start the fourth inning. However, he eventually became the pitcher of record when Andrew Kittredge allowed an RBI single to Anthony Santander that plated inherited runner Hanser Alberto to snap a 3-3 tie, which handed Fairbanks the first blemish on his 2020 ledger. The hard-throwing right-hander had some control issues Friday while getting just 17 of 28 pitches into the strike zone, and he's now allowed an earned run in two of his first three appearances despite generating a 7:2 K:BB.

Kittredge, who fired a scoreless two-thirds of an inning during which he allowed one hit in a loss to the Orioles on Friday, now has a 6.00 ERA through his first three appearances.

The right-hander got his season off on the right foot with a pair of scoreless frames versus the Blue Jays on Sunday, but he subsequently was touched up for two earned runs on two hits by the Braves over just one-third of an inning Wednesday. Kittredge has filled an increasingly larger bullpen role over the last three seasons for manager Kevin Cash, topping out at 37 appearances, including seven starts, in 2019.

Puk (shoulder) is progressing well through a throwing program at the Athletics' alternate training site in San Jose, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "He feels good, so that's encouraging," manager Bob Melvin said. "I still have no timetable for him for when he gets on the mound or throws a bullpen."

The promising left-hander has reportedly been playing catch out to a distance of 60 feet. Puk landed on the 10-day injured list back on July 22 (retroactive to July 20), but he'll definitely be sidelined for a considerable amount of time beyond that based on the current pace of his rehabilitation.

Hernandez is one of the relievers manager Chris Woodward is considering as a closer in the absence of Jose Leclerc (shoulder), T.R. Sullivan reports.

When Leclerc was placed on the 45-day injured list, interest in possible replacements as a closer has surged. Woodward will not designate one arm as a closer and will deploy a closer-by-committee. He's leaning toward right-handers Hernandez and Edinson Volquez.

Cordero allowed one hit, hit a batter, and struck out three over 1.2 innings to register a hold in Friday's 3-2 win over the Royals.

Cordero made his most significant appearance of the season Friday, entering in the sixth inning with the White Sox clinging to a one-run lead. It was his fourth outing, the first three coming in the early innings when starters couldn't get deep. The 28-year-old right-hander fired 2.2 scoreless innings over the last three outings after ceding a pair of runs in the season opener.