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Jaime Barria RP | CLE
Angels' Jaime Barria: Back in big leagues
Barria was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.
Barria is up to replace Tyler Skaggs, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain in a corresponding move. Skaggs doesn't expect to miss more than one start, so Barria's stay could be brief, but he's likely to get the ball in Skagg's spot Thursday against Seattle.
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Ryan Borucki RP | SF
Blue Jays' Ryan Borucki: Transferred to 60-day IL
Borucki (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Monday.
The move clears space on the 40-man roster for Eric Sogard, whose contract was purchased in a corresponding transaction. Borucki had been trending towards a late April return but hit a snag in his rehab. He received a cortisone shot and won't throw for two more weeks. He'll be eligible to return in late May.
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Adam Kolarek RP | LAA
Rays' Adam Kolarek: Notches first win
Kolarek (1-0) fired a scoreless inning in which he allowed no hits or walks while recording a strikeout in a win over the Blue Jays on Sunday.
Kolarek kept his ERA unblemished during his ninth appearance of the campaign. The 30-year-old southpaw has already racked up five holds, and Sunday brought his first win of the season. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times also reports that Kolarek has now stranded seven inherited runners to open the campaign, after striking out pinch-hitter Teoscar Hernandez with the bases loaded upon entering the game in the fifth inning Sunday.
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Erik Swanson RP | TOR
Mariners' Erik Swanson: Slated to start Wednesday
Swanson is slated to enter the Seattle rotation for his first MLB start Wednesday against the Indians, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.
Swanson made his big-league debut last week as a reliever before being sent to Triple-A Tacoma after his lone appearance, but he rejoined the Mariners two days later when Wade LeBlanc (oblique) was placed on the injured list. With LeBlanc set to miss at least the next 4-to-6 weeks, Swanson should have an extended opportunity to prove his worth as a starter, though the Mariners likely won't hesitate to pull the plug on him if he struggles in his initial opportunities. The right-hander at least gets a soft landing spot to kick things off with a home start versus a Cleveland offense that ranks 28th in wRC+ (60) and 29th in strikeout percentage (27.4%).
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A.J. Puk RP | ARI
Athletics' A.J. Puk: Throwing to hitters
Puk (elbow) has thrown to hitters on multiple occasions recently, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Puk continues to target a mid-summer return, which would put him back on the mound approximately 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery. The towering southpaw appeared to be on the fast track to the majors at the time of his injury, but he will head to Triple-A Las Vegas for additional seasoning and acclimation once he's deemed ready for activation. Puk sports a relatively modest 36-appearance resume at the minor-league level, with his most recent action coming at Double-A Midland in 2017.
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Nate Pearson RP | KC
Blue Jays' Nate Pearson: Dominating at High-A
Pearson allowed one hit over five scoreless innings while striking out nine for High-A Dunedin on Sunday.
The Jays' top pitching prospect is simply overmatching Florida State League hitters, posting a 0.75 ERA and 17:1 K:BB through his first three outings (12 IP). Pearson's already 22, so while he has limited pro innings so far due to injury, he could get a quick promotion to Double-A if he keeps delivering video game numbers. He's highly unlikely to climb the ladder all the way to the majors this year no matter how he pitches, but Pearson could put himself in the club's 2020 rotation plans with a big campaign.
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Ryan Brasier RP | TEX
Red Sox's Ryan Brasier: Sets up Barnes
Brasier entered Sunday's game in the eighth inning with Boston leading 1-0 and worked around a walk and a hit in scoreless inning.
Brasier has closed out three games this season, but Matt Barnes was positioned to get the save in this one. The Red Sox scored three times in the bottom of the eighth, so no save was credited, but it does did shed some light on manager Alex Cora's planned usage. Starter David Price was allowed to pitch out of a minor jam in the seventh inning and got Boston into the eighth with the lead. That meant Cora did not have to burn Barnes early to squelch a budding threat, and the manager had Brasier enter to set up the potential save for Barnes. Both relievers are expected to get save chances going forward, with game circumstances dictating which one will be positioned for the save.
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Matt Barnes RP | WAS
Red Sox's Matt Barnes: Preserves win
Barnes allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning of Sunday's 4-0 win over the Orioles.
This was heading toward a save situation, so manager Alex Cora had Barnes warming as Boston held a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning. After the Red Sox plated three in the bottom of the inning, the manager had Barnes preserve the victory in a non-save situation. Ryan Brasier pitched the eighth inning when the lower third of Baltimore's order was due up, which aligns with how Cora's deployed his late-inning relievers. Barnes has entered previous games earlier than the ninth inning for pivotal moments when opponents had the stronger part of their order due up.
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Sean Manaea SP | NYM
Athletics' Sean Manaea: Extends throwing distance
Manaea (shoulder) is throwing from a distance of 120 feet, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The new distance represents a nice bump up for Manaea, who was throwing from 90 feet out in late March. The southpaw continues on track to return at some point this summer following his September 2018 surgery. Manaea will likely increase his throwing distance again in the near future and eventually graduate to bullpen sessions.
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Brad Hand RP | ATL
Indians' Brad Hand: Takes loss versus Royals
Hand (0-1) allowed one run on two hits and a walk while recording only one out in a loss against the Royals on Sunday.
This didn't count as a blown save because the game was tied, but Hand wasn't sharp. He hadn't allowed a baserunner in his previous 2.2 innings, but three players reached against him Sunday, erasing that good work in the WHIP category. Still, Hand has enjoyed a solid start t to the year, going 4-for-4 in save opportunities with a 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings.