MLB Player News

Shafer (elbow) was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.

Shafer was cast off the 40-man roster in order to free up a spot for one of the Blue Jays' younger prospects. The 26-year-old spent a majority of the 2018 season at the Triple-A level but posted a 3.24 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 8.1 innings in the majors.

Fernandez was claimed off waivers by the Tigers on Friday.

Fernandez spent the month of September up in the big leagues for Toronto after working at the Triple-A level for a majority of the season. In 13 appearances with the Blue Jays, he allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out six in 10.2 innings of relief. The 25-year-old could use a little more seasoning in the minors but should have a chance to win a major-league roster spot in spring training.

Burdi (elbow) will not pitch again in the Arizona Fall League due to "general fatigue," though he's expected to be fully healthy prior to spring training, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Burdi missed a majority of the 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late July of 2017. He wound up pitching in seven fall league games in August and then returned for a few more appearances this past month before getting shut down for the rest of the year. He's expected to vie for a spot in the major-league bullpen this spring if he's back to 100 percent.

The A's exercised Rodney's $4.25 million club option for 2019 on Wednesday.

Rodney opened the 2018 season with Minnesota before being dealt to Oakland in August. Overall, the veteran reliever posted a combined 3.36 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 across 64.1 innings of relief. He also registered 25 saves and seven holds. With Blake Treinen expected to reprise his role as the team's closer in 2019, Rodney figures to settle in as one of Oakland's primary setup men.

Farquhar (head) was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday and will become a free agent following the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Farquhar appeared in eight games for the White Sox this year but had his season cut short when he collapsed in the dugout due to a brain hemorrhage in late April. The 31-year-old spent a couple weeks at a hospital and was ruled out for the remainder of the year. His timetable for getting back on the mound is unclear, though he's expected to try and make a comeback for the 2019 campaign.

Coleman was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Coleman was eligible for arbitration this offseason had he stayed on the roster, prompting the Tigers to drop him from their 40-man rather than pay him. He posted a 3.51 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 41:24 K:BB across 51.1 innings of relief in 2018.

Pomeranz was added to Boston's World Series roster Tuesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Pomeranz replaced Brandon Workman, giving the Red Sox one more lefty in the bullpen. He had a poor season in 2018, getting hit around to the tune of a 6.20 ERA. He's thrown 5.2 innings in the playoffs so far in his career, allowing six runs.

Harvey (elbow, shoulder) will resume a throwing program in December, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Harvey experienced elbow soreness in mid-September during the instructional league but fortunately didn't suffer any sort of major injury. At the time of his latest setback, he had been recovering from a shoulder injury that forced him to shut it down for the rest of the 2018 season back in early June. Kubatko added that Harvey's elbow "feels good" at the moment, though it's hard to be completely confident in the 23-year-old due to his injury history.

Kimbrel picked up the save with a scoreless inning in Game 5 on Thursday as the Red Sox clinched the American League pennant against the Astros, permitting just one walk and no hits while striking out two.

Kimbrel entered the game with a three-run lead and allowed a one-out walk to Yuli Gurriel, but he retired the next two batters to nail down the save for the Red Sox. The closer recorded 42 saves with a 2.74 ERA in the regular season and needed just 14 pitches to earn his fifth save in five postseason chances.

Kiekhefer was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

Kiekhefer was dropped from the team's 40-man roster in order to make room for younger players who warrant protection from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The southpaw made just four appearances for the A's in 2018, allowing four runs across two innings of work. He posted a 3.39 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 7.9 K/9 in 58.1 innings across multiple levels of the minors.