MLB Player News

Mengden will join the Athletics' starting rotation and draw the start for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Astros, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Mengden was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday and will be deployed in the starting rotation in place of the struggling Chris Smith. Mengden posted a 6.50 ERA in his 14 starts last season and gave up nine runs in his two starts earlier this year, so he can be left off your fantasy radar until he shows he's capable of performing at the big-league level.

Pruitt is scheduled to start Friday's game against the Red Sox, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Pruitt will step in for the injured Chris Archer (forearm), who won't be able to make his next start on schedule. Archer isn't expected to miss more than one start, so Pruitt will likely head back to a long-relief role following Friday's outing. The 28-year-old has compiled a serviceable 4.19 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in eight starts for the Rays this season.

Smith (elbow) was activated from the 60-day disabled list Tuesday, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.

His return was delayed by a day after he was struck by a line drive in the leg in his final rehab start over the weekend. Seeing as Smith has only made three appearances for the big club since the start of 2016, he will likely be eased back into action in a lower-leverage role. The hope is that he'll be ready to contribute more substantially in 2018 after building his arm back up in the offseason. Kyle Martin was designated for assignment to clear room for Smith's return.

Armstrong was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.

Armstrong was summoned to the big club to provide an extra arm out of the bullpen down the stretch. The 26-year-old owns a 4.76 ERA and 19:9 K:BB through 22.2 big-league innings this season. Given the depth of Cleveland's bullpen, Armstrong will likely work in lower-leverage situations for the rest of the season.

Mengden was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.

Four players were brought up following the conclusion of Nashville's season, Mengden included. The right-hander gave up nine runs in two starts for the A's earlier in the season (eight innings), and he wasn't a whole lot better with Nashville after his return from a rib injury in August. He figures to pitch primarily out of the bullpen the rest of the way.

Alvarado was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday.

Alvarado will rejoin the big club after posting a 3.93 ERA and 26:13 K:BB through 18.1 innings with Durham. He posted an unimpressive 4.76 ERA in 22.2 innings with the Rays earlier in the season, so he's expected to pitch in lower-leverage situations down the stretch.

Chargois (elbow) was recalled from Triple-A Rochester and placed on the 60-day disabled list.

This is simply procedural, as the move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for Michael Tonkin. Chargois is eligible for activation at any point, though a return this season seems highly unlikely seeing as he hasn't pitched since April due to an elbow issue.

Tonkin had his contract selected by the Twins on Tuesday.

Tonkin will rejoin the big club after being designated for assignment by the Twins back in May. He posted an impressive 1.73 ERA and 61:13 K:BB through 41.2 innings with Triple-A Rochester, but his 6.55 ERA across 11 big-league innings this season will likely limit his opportunities to lower-leveraging situations. J.T. Chargois (elbow) was shifted to the 60-day disabled list to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Tonkin.

Treinen (1-3) took the loss in Monday's 11-9 extra-inning defeat at the hands of the Angels, allowing two earned runs on a hit and a walk over two innings. He also recorded three strikeouts.

Treinen certainly had his moments over his pair of frames, but the two-run triple he surrendered to Kole Calhoun in the 11th inning was the difference in the contest. The 29-year-old right-hander has now taken losses in each of his last two trips to the mound, but he's been an asset since arriving in Oakland. Despite the recent stumbles, he boasts a 2.36 ERA, four holds and seven saves over 22 appearances, along with a 29:8 K:BB.

Garton fired a clean ninth inning in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Astros.

Garton needed just nine pitches to dispose of the potent trio of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Josh Reddick. The 27-year-old right-hander has put together two perfect appearances with the Mariners thus far after a rough pair of stints with the Rays before being traded on Aug. 6. He'll serve as another bullpen option for manager Scott Servais for the balance of the regular season.