MLB Player News

Merritt has been confirmed as Friday's starter against the Royals, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.

Danny Salazar was placed on the DL with elbow inflammation, and Merritt is on the 40-man roster and has not pitched since Aug. 17, so he made for a natural spot starter. Josh Tomlin (hamstring) is expected to slot back into the rotation next week, so Merritt's time in the rotation could be limited to one start. He has a 3.12 ERA and just three strikeouts in 8.2 innings in the big leagues this season, while notching a 3.03 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 116 innings at Triple-A.

Almonte (shoulder) was recalled from Triple-A and placed on the 60-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain.

While Almonte will be eligible to return in late September, a return seems unlikely given the nature of the injury. One of the top pitching prospects in the Royals' system, Almonte started this season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and worked his way to the big leagues, pitching an inning of work out of the bullpen on two different occasions for the Royals.

Zych was placed on the 10-day DL on Tuesday with a right elbow flexor bundle strain.

It has been a struggle for Zych to stay healthy over the past couple years, although he was able to log 40.2 innings in the majors this year before breaking down. He had a 2.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 35 strikeouts over that span. It would not be surprising if we don't see Zych pitching again until 2018, although nothing is official on that front. Dan Altavilla was recalled from Triple-A as a corresponding move.

Mayza was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

He has a 0.93 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 19.1 innings at Triple-A. Look for him to be used as a lefty specialist, primarily in lower-leverage situations. Nick Tepesch was placed on the paternity list as a corresponding move.

Armstrong was recalled by Cleveland on Tuesday.

With Andrew Miller's (knee) placement on to the disabled list, a spot opened up in Cleveland's bullpen and Armstrong was selected to fill that spot. This will be Armstrong's seventh stint this season in the majors. During his first six, he pitched 21.1 innings with an ERA of 4.22, racking up 18 strikeouts while walking nine.

Barnes was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with a lower-back strain, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

The move to the DL comes after Barnes failed to record an out while allowing both batters he faced to reach base in Monday's loss to the Indians. The Red Sox recalled Hector Velazquez from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill Barnes' spot in the bullpen, but it's expected that Joe Kelly and Brandon Workman will be the main beneficiaries of more high-leverage opportunities while Barnes is sidelined.

Leclerc recorded two outs and picked up a hold in Monday's 5-3 win over the Angels. He walked three batters during the 29-pitch appearance.

Called upon to protect a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning, Leclerc was able to retire two of the first three batters, but was pulled from the contest after loading the bases. Though closer Alex Claudio was able to put out the fire and spare Leclerc of any damage to his ERA, it was another unsettling outing from the rookie right-hander, who has shown a lack of control in recent weeks. Dating back to the beginning of July, Leclerc has posted a 15:16 K:BB over 14.2 innings, which could eventually prompt manager Jeff Banister to explore other options for setup duties.

Hendriks fired a scoreless sixth inning in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Orioles.

The 28-year-old right-hander is enjoying a relatively rare stretch of consistency, as he hasn't given up an earned run in four straight appearances. While a modest sample, it's an encouraging sight, considering Hendriks was touched up for four runs apiece in two separate July outings and gave up three runs (two earned) in the two appearances prior to his current streak. His 3.00 ERA over seven August outings represents his best mark since a dominant May (1.46).

Pagan notched his fourth hold in Monday's 6-5 win over the Braves, allowing an earned run on two hits over two-thirds of an inning.

Pagan has now been touched up for three earned runs over the 1.1 innings encompassing his last two appearances, a relative rarity in what has been a solid campaign overall. He managed to escape with a hold Monday, despite giving up a triple and sacrifice fly in the sixth after inheriting a three-run lead. The 26-year-old right-hander remains a viable fantasy asset in AL-only and deep formats, particularly now that he's started to see some hold opportunities.

Mengden has a 6.43 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and six strikeouts in seven innings over two starts for Triple-A Nashville in August.

He is on the 40-man roster, so if he were pitching well, Mengden would be in line for some big-league innings in September. Based on his production since returning from a rib injury, he probably profiles better in a long-relief role than in the rotation.