MLB Player News

The Tigers plan to have Norris (groin) make one more rehab start with Triple-A Toledo before he's activated from the 10-day disabled list when rosters expand Sept. 1, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Since restarting his rehab assignment earlier this month, Norris has made two starts with Toledo, with his most recent outing coming Monday, when he worked around a hit and four walks to churn out 3.1 scoreless frames. Though Norris has underwhelmed this season with a 5.29 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 85 innings, he should still have a rotation spot waiting for him when he's activated, as the Tigers still view the 24-year-old as a key part of their nucleus. The prospect of regular starts in September could make Norris worth stashing in AL-only formats, but he'll likely need to prove effective first before warranting a pickup in most other settings.

Chavez surrendered two hits while striking out six over three scoreless innings in a loss to the Rangers on Monday.

Chavez was demoted to a long-relief role after struggling mightily (5.43 ERA) as a starter. The 34-year-old has transitioned well to the bullpen, posting a 1.00 ERA and a 13:0 K:BB ratio over nine innings. Chavez's recent run of success could earn him another shot in the rotation should a spot open up due to injury, but a lack of hold and save opportunities in his current role limits his fantasy value.

Goldberg was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte following Monday's doubleheader.

Goldberg had a four-out scoreless appearance in the conclusion of Monday's doubleheader, but he still exits the clubs with an 8.25 ERA over 12 innings of work. He had a horrid 3:14 K:BB -- no, that's not backwards -- in his 11 appearances, so he clearly needs to fix his control issues before he has any chance of sticking in the majors for the long term.

Fulmer was returned to Triple-A Charlotte after serving as the 26th man in Monday's doubleheader against the Twins. He lasted just 1.1 innings and allowed six runs on four hits and three walks as the Game 2 starter.

Fulmer gave up an 8.49 ERA over 11.2 innings in his first major-league stint in 2016, and he doesn't look any more ready for the big time here in 2017. He may get another look when rosters expand, but considering his struggles at Triple-A (5.61 ERA, 1.56 WHIP over 24 games), there's no reason to expect him to contribute in a significant way anytime soon.

Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth inning to collect his 28th save of the season during Monday's win over Atlanta.

There have been periodic struggles all season for the young righty, but Diaz has now converted 10 consecutive saves and boasts a serviceable 3.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 12.0 K/9 for campaign. Considering the instability of the closer market, Diaz's strikeouts and saves carry plenty of fantasy value.

Pomeranz (back) threw a bullpen session Monday and is ready to make his scheduled start Wednesday against the Indians, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.

Pomeranz had to leave Friday's game with back spasms, but he was optimistic that he'd be ready to go by Wednesday, and it looks like those plans will come to fruition. Prior to Friday, Pomeranz had managed to string together a series of solid outings, as he'd picked up three wins and posted a 2.30 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over his previous five starts.

Lopez (back) played catch Monday, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

In addition to Lopez being able to play catch, manager Rick Renteria said that the righty's condition is improving. A timeframe for his eventual return is still unclear, but it should become known as Lopez continues to increase his level of activity.

Santiago (back) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Twins pulled Santiago off his rehab assignment last week and gave him an injection to address the inflammation he had been experiencing in his back. It appears the shot has had its desired effect, as Santiago will be ready to take the mound again following a few days off for rest. If all goes well in the bullpen session Wednesday, Santiago will likely face hitters in batting practice over the weekend before restarting a rehab assignment Aug. 29. The left-hander could rejoin the Minnesota rotation at some point in September and aid in the team's push for a wild-card spot.

Graveman has put together consecutive quality starts for just the second time in 2017 despite taking his fourth loss against the Astros on Saturday.

The 26-year-old right-hander had gone over four months between victories until notching his third win on Aug. 13 against the Orioles. Graveman then came back with another strong effort on Saturday, giving up just two earned runs on six hits and three walks over six innings while recording three strikeouts. Despite throwing 100 pitches against a potent Astros lineup, he managed to limit the damage to a two-run Marwin Gonzalez single. While he's far from trustworthy from a fantasy perspective, his performance over the last two starts could be a sign that Graveman is finally turning the corner.

Lawrence fired a scoreless ninth inning in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Rays, issuing two walks and recording a strikeout.

Just recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, Lawrence had a much better outing than the last two he'd produced for the Mariners before his most recent demotion. The right-hander had surrendered five earned runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings in those appearances, and he's generated an unsightly 6.45 ERA and 1.77 WHIP overall in 44.2 big-league innings with Toronto and Seattle. Given that he's bounced between Triple-A and the majors on multiple occasions, there's no telling how long his current stint may last.