MLB Player News

Valdez (1-0) allowed only one run on five hits and a walk while striking out four over six-plus innings in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the A's.

The 32-year-old pounded the strike zone, throwing 51 of 77 pitches for strikes, and the Jays defense turned two double plays behind him in the first three innings to prevent any kind of Oakland rally. Valdez now has a 1.69 ERA and 13:4 K:BB in 16 innings over five appearances as a Blue Jay, which should be more than enough to earn him a longer stay in the rotation. If he stays on schedule, his next start would come Sunday at home against the Angels.

Kelly (hamstring) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Kelly is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Friday, and if all goes according to plan, he'll appear in a minor-league rehab game shortly after that. It appears that Kelly could be able to rejoin the Red Sox's bullpen in about a week's time.

Tolliver was outrighted to Triple-A Fresno on Tuesday, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Tolliver was removed from the 40-man roster after posting an 8.44 ERA over 26.2 innings of relief with Triple-A Fresno. He received five innings of relief work with the Astros earlier this season but will move forward with Fresno for the remainder of the year.

Barnes was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with a right shoulder impingement, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

No word has come forth as to when the injury was sustained, but it may go to explain why he's been so bad since the All-Star break. It's unclear how long he'll stay on the shelf, but things should become clearer as he ramps up his activity again. Matt Dermody will replace him on the active roster.

Junis was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

Recent acquisitions Brandon Maurer and Ryan Buchter will be joining the Royals' bullpen ahead of Tuesday's matchup with the Tigers, and as a result, someone needed to be sent off the active roster. Junis ended up being the roster casualty after tossing a scoreless inning of relief in Monday's contest. The 24-year-old right-hander remains one of Kansas City's top pitching prospects, so for now, he'll head back to the Storm Chasers to develop further as a starter.

De Leon (back) tossed four scoreless innings with the Gulf Coast League Rays on Monday, allowing one hit, walking another batter and fanning eight.

This was the pitching prospect's second rehab start with Tampa Bay's rookie-league affiliate. He now has seven innings of rehab work under his belt, and he's looked sharp in both outings. It's unclear what his timetable for return is, although his strong showings could help him move up the organizational ladder fairly soon.

Smith (elbow, shoulder) threw a second bullpen session Sunday, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Smith is currently in the midst of his second attempt to prepare for a rehabilitation assignment following Tommy John elbow surgery. His first attempt ended in June with shoulder inflammation. Smith has one more bullpen session to go, followed by a session facing live hitters. Those are the last steps before heading out on a rehab assignment.

Burdi will undergo Tommy John elbow surgery Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-TImes reports.

Burdi, a first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2016 draft, was being groomed as a closer at Triple-A Charlotte before his balky elbow got in the way. After Thursday's surgery, he'll be looking at a year-plus of rehabilitation. Realistically, you can expect Burdi throwing regularly for the organization in 2019.

Rogers (5-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits while striking out three in an inning of work Monday against the Dodgers.

Rogers' three strikeouts are little consolation for an outing that raised his ERA from 2.15 to 2.79. He was tasked with delivering a 4-3 eighth-inning lead intact to closer Brandon Kintzler, but he failed to do so due to a three-run homer off the bat of Cody Bellinger. Rogers seems unlikely to move up to a ninth-inning role anytime soon, given Kintzler's 27-for-30 conversion rate in save opportunities.

Flynn was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Monday.

Flynn was a big part of the Royals' 2016 bullpen, but struggles at the Triple-A level this season have kept him from emerging at the major-league level. He'll come up to provide bullpen depth now, however, looking to recapture his success from last year.