MLB Player News

Smith (elbow) has resumed throwing, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Smith had his rehab assignment paused earlier this month with shoulder inflammation -- a brutal break after he had already suffered a similar setback in April. Nonetheless, the latest news is a positive indication the right-hander could be back on the mound within a few weeks and start a rehab assignment just after the All-Star break. Expect Smith to ramp up his activity if things continue to proceed smoothly, as the Red Sox could certainly use his arm in the bullpen.

Putnam (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery late last week, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

This is a tough break for Putnam, who also had his 2016 season cut short due to elbow issues. The 29-year-old will now spend the next 12-to-18 months rehabbing before returning to the White Sox's bullpen at some point in 2019. He compiled a 1.04 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8.2 innings of relief this season before landing on the disabled list.

Armstrong was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Monday.

With Michael Brantley (ankle) returning from the disabled list ahead of Monday's series opener against the Rangers, Armstrong was the corresponding roster casualty. The 26-year-old, who owns a 5.02 ERA and 14:6 K:BB through 14.1 innings out of the Indians' bullpen this season, will remain an option for bullpen depth down the road.

Infante was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Infante has been inconsistent out of the bullpen this season, but he'd been improving lately, having held the opposition scoreless over his last four appearances. Still, he has a 4.79 ERA and 1.65 WHIP, so the White Sox will give him a chance to refine his mechanics down on the farm, calling up right-hander Juan Minaya to take his place on the roster. However, they could certainly turn back to the 29-year-old should the need arise. This season has marked Infante's first in the majors since 2010.

Webb was optioned to Triple-A Scraton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

The lefty reliever performed admirably in his first two big league appearances, tossing 2.1 innings without allowing a hit and recording two strikeouts. Webb has a 3.24 ERA over 21 minor-league games this season, but could certainly see a more extensive call-up later this season.

The Rangers will have Sadzeck work as a reliever for Double-A Frisco, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports. "Obviously, he has a great arm," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said of the right-hander. "Sometimes that plays up in a bullpen role. We still feel he has the ability to start long term. Where we are in the calendar, it makes sense to see what our internal options are."

It doesn't sound like the Rangers are permanently closing the door on Sadzeck as a starter, but a 5.11 ERA and 1.41 WHIP over 68.2 innings at Frisco don't provide much confidence he'll be able to thrive in that role. As one of the hardest throwers in the Rangers' system, Sadzeck should have a much easier time breaking into the big leagues as a reliever, especially with the Texas bullpen lacking in high-impact arms.

Martinez (3-3) covered five innings and gave up four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three to pick up the win in Sunday's 7-6 victory over the Yankees.

It looked as though Martinez's time in the rotation was running out leading up to Sunday's start, but Martin Perez's move to the disabled list a day earlier has afforded the right-hander a longer leash. While Martinez has notched wins in his last two outings and has shown an ability to eat innings, his dearth of strikeouts and homer-prone ways make rostering him rather undesirable outside of AL-only leagues.

Robertson allowed a run on two hits over one inning in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Athletics.

The White Sox bullpen blew this one. Setup man Tommy Kahnle ran into trouble in the eighth inning, allowing the game-tying run to score before departing with men on base and none out in the eighth inning. Robertson entered in an attempt to stop the rally, but he permitted an inherited runner to score, then one of his own on a solo homer in the ninth, letting the A's steal a win. The performance continues a pattern in which Robertson has been ineffective in non-save situations. He's allowed eight runs on 13 hits and five walks over 14 innings when there hasn't been a save to be had.

McHugh (elbow) should begin a rehabilitation assignment within the next week, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McHugh, who hasn't pitched in the majors this season because of an impingement in his pitching elbow, came out of a simulated game Saturday without incident. It will be spring training all over again for him, as the right-hander will begin the assignment with a two-inning start and build up his arm over several outings.

Boxberger (back) was able to throw a pain-free bullpen session Sunday morning but is being sent back to High-A Charlotte for one more rehab outing, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

That appearance is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, after which the Rays will presumably activate Boxberger. Residual soreness after a Wednesday appearance with Triple-A Durham put a wrench into the plans to activate the veteran reliever at some point during the just-concluded weekend series versus the Orioles. However, with Sunday's bullpen going well, it appears Boxberger just needs to come out of Tuesday's outing setback-free to make his long-awaited 2017 big-league debut.