MLB Player News

Leclerc struck out the side during a perfect eighth inning in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Nationals.

Leclerc has looked solid in three appearances since returning from a bruised right index finger earlier this month, striking out six over three scoreless innings while conceding one hit and two walks. It looks as though Leclerc and Keone Kela will function as the primary setup men to closer Matt Bush for the foreseeable future.

Merritt was transferred from Triple-A Columbus to Low-A Lake County on Monday, potentially putting him in line to join the Indians on Saturday to start one game of a doubleheader with the Twins, Zach Meisel of Cleveland.com reports.

With six games in five days this week, the Indians will likely recall a pitcher from the minors to join the rotation on a temporary basis, and Merritt seems to have emerged as the leading candidate. Merritt is slated to make a tune-up start Monday for Lake County, but the move to the low minors shouldn't be viewed as a demotion; instead, it'll more easily facilitate the left-hander's potential call-up to the big club later in the week. The 25-year-old has been unremarkable for Columbus this season -- a 3.96 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 72.2 innings -- so he probably won't make for an appealing streaming option if he does indeed receive the nod for one game of Saturday's twin bill.

Smith (elbow) will throw a simulated game Tuesday, and the Red Sox hope the next step will be a rehab assignment, Stephen Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.

Smith threw 25 pitches during a simulated game Saturday, facing live hitters for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of 2016. The plan calls for a similar pitch count Tuesday. Manager John Farrell indicated that Smith will be used in one-inning stints whenever he's eventually ready to pitch for Boston.

Pomeranz (6-4) allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks while striking out two over 4.1 innings in Sunday's 8-3 loss to the Tigers.

After a three-game stretch of effective pitching that featured swing-and-miss stuff and produced three straight wins, Pomeranz reverted back to the inefficient hurler who can't make it through five frames. The left-hander has failed to reach the minimum number of innings to qualify for a win in five of his 12 starts this season. He's thrown just 60.1 innings, averaging a tick over five per start. Pomeranz is next scheduled to start Friday, the first of a three-game set in Houston against the Astros, who rank second in runs per game (5.46) and first in batting average (.277).

Belisle gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Sunday at San Francisco. His ERA rose to 8.59.

It looked like Belisle was finally getting on track, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in his last four appearances. However, he continues to be a huge disappointment in the Minnesota bullpen as he's struggled with walks. He's saddled with just a 18:14 K:BB.

Chavez allowed six runs on four hits and four walks while striking out three batters over 3.2 innings during Sunday's win over Houston. He didn't factor into the decision.

The Astros own the league's highest-scoring offense, so Chavez probably shouldn't have been turned to in the first place Sunday. However, it's been a year-long struggle for the 33-year-old righty, as he sports a 5.06 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 6.9 K/9. Those numbers aren't moving the fantasy needle, and Chavez is probably best ignored outside of cavernous settings. A date with the light-hitting Royals is up next for the veteran, though, which could make him a decent streamer.

Junis (2-0) pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six Padres in Sunday's win.

All three runs scored off Junis came via solo home runs (two by Cory Spangenberg), but in the end, it was the rookie's finest performance of the year. After failing to complete five frames in his first two starts, the righty racked up 100 pitches while dealing into the eighth inning. Junis was dominant in seven starts for Triple-A Omaha this season and, albeit against a weak opponent, Sunday's effort looked more in line with what many expect from the top prospect than any of his other MLB games thus far. He'll toe the rubber next against the Angels on the road Saturday.

Heller will be recalled prior to Monday's game against the Angels.

The Yankees had called up Domingo German for long-relief help Sunday. He delivered 2.2 solid innings, but the team needs fresh arms, and Heller provides just that. In 27.2 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the 25-year-old has a 2.60 ERA and a 35:11 K:BB.

Green allowed two runs on two hits and one walk across two innings in a no-decision Sunday against the Orioles. He struck out three.

The Yankees went with a bullpen approach in this one, and while Green ran into trouble before being pulled with no outs in the third, the offense had already done significant damage by then and carried the club to victory. The 26-year-old has now allowed five runs over 9.1 innings in his last four appearances, but he still holds a solid 2.41 ERA and 0.70 WHIP on the season. Green is unlikely to see many traditional starts this year and is best suited as a long man out of the bullpen.

Colome worked around two hits and a walk with one strikeout in a scoreless inning to earn his 18th save of the season Sunday against the Athletics.

Colome played with fire in this one, allowing three straight men to reach to load the bases with just one out. He buckled down to get the final two outs, however, including a punchout of Khris Davis to end the game. He was coming off a blown save in Saturday's contest, and while he struggled a bit over the weekend, Colome still owns a 2.05 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, while the 18 saves are tied for second in all of baseball.