MLB Player News

Saupold was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Monday.

The Australian right-hander has been solid as a starter in the minors, posting a 2.90 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in seven starts with the Mud Hens. He'll claim the spot of recently demoted pitcher Anibal Sanchez, although it's unlikely that Saupold will fill anything larger than a middle-relief role.

Axford (shoulder) gave up an earned run on a hit over one inning in Sunday's 12-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Axford finally made his 2017 debut, giving up an RBI groundout to Deven Marrero over his one inning but looking sharp otherwise. The veteran right-hander displayed solid control, firing 16 of 23 pitches for strikes. A healthy and effective Axford would be an excellent addition to Oakland's relief corps, considering he turned in 15 holds over 68 appearances in his first Athletics season in 2016.

Lawrence fired 1.1 scoreless innings in Sunday's 8-1 loss to the White Sox, recording one strikeout.

The 29-year-old right-hander had endured a rough Mariners debut in the opening game of the series against the White Sox on Thursday, giving up a pair of earned runs on four hits over two innings. Sunday's effort was therefore encouraging, especially considering Lawrence had arrived in Seattle with an 0-3 record and 8.78 ERA amassed over four appearances with the Blue Jays in April. Lawrence figures to see fairly regular work for the time being, considering the fatigued state of the Mariners' bullpen and the injury-riddled condition of the starting rotation.

Jankowski had his contract selected by the Astros on Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

This will mark Jankowski's first appearance on a major-league roster after the 28-year-old put together an impressive start to the season with Triple-A Fresno. Jankowski spun a 1.42 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 22 strikeouts across 19 innings (17 games) at Fresno before being summoned by the big club. He'll offer an extra bullpen arm with the ability to pitch multiple innings. The Astros still need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Jankowski, so expect a corresponding roster move before he arrives.

Stanek fired a scoreless inning in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees, recording two strikeouts.

Stanek needed just 13 pitches to get through the eighth, impressively setting down the dangerous duo of Starlin Castro and Aaron Judge on swinging strikes before inducing a groundout from Jacoby Ellsbury. The outing was the 25-year-old right-hander's longest in his four appearances, and it represented a nice rebound from an outing against the Yankees on Friday that saw him give up an earned run on two hits while failing to record an out.

Betances struck out three batters without allowing a baserunner through 1.1 innings to record his second save of the season during Sunday's win over Tampa Bay.

With Aroldis Chapman (shoulder) out at least another week, Betances will continue handling closing duties. This might be a fleeting ninth-inning run for the 29-year-old flamethrower, but the Yankees will want to be extra cautious with Chapman, so Betances has the potential to provide a huge fantasy boost over the coming weeks.

Chavez picked up his fourth win of the season Sunday despite allowing five runs over 5.2 innings. He struck out four in a 12-5 win over the Mets.

Chavez worked around a pair of solo home runs through five frames and appeared to be on his way to his third quality start in four outings. Things changed in the sixth when he served up a three-run shot to Jay Bruce and failed to escape the inning. The veteran's day was salvaged by a victory, but his ERA rose to 4.61 on the season. Chavez has exhibited plus control this season (2.8 K/BB ratio), but his lack of command within the strike zone has made him too hittable (1.8 HR/9, 35.6 percent hard-contact rate), limiting his usefulness as a consistent fantasy option.

Junis was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

The right-hander will head back to Omaha after getting the start in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader. Junis went 4.2 innings against the Twins, surrendering two earned runs while racking up four strikeouts. His move down to Triple-A opens a roster spot for Game 2 starter Ian Kennedy.

Tolliver was optioned to Triple-A Fresno on Sunday.

The 29-year-old lefty held his own Sunday after starter Joe Musgrove was shelled by the Indians. Tolliver gave up two hits and one earned run while fanning five batters over four innings. However, the Astros opted to send him down after his strong outing. The club will announce a corresponding move Monday.

Castro was optioned to Double-A Bowie on Sunday, David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot reports.

The Orioles have yet to announce a corresponding move, but Castro's time with the big league club is over for the time being. The lanky right-hander made two appearances during his stint with the Orioles, firing three scoreless innings while recording one strikeout and three walks.