MLB Player News

Neal will start his first MLB game Wednesday against the Mariners, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports.

Neal has appeared in one game for the Athletics this season, giving up three runs in three innings out of the bullpen. However, he impressed while at Triple-A Nashville earlier in the year, going 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP over seven starts. His first MLB start won't be easy, as he'll be facing a Mariners squad that is averaging 4.67 runs per game.

Putnam has a 2.57 ERA for the month of May after throwing seven innings spread across seven games.

While his season ERA is 3.24, Putnam has improved after a slow start to the season, during which he gave up three runs in just 2.1 innings. Since that rough patch, Putnam has thrown 14 innings and posted an ERA of 1.88 and a 1.05 WHIP. His steady improvement will only strengthen a White Sox bullpen that's among the league's top six in terms of opponent batting average and ERA.

Merritt was called up from Triple-A on Monday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Merritt will take Joba Chamberlain's place while he is on the 15-day DL with a rib injury. The 24-year-old has been successful at the Triple-A level this year, posting a 2.94 ERA in eight starts, and will look to keep it going at the big league level in what will likely be a short stint with the Indians.

Chargois has nine saves with a 0.98 ERA and 29:7 K:BB ratio between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Rochester. He's thrown 6.2 scoreless innings since being promoted to Triple-A with two saves.

Chargois missed two seasons with elbow injuries but returned last year to post strong numbers at Double-A (2.73 ERA and 34 srikeouts in 33 innings). His 5.45 BB/9 last season was a concern, but he has reduced his walks this season. With a fastball that can reach the high 90s mph, Chargois could get a shot in the major league bullpen this summer.

Kahnle was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to act as the 26th player for the White Sox's doubleheader Monday.

Kahnle will be active for both games of the doubleheader, but he'll likely only fill a middle-relief role if he does get any opportunities to pitch. The 26-year-old will probably head back to the minors following the conclusion of the doubleheader.

Webb had what manager Kevin Cash termed "his best outing" in Sunday's 9-4 loss to the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 30-year-old was needed for what was easily his longest stint of the season, due to starter Chris Archer's ouster from the game after only three innings. Webb responded with three innings of two-hit, shutout ball, and struck out a trio of Tigers in the process. It marked his sixth consecutive scoreless outing, and brought his shrinking ERA down to 3.00, a far cry from the 5.63 figure he owned after a May 3 appearance versus the Dodgers.

Moore utilized the extra time afforded him between starts to adjust a slight hitch in his mechanics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays' southpaw used an additional bullpen session during the week to smooth out what was termed "a slight hitch" in his mechanics, namely, a brief stall in his hands when they were overhead during the wind-up process. Moore is looking forward to getting back into action Monday night against the Marlins, after an extra two days off. "It's going to be nice to get back out there," he said. "It does feel like it's been a while." Manager Kevin Cash felt the extra time between starts might benefit the 26-year-old, who is 0-3 with a 6.51 ERA over his past five starts after generating a 2.95 ERA in his first three trips to the mound this season.

Boxberger needed just nine pitches to complete his one inning on the mound Sunday for High-A Charlotte, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

What made the outing particularly noteworthy was that it was Boxberger's first attempt during the rehab process of pitching in back-to-back nights. He needed only nine pitches to get through the frame, and struck out two batters in the process. It was also a nice rebound effort for the Rays closer, who'd surrendered two hits and a pair of earned runs in a Saturday night appearance against the same Rochester Red Wings squad he mowed down Sunday.

Ortiz will make his debut at Double-A Frisco on Monday.

Ortiz made six starts in the challenging High-A California League, striking out 26 batters against just six walks in 27.2 innings. He'll be one of the younger players in the Texas League as he won't turn 21 until late September.

Jimenez will likely be promoted to Double-A soon given his strong performance for High-A Lakeland. He still hasn't allowed a run in 15 games and 15.1 innings.

The 21-year-old is one of the Tigers' best prospects, and it shows. Jimenez's line so far is flat-out dominant (15.1 innings, five hits, four walks and 23 strikeouts).