MLB Player News

Athletics manager Bob Melvin isn't ruling out starting Drew Pomeranz in one of Wednesday's games against the Mariners, reports MLB.com. Pomeranz is 1-1 with a 1.98 ERA in nine relief appearances.

The Royals activated reliever Tim Collins, who had been on the disabled list with a flexor strain. He's 0-1 in two appearances this season.

After being named the team's replacement closer earlier in the day, Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Loup was called upon in the seventh inning of a 6-2 game Saturday, giving up four hits and one walk and being charged with three earned runs in his team's 8-6 loss to the Pirates.

Loup didn't pitch in a save opportunity but was charged with a blown save nonetheless after the Pirates managed to even the score at 6-6 during the seventh inning. He owns a 5.02 ERA and 10:9 K:BB ratio in 14 1/3 innings. There's no telling what the Blue Jays will do with their next save opportunity.

Indians cloers John Axford delivered a 1-2-3 ninth inning in Saturday's 2-0 win over the White Sox to record his ninth save of the year.

Axford struck out one in the outing, giving him his first strikeout in four games. He owns a 2.31 ERA and 10:7 K:BB ratio in 11 2/3 innings.

White Sox pitcher Scott Carroll surrendered two runs (both unearned) on five hits and one walk in six innings without striking out a batter to take the loss in his team's 2-0 defeat against the Indians Saturday.

Carroll (1-1) watched the first run of the game score on a throwing error that would have ended the second inning. He then gave up a bunt single to the first batter of the fifth inning, who advanced to second on a throwing error by the catcher. He came home to score two sacrifice flies later. Carroll owns a 0.68 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in his first two starts but owns a pedestrian 3:3 K:BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings. His next start is scheduled for Thursday against the Cubs.

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney worked past some early struggles for his seventh save of the season Saturday afternoon against the Astros in Houston.

Rodney got the team out of a jam by recording the final out in the eighth. He plunked Dexter Fowler to lead off the ninth, but bounced back by striking out Jason Castro and Matt Dominguez. He got Marc Krauss to fly out for the final out of the game, securing a 9-8 win.

Rodney is 7 for 8 in save chances with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in 11 2/3 innings.

Blue Jays reliever Sergio Santos will no longer close for the time being. The team has appointed Aaron Loup as the new ninth-inning man, according to Sportsnet.ca.

Santos suffered back-to-back blown saves and was just 5 of 8 in save chances. He owns a whopping 10.61 ERA over his first 9 1/3 innings pitched. Loup picked up a seven-out save on Thursday, and has posted a 3.38 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP in 13 1/3 innings.

Angels pitcher Hector Santiago ran into trouble late in his start and was pegged with the loss Friday night against the Rangers.

Santiago (0-5) tossed five scoreless innings before serving up home runs to Alex Rios and Shin-Soo Choo in the sixth. He was charged with two more runs in the seventh before he was pulled. The right-hander permitted five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings of work in a 5-2 defeat.

Santiago owns a 5.01 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP in 32 1/3 innings. He will look to bounce back Wednesday at home against the Yankees.

Scuffling right-hander Josh Fields will not be used in late-inning pressure situations for the Astros for the time being, Bo Porter announced on Friday.

Fields has been miserable lately. He has given up nine earned runs on eight hits in his last 1 1/3 innings as his ERA has skyrockted to 9.58. He has struggled in particular against left-handed batters.

The job of holding opponents down late in close games will fall on Chad Qualls and Anthony Bass until further notice.

After the second half of the team's doubleheader Thursday, the Rays optioned 26th-man Brad Boxberger back to Triple-A Durham.

Boxberger pitched a pair of scoreless innings in a 6-5 win over the Red Sox, allowing one hit and three walks, while striking out three batters.