MLB Player News

Blackburn took a no-decision Thursday against the Rays, allowing one run on two hits and no walks in two innings. He struck out three.

Blackburn served as opener of a bullpen game Thursday, serving up a solo home run to the red-hot Junior Caminero in the first inning. However, the three punchouts were a season best for the 30-year-old right-hander, who has made 29 relief appearances as opposed to a pair of brief starts this year. Blackburn hasn't offered much fantasy viability but has been an effective member of New York's pitching staff, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 35:15 K:BB over 46.2 innings.

Natera (1-0) earned the win over Texas on Wednesday, striking out five batters over two perfect innings in relief.

The Angels built an early lead, and starter Walbert Urena held the Rangers scoreless through four frames. However, Urena also struggled with his control and needed 90 pitches to get through those four innings, so he wasn't able to go deep enough to qualify for the win. Natera entered in the fifth and dominated across two frames, throwing 19 of 24 pitches for strikes and fanning five of the six batters he faced. That earned the lefty his first big-league win in his 11th appearance. Natera was blown up for four runs over two-thirds of an inning July 4 versus Boston, but he's otherwise been lights-out. In his other 10 outings, he's given up just one run on three hits across 12.2 frames while recording an impressive 20:6 K:BB. Natera has logged one save and one hold and could be working his way up to more high-leverage situations given how effectively he's pitched.

Banda underwent surgery to repair his left lat strain and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Banda last pitched June 28 and was placed on the 15-day injured list 11 days ago. He expects to be ready for the start of spring training in February. The lefty reliever appeared in 39 games out of the bullpen for Minnesota this season and registered a 4.46 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 33:15 K:BB across 34.1 innings.

The Guardians placed Herrin on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a left elbow contusion.

Herrin was lifted from his most recent relief appearance in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Twins after being hit in the left elbow by a comebacker. X-rays came back negative, but Herrin's injury was deemed serious enough to keep him on the shelf through June 23. Herrin has appeared in 41 games out of the bullpen this season, logging a 3.06 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 27:19 K:BB across 32.1 innings.

The Guardians recalled Heuer from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

The right-hander has appeared in seven games out of the Cleveland bullpen this season and has posted a 5.63 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and 6:5 K:BB across eight innings. He'll work in middle relief.

The Twins recalled Rojas from Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday.

The 23-year-old rejoins the big club for the third time this season. Rojas has made six appearances (two starts) for the Twins, producing a 1.65 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 18:13 K:BB across 16.1 innings. He's expected to serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen while he's up with Minnesota.

Blackburn will be the Yankees' starting pitcher in Thursday's bullpen game versus the Rays.

Blackburn went 1.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's game, so he'll be pitching on just one day of rest. The righty hasn't thrown more than 23 pitches in an outing in three weeks, so he will likely not cover more than a couple frames Thursday.

The White Sox recalled Davis from Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

Davis has made 22 appearances out of the Chicago bullpen this season, authoring a 4.63 ERA and 20:13 K:BB over 23.1 frames. The right-hander will operate in middle relief.

The White Sox placed Richards on the bereavement/family medical emergency list Thursday.

Richards will likely return to the active roster after the All-Star break. His spot on the roster will be taken by Tyler Davis.

Suarez will serve as the Athletics' opening pitcher during Thursday's game against the Tigers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Suarez has posted a 3.67 ERA and 1.30 WHIP across 27 innings since joining the Athletics in mid-May, and he's now in line for his first opening assignment with the team. The 28-year-old lefty has maxed out at 3.2 frames in an appearance this season, but he may be limited to an inning or two before turning the ball over to Jack Perkins, who had been lined up to start Thursday but is now likely to pitch in bulk relief.