MLB Player News

Burke (hand) will begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Thursday.

Burke landed on the injured list April 13 after breaking his right (non-throwing) hand, and he'll now begin working his way back in rookie ball. The 27-year-old southpaw isn't eligible to return from the IL until June 12, so he will have plenty of time to ease his way back before rejoining the Rangers' bullpen.

The Pirates traded Contreras to the Angels on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Contreras was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Saturday after posting a 4.41 ERA and 1.65 WHIP across 16.1 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander will replace Davis Daniel in the Angels' bullpen, though Contreras could also be moved into the starting rotation at some point.

The Angels optioned Daniel to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

For the second time this season, Daniel will return to the minors after a one-day stint with the Angels without seeing the field. The 26-year-old right-hander owns a 5.89 ERA and 1.63 WHIP across 36.2 innings in Triple-A.

The Athletics acquired Bielak from the Astros on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bielak had been designated for assignment and will wind up staying in the American League West. He's out of minor-league options, so the Athletics will need to add him to their active roster. Bielak holds a 5.71 ERA and 1.76 WHIP over 17.1 relief innings this season. While he's pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in 2024, the 28-year-old has plenty of past starting experience, so he could be an option for an Oakland rotation that needs arms.

The Athletics designated Lucas for assignment Thursday.

Lucas was pushed off the Athletics' 40-man roster after Oakland acquired right-hander Brandon Bielak via trade from Houston on Thursday. The former was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas earlier this week but had made three appearances for the big club this season, giving up six earned runs on eight hits and three walks over 3.2 innings.

Fairbanks struck out two and didn't allow a baserunner in a scoreless eighth inning to pick up a hold in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Red Sox.

Fairbanks entered the game in the eighth inning to face the heart of the Red Sox order and needed only seven pitches to get through the frame. While effective, his usage was concerning given that he had pitched nearly exclusively as a traditional closer early in the season. It's unclear whether manager Kevin Cash might continue to mix and match the back end of his bullpen, but Fairbanks could lose save opportunities moving forward.

Martinez picked up the save in a win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing two walks over two innings while striking out one.

Martinez entered the contest with a three-run lead in the top of the eighth and struck out the first batter on seven pitches before issuing a walk to JJ Bleday. The right-hander would quickly work his way through it, however, thanks to a double play ball in the following at-bat, before returning for the ninth. Despite also issuing a walk in the final frame, Martinez was able to wrap up the game with another scoreless inning to notch his first save of the season. It was a nice bounceback effort for the reliever, who had allowed three runs in his previous appearance on May 12 against the Tigers. Closer Josh Hader covered two innings Tuesday while Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero pitched two straight days, which opened up the save chance for Martinez.

Munoz gave up a hit and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless innings Wednesday to record his seventh save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Royals.

Austin Voth ran into trouble in the eighth inning, so Munoz got the call with runners on second and third and only one out to protect a 3-1 lead. The Mariners' closer did allow an inherited runner to score, but Seattle got the run right back in the bottom of the frame and Munoz dominated the ninth. It's the fourth time this season he's worked more than one inning to notch a save, and with Matt Brash (elbow) done for the year and Gregory Santos (lat) potentially not back until the All-Star break, Munoz may have to continue putting in extra work until Seattle settles on a new setup crew.

Kelly earned a save against the Red Sox on Wednesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.

Kelly entered in the ninth inning with Tampa Bay clinging to a one-run lead, and he dispatched the first two batters he faced on strikeouts before getting Ceddanne Rafaela to ground out to wrap up his first save of the campaign. Meanwhile, Pete Fairbanks -- who is usually Tampa's closer -- pitched in the eighth inning against the heart of Boston's order and notched a hold. That usage suggests that manager Kevin Cash won't hesitate to deploy Fairbanks in the highest-leverage situations, even when they come before the ninth frame. As such, other Rays relievers (including Kelly) could get save opportunities from time to time, though those chances are probably too unpredictable for fantasy managers to hassle with in leagues that don't reward holds.

Coulombe (1-0) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning and earned the win Wednesday over the Blue Jays. He did not issue a walk or strikeout a batter.

Coulombe did his part in the top of the ninth inning to keep the game within reach for the Orioles, and Adley Rutschman rewarded him by walking it off with a two-run home run. Coulombe has not allowed a run over his last seven appearances, covering 6.1 innings with a 3:0 K:BB in that span. He's at a 2.16 ERA, 0.54 WHIP and 17:2 K:BB through 16.2 innings while adding a save, eight holds and a blown save as a reliable high-leverage arm. With Craig Kimbrel's struggles jolting the Orioles into a closer committee, it appears Coulombe remains more of a setup man at this stage of the campaign.