MLB Player News

The Astros recalled Contreras from Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After being optioned to Triple-A on Friday, Contreras is back with the big club with Jake Bloss (shoulder) headed to the injured list. Contreras has pitched well in his 19 outings with Sugar Land this season, posting a 1.40 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 20:7 K:BB over 19.1 innings. The 28-year-old right-hander could make his major-league debut out of the bullpen in his second call-up with the Astros.

Cisnero (shoulder) threw from 120 feet Friday, per MLB.com.

Cisnero had previously thrown from 120 feet in mid-May but then had his throwing program halted after suffering lower-back tightness. The righty reliever appears to be back on track in his rehab, though it's unclear how far away he is from being ready to return to the Angels' bullpen. Cisnero hasn't pitched in a game since April 27, so he may require a rehab assignment before being activated from the injured list.

The Astros optioned Hernandez to Triple-A Sugar Land following Friday's game against Baltimore, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez was recalled by the Astros on June 18 after Justin Verlander (neck) was placed on the injured list. In his one outing during this stint with the big club, Hernandez gave up five runs on five hits -- including three home runs -- and one walk while striking out two over 1.1 innings in Friday's 14-11 win over the Orioles.

The Royals optioned Cruz to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Cruz was recalled Thursday to bolster the Royals' bullpen after Dan Altavilla (oblique) was placed on the injured list. Cruz did not make a major-league appearance, and he will return to Omaha where he has registered a 4.50 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 15:11 K:BB over 26 innings. The move comes with Michael Wacha (foot) being reinstated from the 15-day injured list.

Newcomb (1-0) picked up the win Friday against the Twins after picking off Austin Martin for the final out of the eighth inning.

It was the first time in Athletics history a pitcher recorded a victory without officially facing a batter, as Newcomb was able to escape the two-out, two-on jam he inherited from Lucas Erceg with his pick-off throw. The quick two-pitch outing and win represent a much-needed reprieve for the veteran left-hander, who'd surrendered five earned runs on four hits and three walks over the 3.1 innings covering his previous two appearances.

Voth (2-1) was charged with the extra-inning loss to the Marlins on Friday, allowing a walk-off RBI single on the one pitch he threw.

Voth was asked to preserve a 2-2 tie when he entered in the 10th after both Ryne Stanek and Andres Munoz had already worked an inning apiece, but Voth immediately faltered by allowing a game-winning single to Tim Anderson that plated automatic runner Jake Burger. Despite the quick stumble Friday, Voth has been a picture of consistency in the later innings recently, allowing just one earned run in his last 12 appearances while generating an 0.43 WHIP, one win and six holds in the 9.1 innings covering that span.

Brieske worked around a hit to toss two scoreless innings of relief and earn a hold in Friday's 2-1 win over the White Sox.

The hold is the first of the season for Brieske and the fifth of his career. Since starting 15 games as a rookie in 2022, the righty has transitioned to the bullpen for the Tigers, and he's been an effective long reliever this year. Brieske has logged 20.1 innings across his 11 appearances, posting a 2.66 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. While the numbers are good, his fantasy value is limited in his current role.

Abreu allowed a hit in a scoreless inning and earned a save over Baltimore on Friday.

Abreu worked around a two-out single to close out the chaotic 14-11 victory. It was his first save of the year and he extended his scoreless streak to 8.2 innings. After allowing six runs in 5.2 innings to begin his season, Abreu has yielded just five runs in his last 32 appearances, lowering his season ERA to 2.58. Josh Hader seemingly received a routine day off after earning back-to-back saves against the White Sox on Wednesday and Thursday.

Schreiber (3-2) allowed three runs on three hits over one-third of an inning to take the loss versus the Rangers on Friday.

Schreiber was on the hook for three of the five runs the Rangers scored in the sixth inning. After opening June with four scoreless innings, Schreiber's struggles have returned -- he's given up eight runs (six earned) over his last four appearances, taking two blown saves in that span. Friday's outing pushed his ERA up to 4.15 with a 1.48 WHIP and 20:11 K:BB over 30.1 innings. While he has a save and 16 holds to his name this year, he could see a move to a low-leverage role if he continues to falter.

Estevez struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Dodgers.

Estevez has not put a runner on base over his last eight innings, striking out eight and earning seven saves and a win in that span. A groundout moved the phantom runner to third base in the 10th inning, but Estevez struck out the next two batters to protect the one-run lead. He's 14-for-17 in save chances with a 3.38 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 25:3 K:BB over 24 innings. This is arguably the best Estevez has ever looked in the majors, which will boost his trade value, though he's unlikely to be the primary closer on a contender if a deal comes to fruition.