MLB Player News

The Astros optioned Ullola to Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday.

Ullola gave up three earned runs in just one inning after getting called up Sunday, and he'll now lose his spot in the Astros' bullpen in order to make room for Hayden Wesneski's (elbow) return from the IL. Ullola owns a 4.92 ERA and 1.40 WHIP through 53 innings at Sugar Land and could make a few more appearances for Houston down the stretch as a replacement for a tired arm.

The Rays placed Sulser on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to lower-back spasms.

Tampa Bay recalled right-hander Chris Roycroft from Triple-A Durham to take over Sulser's spot in the bullpen. Sulser, who owns a 4.86 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 46.1 innings with the Rays on the season, will be eligible to come off the IL on Aug. 10.

The Rays recalled Roycroft from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay optioned Roycroft to Triple-A on Saturday, but he'll be eligible to rejoin the big club just four days later after reliever Cole Sulser (back) was placed on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. Roycroft is likely to be deployed in lower-leverage spots out of the bullpen while he's up with Tampa Bay.

The Guardians optioned Espino to Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday.

As expected, Espino will head back to Triple-A after he was called up to serve as the Guardians' 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Reds. He appeared out of the bullpen in the Guardians' 2-0 loss in the second game of the twin bill, striking out three batters and issuing a walk over a scoreless inning.

Mears (shoulder/lat) began throwing from 60 feet Monday, MLB.com reports.

Mears has been sidelined since May 29 due to a right shoulder impingement and has dealt with multiple setbacks in his recovery, including a July 10 scan that revealed a right lat strain. Resuming throwing is a positive step, though the right-hander still has many boxes to check before a return from the injured list becomes a realistic possibility. Prior to hitting the shelf, Mears posted a 5.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 15:11 K:BB across 19.1 innings.

The Blue Jays recalled Dallas from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Dallas will give the Blue Jays some length in the bullpen, if needed. He's allowed just one run with a 3:2 K:BB in 4.2 innings covering two relief outings for the Blue Jays this season and holds a 3.16 ERA and 56:20 K:BB across 57 frames with Buffalo.

The Blue Jays optioned Van Eyk to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Van Eyk threw 3.1 innings and 69 pitches out of the bullpen in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals, so he's being replaced by a fresh bullpen arm. Chad Dallas will come up from Buffalo to take Van Eyk's spot on the 26-man active roster.

Lange (1-6) blew the save and took the loss in Tuesday's 3-2 loss against the Twins. He allowed two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning.

It's the third blown save in Lange's past five appearances, and he's also surrendered 15 runs over his last nine outings. Steven Cruz has picked up two saves in the past week and seems likely to get more opportunities going forward given Lange's 6.33 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 5.1 BB/9 across 42.2 innings this year.

Bednar secured the save in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the White Sox, giving up two runs on two hits and no walks while striking out three over one inning.

The 31-year-old entered for the ninth inning with a 3-0 advantage and needed all of that cushion, as Chase Meidroth launched a two-out, two-run home run. Bednar walked the tightrope Tuesday, with those runs being the first he has allowed since May 18 against Toronto. His scoreless streak lasted 21 appearances and saw him give up just eight hits with a 25:5 K:BB. Bednar is 22-for-24 in save chances and has settled in nicely after a shaky start to the year that resulted in a 5.14 ERA through his first 21 outings.

Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said Tuesday that Sands (elbow) is expected to miss the rest of the season, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Sands is scheduled to meet with team physician Dr. Chris Camp on Wednesday before deciding on a treatment plan for his strained right elbow, but even if surgery isn't recommended, the 29-year-old reliever doesn't appear likely to pitch again in 2026. He had previously been shelved for nearly three months with a forearm strain before being shut down again after making just one appearance following his reinstatement from the injured list Sunday.