MLB Player News

The Cubs recalled Nance from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.

The righty rejoins the big-league club just a day after being optioned. Nance was demoted for struggling in five of his last six appearances, but he'll be called upon to help fill the void left in Chicago's bullpen by Ryan Tepera (calf), whom the Cubs placed on the injured list Tuesday.

Megill was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Megill spent just a single day on the active roster, and it couldn't have gone much worse. He failed to record a single out Monday against Milwaukee while giving up six runs. Adam Morgan will take his place in the bullpen.

Howard (knee) was activated off the injured list Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Howard will wind up missing just the minimum 10 days while battling right knee tendinitis. He'll return to his usual bullpen role, with Austin Davis getting optioned to clear a space for him.

Howard will pitch every fifth day for Triple-A Lehigh Valley and will stretch out to 100 pitches, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies are not going to rush Howard's return to the big leagues. Rather, they will give the righty ample time to develop as a starting pitcher instead of keeping him in a frequently changing role as both a starter and reliever.

Santos was handed an 80-game suspension Tuesday after testing positive for Stanozolol, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Santos appeared in three games after being called up to the majors in late June, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and two walks while fanning three. He was a candidate to potentially rejoin the Giants' bullpen later this season, but that appears extremely unlikely now, as he'll be ineligible to pitch at any level during San Francisco's next 80 games.

The Phillies optioned Howard to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.

The righty has been able to pitch neither effectively nor deep into games, as he has a 5.82 ERA and has lasted no longer than four innings in any outing this season. Howard had been serving as the Phillies' sixth starter, but the return of Jean Segura (groin) required a demotion somewhere on the roster.

The Mets recalled Szapucki from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

One of the organization's higher-ranked pitching prospects, Szapucki has a 4.41 ERA through 34.2 innings at Triple-A this season after allowing at least three runs in three consecutive outings. The lefty is built up as a starter, so he'll likely temporarily fill the fifth spot in the Mets' rotation, which had been occupied by Jerad Eickhoff, who was demoted in a corresponding move. He likely won't be around for long -- just until Marcus Stroman (bereavement) is ready to return.

Johnson (triceps) was activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Johnson was placed on the IL with triceps inflammation June 19 but was able to throw a bullpen a week later. He's now set to rejoin the San Diego bullpen after a minimal stay on the IL. The right-hander holds a 3.57 ERA and 32:9 K:BB across 22.2 innings this season.

Pomeranz (lat) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Reds.

The southpaw threw a live batting practice session Saturday. Despite Pomeranz being out since May 9 with lat tightness, the Friars will opt to skip sending the reliever on a rehab assignment. Pomeranz struck out 20 while posting a 1.98 ERA across 13.2 innings before the injury, and he shouldn't take long to resume working in high-leverage situations going forward.

Young was optioned to Triple-A Reno following Monday's loss to St. Louis.

Young struggled in his last three outings (two starts) with the Diamondbacks, most recently allowing six runs on seven hits across three relief innings Monday. He'll head to Reno for the first time since 2019, where the club could opt to stretch him out for starter innings. Young, who holds a 5.82 ERA while serving primarily as a reliever across 29 appearances, should have a strong chance to return to the majors later this season. Infielder Andrew Young was recalled in a corresponding roster move.