MLB Player News

Sims covered 1.1 innings in relief Friday in the Reds' 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks, giving up one run on two hits and a walk while striking out three.

Just three days earlier, Sims made a spot start against the Braves after Alex Wood (back) was scratched. Sims tossed only 34 pitches in that outing, so the Reds were comfortable keeping him available out of the bullpen Friday. Wood is without a clear timeline to resume pitching, but with Tyler Mahle having already served as a sixth starter lately, the Reds are expected to simply get by with a traditional five-man rotation rather than calling on Sims for additional starts.

Smith earned a ninth-inning save against the Dodgers on Friday, allowing one run on one hit and a walk while striking out two.

Smith came into the ninth inning tasked with protecting a 5-3 lead. It took him 20 pitches, but he got it done. Smith started off strong by striking out Cody Bellinger, then causing David Freese to pop out. The left-hander faltered by giving up a solo home run to A.J. Pollock and a walk to Russell Martin. Luckily, he sent his namesake, Dodgers rookie catcher Will Smith, down on strikes to finish things off for good. Smith the closer has racked up 32 saves across 58 appearances this season with a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 87:19 K:BB.

Lamet (2-4) was charged with the loss against the Rockies on Friday, giving up three runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over six innings.

Lamet earned his second quality start of the season in 11 starts despite taking the loss. The only run he was responsible for came in the first inning after he allowed a leadoff single and a stolen base to Trevor Story, who then scored on an RBI single by Charlie Blackmon. Unfortunately, the Padres failed to provide him with enough run support. The 27-year-old right-hander will carry a 3.95 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 74:23 K:BB into Wednesday's contest against the Cubs.

Hultzen will be called up by the Cubs on Saturday, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.

Hultzen's journey to the big leagues was a lengthy one, as a string of shoulder issues derailed his career for several seasons after he was drafted second overall back in 2011, sandwiched between Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. Now 29 years old, the lefty is finally ready for his first major-league opportunity after posting a 1.26 ERA and a 39.0 percent strikeout rate in 14.1 innings for Triple-A Iowa. He'll be a bullpen option down the stretch.

Kimbrel (elbow) believes he'll be ready to return from the 10-day injured list when first eligible Thursday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Kimbrel has been diagnosed with right elbow inflammation, but his MRI results were encouraging and he doesn't expect to miss much time. The closer hasn't been in peak form since joining the Cubs midseason. He's recorded 13 saves but has struggled to a 5.68 ERA. His 29.6 percent strikeout rate would be quite good for many pitchers but isn't anywhere close to his career 41.1 percent mark.

Harvey was recalled by the Rockies on Friday.

Harvey threw 10 innings for the Rockies in the first half, allowing five earned runs while recording an 11:7 K:BB. He'll be one of many options in a deep September bullpen down the stretch.

Voth will get a spot start Saturday in Atlanta, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Joe Ross (forearm soreness) was originally scheduled to make that start. Voth logged 2.1 scoreless innings Sept. 2 and manager Dave Martinez says he will be capable of throwing five innings or 75-80 pitches in this spot start. If Ross is unable to return to the rotation next week, Erick Fedde could also be an option to step into the rotation.

Gott (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.

This puts an end to Gott's season, as he last pitched Aug. 26. He finishes with a 4.44 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.

Cabrera was credited with his first career save in a win over the Giants on Thursday, firing three scoreless innings during which he allowed three hits and recorded three strikeouts.

Saves are not normally associated with 10-0 victories, but the fact Cabrera preserved the lead for the final three innings technically qualified him for such. It was the 22-year-old southpaw's first appearance since his most recent callup last Sunday, and he should continue seeing occasional relief work throughout the balance of the season.

Szapucki (arm) was scratched from the Arizona Fall League roster after ending the season on the 7-day injured list with Double-A Binghamton, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

It was a very successful first full season back from Tommy John surgery for the 23-year-old southpaw, but it ends on an ominous note. He logged a 2.63 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 72:26 K:BB in 61.2 innings across stops at Low-A, High-A and Double-A. Szapucki will need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, which is why the Mets pushed him aggressively to the upper levels of the minors. A Mets official told Healey that they are "going to give his arm a rest for a little while", so there is not necessarily an actual injury, it may just be general soreness for a pitcher who just set a career high in innings pitched. If he comes to camp healthy, Szapucki will likely open the year back at Double-A and could be an option to join the big-league rotation later in the summer.