MLB Player News

Neris was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

Neris is set to rejoin the Phillies after spending a little more than a month in the minors ironing out some issues after an ugly start to the major-league campaign (6.90 ERA, 1.53 WHIP through 30 innings). The reliever looks to have righted the ship in the minors, posting a 1.62 ERA and 29:6 K:BB across 16.2 innings with the IronPigs before being summoned back to the majors. He'll likely be utilized in lower-leverage situations at first, but the former closer could work his way back to a higher-leverage role if he proves himself early on. J.P. Crawford was optioned to Lehigh Valley in a corresponding roster move.

Kennedy will start for the Padres in Tuesday's game against the Angels.

After he was roughed up for six runs in four innings in his MLB debut Aug. 8, Kennedy's standing in the rotation appeared to be on shaky ground. Though the Padres called up prospect Jacob Nix and handed him a start over the weekend, there will be room for both him and Kennedy in the rotation for the time being with Eric Lauer (forearm) not ready to return from the disabled list and Walker Lockett getting sent back to Triple-A El Paso. Kennedy may need to turn in a better result against the Angels in order to bolster his case for sticking in a starting role with the Padres the rest of the way.

Axford is expected to be out for about three weeks after breaking the tip of his fibula Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Axford remained in the game after being hit in the leg with a comebacker, but subsequent tests revealed a small break. He hasn't yet been placed on the disabled list but the length of his expected absence means that a move will certainly be made in the near future.

Smith fired a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout en route to his ninth save of the season in Monday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers.

Things were looking bleak for the Giants against a dominant Clayton Kershaw, but a ninth-inning rally allowed Smith to pick up his second save in as many days. The 29-year-old has gone 9-for-10 in save chances since taking over as the Giants' closer and carries a sparkling 2.06 ERA and 12.4 K/9 over 39.1 total innings this season.

Axford has been diagnosed with a fractured right fibula and is expected to land on the disabled list, J.P. Hoornstra of The Orange County Register reports.

Axford suffered the injury after being hit in the leg with a comebacker against the Rockies on Sunday. The veteran reliever was able to stay in the game and complete his two-inning appearance, but tests later revealed the slight break in the tip of his fibula, and a DL stint seems highly likely considering the nature of the injury. Expect an official move to be made Tuesday.

Alexander was charged with a blown save after giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits over two-thirds of an inning in a 5-2 loss to San Francisco on Monday.

Alexander was done in by a parade of singles and a hit batsman before eventually being lifted from the contest. This was the second consecutive game in which the southpaw was unable to finish a frame after entering the ninth inning with a narrow lead. Alexander has been the primary option in a closing committee after Kenley Jansen (chest) hit the disabled list last weekend, but his recent struggles in the role has the closing situation in Los Angeles in flux. Manager Dave Roberts didn't comment on his plans for the club's struggling bullpen, but it wouldn't be surprising to see another reliever get the next save opportunity.

Gsellman tossed a perfect ninth inning and picked up the save in Monday's 8-5 win over New York.

Gsellman has gone 3-for-3 on save opportunities over his last 10 appearances out of the bullpen, and he should remain in the closer mix with Anthony Swarzak (shoulder) on the shelf. Jerry Blevins and Seth Lugo are also candidates to be used in the ninth inning. Gsellman owns a 3.84 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 58 strikeouts over 65.2 innings this season.

Venditte was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Venditte will return to the minors in order to clear a roster spot for Erik Goeddel, who was activated from the disabled list in a corresponding roster move. The switch-handed pitcher, who owns an unsightly 8.31 ERA across 4.1 major-league innings this season, hasn't made an appearance for the big club since June 8. He'll continue to serve as organizational pitching depth.

Jansen (chest) will throw a bullpen session sometime this week, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

This is encouraging news for Jansen, who landed on the disabled list last week due to an irregular heartbeat. The reliever is able to work out normally and hopes to beat his original month-long timetable, though that will likely depend on his progress in the coming weeks. Either way, it sounds like Jansen will be forced to undergo offseason surgery -- the same procedure (atrial fibrillation) he had six years ago to correct the same issue. In the meantime, it sounds like the Dodgers will go with a closer-by-committee approach with Jansen on the mend.

Garcia threw a scoreless inning in Sunday's loss to the Padres, striking out three while walking one.

Garcia has been used in a fairly high-leverage role this season, though he wasn't on Sunday, as he entered with a five-run deficit. His 3.58 ERA is solid, backed up by strong peripherals (including a 27.4 percent strikeout rate and a 7.4 percent walk rate), but four other Philadelphia relievers have lower ERAs, making him an unlikely candidate to move into a closing role.