MLB Player News

Bickford (hand) tossed a bullpen earlier this week but is still weeks away from returning to action, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports.

Bickford has been out since the end of last year. He was handed a 50-game suspension in December for testing positive for a drug of abuse and broke his hand this past May. The right-hander will likely remain on the shelf until the beginning of August, barring any setbacks.

Collins (elbow) tossed a scoreless inning during a rehab appearance Saturday for the Nationals' rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate. He struck out a batter and surrendered two hits.

It was Collins' first appearance in affiliated ball since 2014 after a pair of Tommy John surgeries sidelined him for two and a half years. Still just 27 years old, the left-handed Collins has plenty of time to reemerge as a big-league bullpen arm, but it might be unwise to bank on that happening in 2017 while he reacquaints himself with pitching again.

Hoover (shoulder) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Sunday.

Hoover hasn't pitched since June 22 while he's dealt with shoulder inflammation in his throwing arm. He only wound up making two rehab appearances with two of Arizona's affiliates, but he appears ready to return to his role in the bullpen after feeling "no pain" during his latest outing Thursday with Low-A Kane County. The right-hander will take the 25-man roster place of Randall Delgado, who is headed to the DL with right elbow inflammation.

Grace pitched a scoreless ninth inning to collect his second save of the season during Saturday's win over Cincinnati.

Grace recorded his first save of the year Friday, so considering the Nationals' bullpen has been a year-long weakness, Washington might have a new interim closer. It's expected that the Nats will bring in a proven reliever from outside the organization before the trade deadline, so Grace probably only offers fleeting fantasy value. But he's definitely worth a look in the short term.

Maurer picked up the win in a non-save situation during Saturday's walkoff victory over the Giants.

Maurer came into a 3-3 game and proceeded to retire the side on just nine pitches before Hector Sanchez launched a two-run walkoff blast in the bottom half of the inning. Although the right-handed closer is 19-for-21 in save situations this season, the struggling Padres will likely use his arm whenever they deem it necessary, especially considering the fact he hasn't allowed an earned run over his last six appearances.

Nelson allowed just two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out nine batters through 6.2 innings during Saturday's win over Philadelphia. He didn't factor into the decision.

The righty continues to shine for Milwaukee and now boasts a high-end 3.27 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 for the season. Additionally, Nelson has now allowed just 25 earned runs through 87 innings over his past 14 starts. It's been a dominant stretch, and he warrants matchup-proof status going forward. A date with Pittsburgh at PNC Park is up next for Nelson.

Jansen has been dealing with flu-like symptoms since the All-Star Game, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

The veteran reliever didn't have the greatest of weeks, as he spent the days following the All-Star Game battling a high fever and nausea. Although Jansen did appear in Friday night's contest - where he recorded his 22nd save in 22 tries this season - he said he felt dizzy while running to first base, so the Dodgers may elect to give him a couple days to get back to full health. Pedro Baez or Luis Avilan would likely fill in as the closer should that be the case.

Vizcaino (finger) is not expected to return from the disabled list until Tuesday at the earliest, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

The hard-throwing righty is scheduled to toss his second bullpen of the weekend Sunday, which O'Brien reasons will take him out of the mix for a return Monday. Still, if Vizcaino's bullpen goes well Sunday, a return from the disabled list at some point during the week is certainly in the realm of possibility. Once he returns, Vizcaino stands to reclaim his role as Atlanta's setup man.

Okert has pitched in 5.2 innings since being called up June 23, collecting seven strikeouts.

Okert has struck out 14 batters in 18.2 innings with an ERA of 6.75. It's been a step backwards for the reliever, who made his major league debut in 2016 and recorded 14 strikeouts in 14 innings with an ERA of 3.21. The big difference has been his lack of composure with runners on base. He's only stranding 50 percent of baserunners, an incredibly low number that should only improve as Okert continues getting chances.

Barraclough has struck out 47 and walked 27 in 41.2 innings this season.

After finishing May with 7.7 walks per nine innings, the Marlins' reliever has lowered that number to 5.8 with a much better demonstration of control in June and July. Over the same stretches, the strikeout rate has also increased from 9.3 K/9 in the first two months of the year to 11.2 since the start of June. If that pattern continues, Barraclough can recenter discussions about a possible closer's job in the coming years.