MLB Player News

The Mets are leaning toward starting Montero in Cincinnati on Tuesday, the New York Times' James Wagner reports.

Tuesday is Jacob deGrom's spot in the rotation, and it has already been revealed that he won't be able to make that start due to forearm soreness. Montero will start Saturday for Double-A Binghamton, but the plan is to cut that start short, essentially treating it like a side session. It has been a rough year for Montero, as he has posted a 7.20 ERA in 80 innings at Triple-A, while being passed over several times for promotions to the big league rotation. However, he has been much better at Double-A (1.70 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 38:19 K:BB in 47.2 innings), so perhaps his struggles at Triple-A can be attributed to the hitter-friendly conditions of the Pacific Coast League.

Lopez will be recalled to start Sunday on the road against the Mets, the New York Times' James Wagner reports.

Lopez has been very hit or miss as starter in the big leagues, posting two very strong starts in mid-August, both against the Braves, and failing to make it through the fifth inning in his other three starts. He has struck out nine or more batters in two of his five starts, so there is some upside here, but there is also some blow up potential. It's possible that this will just be a spot start if Stephen Strasburg is ready to return to the rotation next week.

Reyes did not factor into the decision Friday versus the Reds despite a strong outing in which he gave up two earned runs on six hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out seven.

He fired 67 of 103 pitches for strikes and missed plenty of bats, recording 19 swinging strikes overall. Reyes' troubles all came in his final inning, when Adam Duvall tagged him for a sacrifice fly and Scott Schebler added an RBI single later in the frame that plated Brandon Phillips. The performance was an excellent step up from Reyes' first major league start against the A's last Saturday and he'll look to keep building momentum when he takes on the Pirates next Wednesday.

Maurer struck out two in a perfect inning of work en route to his seventh save of the season Friday versus the Dodgers.

Maurer had blown the only save opportunity he had seen over the previous two weeks, but he was effective Friday and threw 11 of his 17 pitches for strikes while retiring the side in order. He should continue to work in save situations for the Friars, but his shaky peripherals combined with a general lack of opportunities makes him an underwhelming fantasy reliever.

Gomez picked up his third loss of the season Friday. He allowed four runs on four hits and was pulled without retiring a batter.

Gomez was brought into the game to try to hold a 4-4 tie. He now has a 6.75 ERA and 7:5 K:BB in 12 innings since the beginning of August. He has blown only one save over that stretch, however, and remains secure in his closer role for now. If he starts to blow up in save opportunities, Hector Neris would be next in line for ninth inning duties.

Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his 38th save of he season Friday.

Melancon now has seven saves, a 0.66 ERA and a .732 WHIP since coming over from Pittsburgh in late July. His presence, and the jettisoning of Jonathan Papelbon, have provided a stabilizing effect on the club's bullpen.

De Leon's contract was selected by the Dodgers on Friday and he will start Sunday's game against the Padres, the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin reports.

The promotion eases the concerns of owners who had been stashing De Leon for much of the second half of the season. Now that the Dodgers have added him to the 40-man roster, he figures to stick in the rotation for the foreseeable future. De Leon posted a 2.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 86.1 innings at Triple-A this year, illustrating the upside he offers fantasy owners over the final month of the season. He will get a pretty easy first start, facing a Padres offense that has been the third worst in baseball (according to wRC+) over the last month.

De Leon was scratched from his scheduled start Friday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, prompting speculation that he could be called up to start either Saturday or Sunday for the Dodgers, the Southern California News Group's J.P. Hoornstra reports.

The Dodgers have yet to announce who will start Saturday and Sunday against the Padres, so it's reasonable to wonder if De Leon could be on the verge of making his MLB debut this weekend. If Rich Hill (blister) can't make one of the starts, look for De Leon to get the call, with Kenta Maeda likely starting the other weekend game. De Leon is one of the top pitching prospects in the minors, and has a 2.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 86.1 innings at Triple-A this year. It would be wise to pick him up in most formats if he is on the waiver wire.

Coleman (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day DL on Friday.

He missed exactly a month with the shoulder ailment, and the Dodgers were able to activate him Friday without a corresponding move, thanks to roster expansion. Coleman has been one of the Dodgers' better middle relievers this season, notching a 3.70 ERA and allowing just two home runs in 41.1 innings.

Fields was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.

The veteran reliever has missed bats but failed to prevent runs at an acceptable rate with both the Astros and Dodgers this season. As such, he should pitch primarily in low-leverage situations down the stretch.