MLB Player News

The Cardinals traded Loutos to the Dodgers on Thursday in exchange for cash, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Loutos owns a 3.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through eight innings in Triple-A this season, but he was booted off St. Louis' 40-man roster Monday to make room for Jose Barrero. By joining the Dodgers, Loutos once again owns a 40-man spot, but he'll likely remain at Triple-A Oklahoma City until Los Angeles needs a fresh arm in its bullpen.

The Diamondbacks transferred Puk (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Jose Castillo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Reno on Thursday. Puk is dealing with a left flexor strain, and while he will not undergo surgery at this time, he is facing an extended absence. Justin Martinez (shoulder) was also placed on the IL on Thursday, so the Diamondbacks are down their top two relievers and could turn to Ryan Thompson, Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel as options to close games.

The Diamondbacks selected Castillo's contract from Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Castillo got a late start to the season with Reno due to an adductor injury, but he made five appearances there and allowed just one run with a 7:0 K:BB over 5.1 innings. The left-hander missed much of 2024 with a hand injury, and when he makes an appearance, it will be his first in the majors since 2023.

The Diamondbacks placed Martinez on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right shoulder inflammation.

Martinez's velocity and results have trended in the wrong direction lately, so the Diamondbacks are opting to shut him down for the time being. He is scheduled to undergo imaging to see if there is anything more serious beyond inflammation in his pitching shoulder. With A.J. Puk (elbow) also on the shelf, the Diamondbacks could mix and match at closer. Ryan Thompson, Shelby Miller and Kevin Ginkel are among the options to see save chances.

The Mets transferred Minter (lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday.

Minter was initially placed on the IL on Sunday after being diagnosed with a left lat strain. The southpaw is still weighing whether to undergo season-ending surgery, but even if he elects to treat the injury through rest and rehab, he won't be on track to return to game action until September in a best-case scenario, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Before getting hurt, Minter had been performing well as the top setup man in front of closer Edwin Diaz, logging a 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB in 11 innings while collecting seven holds over his 13 appearances.

The Reds optioned Richardson to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Richardson was needed for three innings in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Cardinals, so he's being sent out in favor of a fresh bullpen arm. Yosver Zulueta was called up from Triple-A to take over Richardson's spot in the bullpen and on the 26-man active roster.

The Mets transferred Montas (lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday.

The transaction won't affect Montas' timeline for a return, as the 32-year-old isn't expected to be ready to make his Mets debut until at least June while he recovers from the high-grade right lat strain that he sustained early in spring training. Per MLB.com, Montas has been throwing off flat ground since early April and should soon be ready for mound work, but he'll require an extended period of time to build up his pitch count and will need to make multiple rehab starts in the minors before being activated from the IL.

Stanek (0-3) blew the save and took the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Entering the game with one out in the seventh inning to protect a 1-0 lead, Stanek gave up three straight hits to put Arizona ahead for good. The right-hander has fallen apart at the end of April, giving up at least one run in four of his last five appearances and taking both the loss and a blown save in three straight trips to the mound. The collapse has left Stanek with a 5.06 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 10:6 K:BB through 10.2 innings on the season, and even with A.J. Minter (lat) on the shelf, the former may be removed from high-leverage duties until he turns things around.

Kimbrel is still building up his velocity at Triple-A Gwinnett, and there's no timeline for him to be added to Atlanta's 26-man roster, Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta's bullpen needs help behind closer Raisel Iglesias, but it's not clear when Kimbrel might be able to bolster the team's relief corps. The 36-year-old has thrown 7.1 innings over seven appearances between Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB, but his fastball velocity has mainly been sitting in the low 90s, a step back even from the 93.9 mph he averaged in 2024. "I learned last year when it comes to velocity, the velocity itself doesn't really matter as much as how I use my pitches, masking my pitches," Kimbrel said Wednesday. "I don't throw 100 mph anymore, so I can't just go out there and try to throw it by everybody. So it's taking the mindset of a pitcher and using my pitches to get guys out." Kimbrel sits fifth on MLB's all-time save list with 440, with the first 186 coming in an Atlanta uniform, but he's unlikely to add much to that total in his second stint with the team.

Bivens allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out one over 1.2 innings during Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Padres.

The right-hander replaced Landen Roupp in the fifth inning, inheriting a bases-loaded jam with one out. Bivens managed to get through the fifth without surrendering an earned run, though he eventually gave one up in the sixth on an RBI triple by Luis Arraez, the first he'd allowed since March 31. The 30-year-old now owns a 2.63 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and an 11:6 K:BB across 13.2 innings over nine appearances.