MLB Player News

Joyce is expected to operate as the Angels' closer after the trade of Luis Garcia on Tuesday.

Garcia was labeled the closer while Joyce was named the setup man and closer-in-waiting after the trade of Carlos Estevez over the weekend, and Garcia has now also been dealt. However, manager Ron Washington used Joyce in the eighth inning Tuesday while Hunter Strickland picked up the save, so it remains to be seen if the skipper sticks with the initial plan. Joyce still struggles to control his 101.8-mph fastball at times and has a 4.0 BB/9 this season, but that's an improvement from his first taste of the big leagues last year when he walked nine over 10 innings and had an 8.1 BB/9 at Triple-A. The right-hander has a 2.01 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB in 19 appearances this season.

The Twins placed Stewart on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder strain, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Stewart just returned a week ago from a lengthy absence due to shoulder issues and is now headed back to the IL. The righty was roughed up for seven runs over 2.1 innings covering three appearances over the last week while showing diminished velocity. Stewart has often been a lockdown reliever for the Twins when healthy, but whether he'll be able to regain that form this season is a fair question.

The Blue Jays optioned Cuas to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

Cuas will head back to Buffalo to make room on the active roster for right-hander Paolo Espino, who was called up from Triple-A to start Wednesday's game in Baltimore. The righty reliever's latest stint with the Blue Jays lasted just two days, with Cuas striking out one but walking three batters in a scoreless inning of relief in Tuesday's 6-2 loss.

The Blue Jays recalled Espino from Triple-A Buffalo ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday in Baltimore.

Espino made two relief appearances in April for the Blue Jays but will be making his first start with the club and his first in the majors since the 2022 season. After returning from Buffalo's 7-day injured list July 4, Espino didn't cover more than four innings in any of his subsequent three outings prior to his call-up, so he could struggle to reach the five innings he would need to hit Wednesday to qualify for a win. The Blue Jays could look to Yariel Rodriguez to provide length behind Espino out of the bullpen.

Yarbrough is expected to work out of the rotation once he joins the Blue Jays, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Acquired from the Dodgers on Tuesday in exchange for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, Yarbrough has made all 32 of his appearances out of the bullpen this season, but he has extensive experience as a starter and bulk reliever from his time in Tampa Bay. He posted a 3.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 39:25 K:BB through 67.1 innings for the Dodgers in 2024, but he's unlikely to maintain those ratios in a larger role -- he has a 4.74 ERA over 68 career starts.

Hamilton (lat) is expected to be cleared to throw live batting practice soon, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Hamilton has been shelved since mid-June with a right lat strain but is almost ready to take the next step in his recovery. There's no timetable for the reliever's return yet, but he wouldn't appear far off from a rehab assignment if all goes well.

The Mets optioned Gage to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Gage was just recalled from Syracuse on Monday but didn't make an appearance. The Mets are doing some reshuffling with their bullpen after making a couple additions at the trade deadline.

The Mets optioned Zuber to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

He was acquired via trade from the Rays on Tuesday but will be heading to the minors to make room on the 26-man active roster for another reliever who was acquired at the deadline, Huascar Brazoban. Zuber boasts a 2.49 ERA and 29:6 K:BB in 21.2 innings at the Triple-A level in 2024.

Diaz picked up the save Tuesday against Chicago, allowing one walk and no hits across a scoreless ninth inning.

Diaz converted on his 14th consecutive save chance and fired his second consecutive hitless appearance. The 27-year-old has a 4.23 ERA in 38.1 innings but has generally been reliable in the ninth inning, having blown merely two saves. Diaz is one of eight closers with more than 20 saves on the season.

Suarez (6-1) got the win Tuesday against the Dodgers after striking out two in a scoreless 10th inning.

Suarez was called upon to pitch the 10th after the Padres rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras. He made the job look easy, striking out the first two batters before getting Andy Pages to fly out on the first pitch he saw for a quick 10-pitch inning. The Padres would go on to walk it off in the bottom half of the frame and Suarez was credited with his second win in as many appearances. Suarez is now working on a scoreless streak of seven innings and has struck out multiple hitters in three straight appearances. The Padres traded for lefty reliever Tanner Scott, who is having an excellent season with a 1.18 ERA and 18 saves, but Suarez remains the favorite for closing duties unless his performance starts to slip over the second half of the year.