MLB Player News

Topa (knee) will start a rehab assignment with Single-A Fort Myers on Tuesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.

Topa hasn't played in 2024 due to a tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee, but he'll see his first in-game action since being returned from a rehab assignment in early May. The reliever will likely need several rehab appearances before being activated, and it's likely he won't be back in action until August.

The Diamondbacks optioned Castellanos to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Castellanos threw 40 pitches over three innings in a relief appearance in Monday's loss to the Royals, so he wasn't going to be available to pitch for at least a day or two. He's clearing out to make room on the roster for Jordan Montgomery, who returns from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday in Kansas City.

The Rays claimed Kuhnel off waivers from the Brewers on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The right-hander was designated for assignment by Milwaukee over the weekend, and Tampa Bay didn't waste any time scooping him up on waivers. Kuhnel has made just one appearance in the majors this season (with the Astros), but he's pitched well at the Triple-A level with a 2.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB across 27.1 innings.

The Nationals optioned Salazar to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

He is clearing out to make room for DJ Herz, who will start Tuesday's game against the Padres. Salazar had one two-inning scoreless appearance out of the bullpen during his brief stint on the Nationals' active roster.

The Reds optioned Legumina to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

Legumina was with the big club for just a few days and didn't make an appearance. He's being replaced on the roster by Lyon Richardson, who will provide more length in the bullpen.

Garcia (5-1) earned the win over Seattle on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over one scoreless inning in relief.

All-Star Tyler Anderson gave the Angels 5.2 innings of one-run ball but received no offensive support while he was in the game. Garcia entered in the eighth with the game tied 1-1 and was effective despite throwing just 10 of 19 pitches for strikes, as he yielded only an infield single and fanned the final two batters he faced. The righty reliever then moved into position for the victory when Los Angeles scored twice in the top of the ninth. Garcia has been one of the team's top high-leverage options this season and has been very effective of late, posting a 1.32 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB over his past 13.2 innings spanning 12 appearances. He's notched four wins and five holds over that span.

Stanek recorded a hold in a loss to the Angels on Monday, allowing an earned run on two walks over one-third of an inning. He struck out one.

Stanek had another worrisome outing, yet he still came out of it with a counting stat in the form of his 15th hold of the season. The right-hander took his third loss against the Astros on Saturday after blowing a 2-1 lead; Monday, he walked the first two batters he faced before striking out Nolan Schanuel prior to being swapped out for Andres Munoz, who gave up a game-tying sacrifice fly to Taylor Ward that resulted in a run being charged to Stanek. The 32-year-old Stanek has now allowed at least one earned run in three consecutive appearances, the first time that's transpired this season.

Triple-A El Paso placed Otto on its 7-day injured list Sunday with an unspecified injury.

Otto remains on the Padres' 40-man roster and began the season on the club's 15-day injured list while recovering from a right teres major strain. After Otto made five rehab appearances between El Paso and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, the Padres activated him from the IL and optioned him to the Triple-A club. Since then, Otto had made six appearances for El Paso and struck out 11 over 8.2 innings while giving up three earned runs on eight hits and six walks, but he's now been shut down again with an injury. It's unclear whether he's dealing with a setback related to the previous shoulder issue or if he's tending to a new concern.

The Rays optioned Zuber to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Zuber was with the Rays for two days, allowing one run over 1.2 innings in a relief appearance Monday versus the Yankees. He's being replaced on the roster by Tyler Alexander, who will handle bulk relief duties Tuesday in Toronto.

Single-A Kannapolis placed Taylor on its 7-day injured list June 12 and transferred him to its 60-day injured list June 16 while he recovers from a lat injury, Bill Mitchell of Baseball America reports.

The White Sox selected Taylor in the second round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft while he was already on the mend from Tommy John surgery. He has a high ceiling, and that was on display during his brief stretch of full health, as the 22-year-old righty had a 1.13 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and a 25:1 K:BB in 16 innings across four starts for Kannapolis before succumbing to another injury.