MLB Player News

Fleming retired the lone batter he faced in relief Friday in the Pirates' 10-3 loss to the Rays.

Fleming was back in the bullpen for the beginning of the Pirates' three-game set with Tampa Bay after he made a four-inning spot start in Colorado in his previous outing this past Sunday. The veteran southpaw has just one save and one hold among his 17 relief appearances on the season and will likely be relegated to lower-leverage spots even after the Pirates placed closer David Bednar (oblique) on the injured list Sunday.

Muller (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Muller has been sidelined since the end of May due to tendinitis in his left shoulder, but he has now been given the go-ahead to test his shoulder in a game setting. The A's haven't specified how long they plan on keeping the 26-year-old in the minors, but he will likely require multiple rehab outings after being held out of action for nearly a month.

Jimenez was diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain in his left oblique Sunday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The A's placed Jimenez on the 15-day injured list Sunday, though the severity of his injury will keep him sidelined at least 6-to-8 weeks. The 30-year-old righty has been a reliable piece of Oakland's bullpen this year, posting a 3.04 ERA and 1.44 WHIP through 23.2 innings. Aaron Brooks was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill the open spot in Oakland's pitching staff.

Fairbanks tossed a perfect ninth inning, striking out one to collect a save Sunday against the Pirates.

Fairbanks needed only 11 pitches to close the door on his 11th save. Fairbanks had allowed a run to score in three of his previous four appearances, with Sunday marking the first time in seven appearances he did not allow a baserunner.

Nunez hasn't pitched since June 15, and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza indicated earlier this week that the right-hander was dealing with a sinus infection, SNY reports.

After bouncing between Triple-A and the big-league roster in April and May, Nunez settled in following his latest promotion and is having a breakout campaign in the Mets' bullpen, posting a 2.04 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 26:3 K:BB through 17.2 innings while generating a 42.2 percent whiff rate with his slider. The 28-year-old has four holds on the season, all of which have come in his last six appearances as he works his way into a high-leverage role. Once he's recovered from the infection, Nunez could emerge as a top set-up man for closer Edwin Diaz.

Garcia (elbow) began playing catch Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Garcia took the first step in his recovery Saturday after landing on the injured list June 17 due to right elbow ulnar neuritis. A short stint on the IL would benefit the Blue Jays, especially with Jordan Romano (elbow) having his throwing program halted. Prior to his injury, Garcia held a 2.57 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 37:7 K:BB over 28 innings.

The Blue Jays claimed Cuas off waivers from the Cubs on Sunday and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo.

Cuas was jettisoned off Chicago's 40-man roster last week after posting a 7.43 ERA and 1.65 WHIP through 13.1 innings in the big leagues. His Triple-A numbers haven't been much better (6.35 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), and while he will reclaim a 40-man roster spot upon joining his new organization, the 29-year-old righty surely has plenty of work to do in Buffalo before the Blue Jays can consider adding him to their MLB bullpen.

The Yankees transferred Burdi (hip) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.

Burdi's move to the 60-day IL makes room on the 40-man roster for J.D. Davis, whom the Yankees acquired from the Athletics on Sunday. The 31-year-old Burdi has been on the shelf since May 24 with right hip inflammation. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hip earlier this month, but he hasn't been cleared to start throwing and will now remain out through the All-Star break. Burdi appeared in 12 games before landing on the IL, registering a 1.86 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 9.2 innings.

Turnbull is scheduled to join the rotation and start Wednesday against the Tigers in Detroit, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

He'll be taking over the rotation spot that previously belonged to Taijuan Walker, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right index finger inflammation after developing what manager Rob Thomson termed as a "hot spot" on his pitching hand. Though an injury of this sort wouldn't seem to portend a lengthy absence for Walker, Turnbull could end up sticking around as the Phillies' No. 5 starter once Walker is healthy, so long as Turnbull comes close to recapturing the excellent form he displayed as a member of the rotation earlier this season. The Phillies have stated that they plan to monitor Turnbull's workload this season after he missed all of 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and a large portion of 2023 due to neck discomfort, but the 31-year-old right-hander has made it difficult for the club to stick to that plan while he's performed so-so as a reliever (4.26 ERA, 14.1 K-BB% in 10 appearances) but exceptionally in his six starts (1.67 ERA, 20.5 K-BB%). His upcoming start against his former Tigers club will be his first since April 30, but Turnbull worked three scoreless innings (49 pitches) in his most recent relief outing Friday and is being targeted for around 70 pitches Wednesday, per Thomson.

The Pirates placed Bednar on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a strained left oblique, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Bednar reported feeling tightness in his side during his throwing session before Saturday's contest against the Rays and wasn't available to pitch in the game. His injury was initially believed to be relatively minor, so it's possible the 29-year-old reliever will be able to return after a minimum-length stay on the IL. Until then, Aroldis Chapman will likely see the majority of save opportunities, and Justin Bruihl will come up from Triple-A to replenish the Pirates' bullpen depth.