Williams struck out the side in a perfect sixth inning against Houston on Sunday.

Williams had been struggling entering Sunday, taking two blown saves and two losses with a 15.43 ERA over his previous five appearances. While he was dominant in fanning all three batters he faced on a combined 11 pitches Sunday, it's perhaps even more notable that he came into the contest in the sixth frame with New York down 4-0. Of note as well is that his entrance was initiated by fill-in manager Brad Ausmus after manager Aaron Boone was ejected in the third inning. It's a complex situation, but Williams' usage Sunday could be an indication that the Yankees want to give him lower-leverage work at least temporarily in order to help him right the ship, as they did earlier in the campaign after the veteran reliever struggled out of the gate. If that is indeed the plan, a move out of the ninth-inning role not be temporary this time given that New York acquired an experienced closer at the trade deadline in David Bednar, who has gone 1-for-3 in save chances since joining the Yankees but has posted a strong 10:3 K:BB with a 3.00 ERA over six innings.

Fulmer allowed two earned runs on one hit and four walks while striking out three batters over five innings of long relief in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Tigers.

Jack Kochanowicz started for the Angels and was roughed up, giving up seven runs (six earned) over three-plus frames to get stuck with the loss. Fulmer entered in the fourth and remained on the mound for the remainder of the contest, throwing 85 pitches to Kochanowicz's 84. While Fulmer was wild -- only 49 of his offerings were strikes, and he walked four batters -- the only hit he gave up was a two-run home run to Riley Greene. The right-hander's pitch count was his second-highest of the season, falling just shy of the 88 he tallied against Texas on July 10. Kochanowicz was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following the poor start, and while Los Angeles has not yet announced how it plans to handle his spot in the rotation, Fulmer is a logical candidate to step into a starting role, given the hefty workload he handled Sunday.

The Reds returned Gibaut (shoulder) from his rehab assignment Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Gibaut remains on the 15-day injured list, so he must have encountered a setback while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville, where he allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning in his most recent appearance Wednesday. The righty reliever has been out since late June with a right shoulder impingement.

The Red Sox will designate Burdi for assignment Monday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The transaction will free up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of left-hander Jovani Moran, who will be called up from Triple-A Worcester. Burdi has allowed two runs with a 4:3 K:BB over three innings at Worcester since returning from a hip injury. The righty reliever has pitched well this season when healthy, so he could receive interest via trade or waivers.

Diaz (5-2) took the loss Sunday against the Brewers, giving up one run on one hit in one-third of an inning.

The Mets headed into the eighth inning with a 6-5 lead, but Ryan Helsley blew the save and needed to be replaced by Diaz to get the final out of the frame. The team's closer had his own struggles in the ninth however, as Isaac Collins took him deep to walk it off. It was the first earned run Diaz had been tagged with since April 21, but both his losses on the season have come in three August appearances, as he allowed the phantom runner to score in an extra-inning loss to the Giants on Aug. 1. Despite those recent setbacks, the 31-year-old right-hander has a stellar 1.60 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 67:17 K:BB through 45 innings in 2025, converting 23 of 25 save chances.

Alexander is expected to pitch in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Elvis Peguero in Monday's game against the Tigers, Jack Ankony of SI.com reports.

Alexander made a 3.1-inning start versus the Phillies on July 30, but his last two appearances have come out of the Chicago bullpen. In his most recent outing last Wednesday against the Mariners, Alexander shined in long relief behind starter Jonathan Cannon, striking out five batters while allowing just two baserunners over 4.1 scoreless frames and 67 pitches. With Cannon having since been demoted to Triple-A Charlotte, Alexander will essentially be taking his spot in the rotation Monday, as Peguero is expected to work just one or two innings before Alexander likely steps in and covers multiple frames out of the bullpen.

Triple-A Indianapolis placed Harrington on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an undisclosed injury.

After being demoted Aug. 2, Harrington rejoined the Indianapolis rotation Friday and apparently sustained an injury during that start. The right-hander possesses a spot on the Pirates' 40-man roster, but his injury coupled with his poor numbers at the Triple-A level this season (5.40 ERA, 1.33 WHIP in 95 innings) could hinder his chances of getting another look in the big-league rotation in 2025.

The Pirates will activate Shugart (knee) from the 15-day injured list before Monday's game in Milwaukee, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Shugart has been shelved since early July with left knee inflammation but is ready to go after making three rehab appearances. He will likely fill a middle-relief role.

The Pirates will option Moreta to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Monday's game in Milwaukee, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

He'll give up his spot in the bullpen and on the 26-man active roster to Chase Shugart (knee), who will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Moreta has pitched well during his five appearances with the Pirates this season, allowing two runs with a 7:1 K:BB over 4.2 innings.

The Cardinals are considering using Leahy as part of piggyback starts down the stretch with Andre Pallante and/or Matthew Liberatore, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals already have plans for Leahy to prepare this offseason to enter spring training as a starting pitcher, and the righty could get a jump-start on that preparation if the team opts to employ him in a piggyback role during the final two months of this season. Manager Oliver Marmol said there are currently no plans for piggyback starts, but it's being discussed as the club seeks to keep the workloads of Pallante and Liberatore in check. Leahy has been used exclusively as a reliever so far at the major-league level, but he'll often pitch multiple innings at a time and has past experience as a starter in the minors.