MLB Player News

The Dodgers optioned Ramirez to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Ramirez will head back to the minors after he was called up from Oklahoma City to serve as the Dodgers' 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Mets. He didn't appear in relief in either game of the twin bill.

The Mets returned Nunez to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

As expected, Nunez will head back to Syracuse one day after he was called up to serve as the 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Dodgers. Nunez appeared in relief in the Mets' 3-0 loss in the second game of the twin bill, covering two scoreless innings while giving up one hit and one walk and striking out three.

Urena (lower leg) said that he's been cleared to start Friday against the Marlins, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Urena departed his most recent start last Friday versus the Twins after being struck in the left foot/ankle area by a comebacker. He checked out fine, though, and isn't expected to have any limitations Friday against one of his former clubs. Urena has been surprisingly solid since sliding into the Texas rotation, holding a 2.78 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB over 22.2 innings covering four starts. That said, with Nathan Eovaldi returning from the injured list Tuesday and with Jon Gray (groin) potentially set to be activated next week, Urena wouldn't appear to be guaranteed any starts beyond Friday.

Middleton (forearm) will undergo an MRI on Friday and could require season-ending surgery on his pitching arm, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton was evaluated by team doctors Tuesday, and the organization seems to have concern that he's dealing with a significant arm injury. If he does ultimately require surgery, his season would end before it began, as Middleton has been shelved since spring training with what's been termed a right forearm strain. The reliever signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Cardinals back in February.

Saucedo (2-0) got the win against the Astros on Tuesday, firing a scoreless eighth inning during which he issued a walk and recorded a strikeout.

The veteran southpaw was making his first appearance since being activated off the injured list Sunday, and he served as an effective bridge to Ryne Stanek in the ninth with his clean inning. Saucedo has been effective all season when available, and he now owns a 1.54 ERA and 0.86 WHIP across the 11.2 innings covering his last 11 appearances.

Iglesias struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his 13th save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Nationals.

The right-hander topped out at 97.5 mph and fired nine of 11 pitches for strikes as he breezed through the top of Washington's order. Iglesias appears to be finding his peak form, reeling off four straight scoreless appearances with a 5:0 K:BB. On the season, he sports a 2.21 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB through 20.1 innings.

Miller gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to record his 11th save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Rays.

The flamethrowing righty continues to dominate. Miller has yet to blow a save in 2024, and his 52.8 percent strikeout rate is the highest in the majors among pitchers who have worked at least 20 innings. Trade rumors are swirling around him, not surprising given the state of the Oakland franchise, but Miller would likely be the best closing option for any team that acquired him. Through 24 innings this season, he sports a 1.88 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 47:7 K:BB.

Spence (4-2) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing only one hit and one walk over 5.1 scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory over the Rays. He struck out four.

A Rule 5 pick out of the Yankees' system this offseason, Spence has been impressive since moving into the rotation for the A's, delivering a 2.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB through 13 innings over three starts. The 26-year-old right-hander got stretched out to 98 pitches (61 strikes) Tuesday, and even once Oakland's staff gets healthier, Spence figures to remain in the rotation as long as he's producing strong results. He's set for a tough test in his next outing, a road start in Atlanta this weekend.

Ottavino blew his second save of the season in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers, giving up a run on three hits in the ninth inning while striking out one.

Called upon to protect a 2-1 lead, Ottavino instead gave up three straight singles to begin the frame, although the third one came on a safety squeeze by Chris Taylor that the right-hander couldn't field cleanly. Ottavino hasn't been able to take advantage of Edwin Diaz's recent struggles, and he's stumbled to a 6.75 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over his last 10 appearances. The back of the Mets' bullpen is a mess right now, and it's not clear who manager Carlos Mendoza might turn to the next time the team has a late lead.

Hjelle (2-1) earned the win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night after tossing two scoreless innings and intentionally walking a batter.

The Giants were without Camilo Doval and Ryan Walker Tuesday night because of their recent workloads, so Hjelle was called upon to work the ninth and 10th innings with the game at 0-0. He executed perfectly, getting through two frames by generating weak contact and coming out with a win after Luis Matos knocked in the winning run on a sacrifice fly. It was a huge result for Hjelle after allowing runs in back-to-back outings coming into the game. The 27-year-old now owns a 2.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB in 21.1 innings.