MLB Player News

Fairbanks (arm) struck out one in a perfect inning in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Yankees.

Fairbanks was activated from the IL earlier in the day following a nearly three-week absence with a nerve issue. Rays manager Kevin Cash put him right to work, asking him to preserve a five-run lead in the ninth. Fairbanks did so without a sweat, needing just 11 pitches to complete the 1-2-3 frame. The 30-year-old now sits on a 7.88 ERA and 11:8 K:BB over eight innings this season. Despite the ugly numbers, Fairbanks should still be the clear favorite for saves in Tampa Bay's bullpen, as long as he's healthy.

Jansen struck out two in a perfect inning Saturday to notch his sixth save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Nationals.

After the Red Sox broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jansen made quick work of the Nats in the top of the ninth with a groundout and a couple punchouts. The outing comes one day after Jansen was touched up for two runs in a non-save situation Friday. Jansen battled control issues early on in the season but has seemed to figure those out, putting up a 10:1 K:BB across his last six frames.

The Red Sox are expected to option Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester on Sunday, Sean McAdam of The Springfield Republican reports.

The move will clear the way for Brayan Bello (lat) to be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Sunday against the Nationals. Winckowski has more walks (six) than strikeouts (four) over his last 14.2 innings (seven appearances). He'll likely be back up at some point when the Red Sox need a fresh bullpen arm.

The Athletics optioned Lucas to Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday.

The move corresponds with the Athletics recalling right-hander Joey Estes from Triple-A Las Vegas. After having his contract selected from Las Vegas on Wednesday, Lucas struggled in his two major-league outings, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six over 2.1 innings. Lucas has a more respectable 2.87 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 15.2 frames in Triple-A, so a return to the minors could help the southpaw regain some form.

The Brewers optioned Herget to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.

Herget gave up two earned runs while recording a three-inning save and failing to notch a strikeout Friday against the Cardinals. Mitch White was added to the Brewers' active roster in a corresponding move.

Cuas was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Cuas, who has given up eight earned runs in six MLB innings through five appearances this year, should work in low-leverage situations. He has 17 strikeouts and a 4.32 ERA in 8.1 innings at Triple-A.

Almonte was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right shoulder strain, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

He didn't recover well from his last outing Tuesday against the Padres and there is no timeline for his return, per manager Craig Counsell. Almonte has a 3.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 20 strikeouts, one win and one save in 15.2 innings through 17 appearances.

Contreras was designated for assignment Saturday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Contreras was out of minor-league options and had a 5.05 FIP and 1.65 WHIP in 12 appearances out of the big-league bullpen, so he was deemed expendable. At the peak of his fantasy value in 2021, Contreras sat 95-97 mph with his fastball as a starting pitcher, but he has averaged under 95 mph in back-to-back seasons, even while working in shorter stints out of the bullpen.

The Marlins optioned Villalobos to Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday.

Villalobos appeared in three major-league games after having his contract selected by Miami on May 5. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings. The move corresponds with the Marlins reinstating southpaw Jesus Luzardo (elbow) from the 15-day IL.

The Rays optioned Uceta to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

The move corresponds with right-hander Pete Fairbanks (arm) being reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Uceta made two big-league appearances after being called up from Triple-A Durham on Monday. Over that span, the right-hander threw four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out five.