MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Kimbrel was removed from Sunday's game against the A's due upper-back tightness, though the skipper isn't sure if the injury will be an ongoing issue, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Kimbrel suffered his second straight blown save Sunday as he allowed a walk and a two-run homer to the only two batters he faced before he exited with the injury. The 35-year-old will continue to be evaluated over the next couple of days, and it remains to be seen if a trip to the injured list will be necessary.

The Cubs optioned Little to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Little surrendered five runs over two-thirds of an inning Saturday and will be demoted in favor of some fresh arms. Daniel Palencia and Richard Lovelady are joining the Cubs as Jordan Wicks (forearm) heads to the injured list.

The Cubs called up Palencia from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The 24-year-old was sent down by Chicago on April 17 but will rejoin the big club for Sunday's series finale in Boston. Palencia has made three MLB appearances this season and has given up four earned runs with a 5:7 K:BB over six innings.

Kimbrel was removed from Sunday's game against the A's due to an apparent injury, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The veteran right-hander allowed a walk and a two-run homer to the only batters he faced before exiting the contest with an athletic trainer. It's the second straight blown save for Kimbrel after converting seven straight saves, and the specifics of his injury remain unclear. Yennier Cano is the likely favorite to fill in at closer should Kimbrel be forced to miss any time.

The Angels designated Herget for assignment Sunday.

Herget was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in early March and has now lost his place on the Angels' 40-man roster. The 30-year-old allowed five earned runs with a 4:6 K:BB over 9.1 innings with Salt Lake, and he could remain with the affiliate if he passes through waivers unclaimed.

Junis (shoulder) resumed traveling with the Brewers and said Friday that he's feeling better after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during the batting practice in Pittsburgh on Monday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Junis was sent to a Pittsburgh-area hospital for further evaluation after he was struck by a ball off the bat of Pirates infielder Alika Williams prior to Monday's series opener. Fortunately for Junis, an MRI and CT scan both returned clean, so his buildup program for his recovery from a right shoulder impingement should be relatively uninterrupted. Junis' lone appearance with Milwaukee prior to being shelved with the shoulder injury came as a starter, but Brewers manager Pat Murphy recently suggested that the right-hander might return from the IL in a relief role.

Wilson is scheduled to start Monday's game against the Rays in Milwaukee, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Wilson had already started in two of his previous three appearances, but he served as more of a piggyback pitcher/opener than a traditional starter in both outings. However, after building up to 75 pitches and 4.1 innings in his most recent outing last Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Wilson shouldn't face many restrictions with his workload moving forward if the Brewers opt to keep him around in the rotation on a more permanent basis. Wade Miley's season-ending elbow injury creates a long-term hole in the Milwaukee rotation, though Jakob Junis (shoulder) and DL Hall (knee) will eventually return and could push Wilson back to the bullpen over time.

The Angels placed Cisnero on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right shoulder inflammation.

The right-hander presumably suffered the injury during his appearance against the Twins on Friday, when he allowed three runs over two-thirds of an inning. Cisnero will be sidelined for at least the next couple weeks but is without an official timeline for his return.

The Royals are planning to call up Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha on Monday to start the club's series opener in Toronto, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Bowlan will be entering the big-league rotation as a replacement for Alec Marsh (elbow), who was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday. The 27-year-old Bowlan previously made a spot start among his two appearances with Kansas City in 2023, but Monday will mark his 2024 MLB debut. Over 21 innings at Omaha this season, Bowlan has submitted a 2.57 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB.

The Angels selected Kristofak's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

Kristofak will join the Angels for his first taste of the big leagues after he posted a 3.38 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 10:5 K:BB over 18.2 innings at Salt Lake to begin the campaign. Jose Cisnero (shoulder) was placed on the injured list, and Jimmy Herget was designated for assignment to create a spot on the 26-man and 40-man rosters, respectively.