MLB Player News

Criswell was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Saturday.

Criswell is back in the majors for the first time since Aug. 19, when he tossed two innings out of the bullpen while serving as the Rays' 27th man for a doubleheader with the Angels. The right-hander's final appearance in the minors came Tuesday, when he struck out two over two scoreless innings. He could be deployed as a bulk reliever in Saturday's game in Toronto behind Shawn Armstrong, who is set to open the game but is unlikely to cover more than 1-to-3 innings.

Weems (5-0) was credited with the win Friday, giving up one run on two hits and two walks over one inning of relief in the Nationals' 10-6 victory over Atlanta. He struck out one.

The 30-year-old right-hander got tagged for a run for the third time in his last four appearances as he experiences a late-season fade, but Weems was still able to vulture one more win. He's stumbled to a 5.06 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 10:10 K:BB through 10.2 innings in September, and he's far from guaranteed a key role in the Nationals' 2024 bullpen despite his 96 mph fastball and sharp slider.

Cruz is slated to open Saturday's game against the Yankees.

He'll be operating as an opener for the second weekend in a row, after he had previously worked an inning in last Sunday's contest versus the Astros before giving way to bulk reliever Alec Marsh. The Royals haven't formally named a bulk reliever for Saturday's contest, but Marsh is available on five days' rest and should end up covering most of the innings out of the bullpen once Cruz exits the contest.

Armstrong will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Saturday would have been Zack Littell's turn in the rotation, but he ended up covering 1.1 innings in relief in Friday's 11-4 loss. The Rays also deployed another starting pitcher in Taj Bradley for one inning in relief Friday, likely in a deliberate attempt by manager Kevin Cash to keep all of his rotation options available for a possible wild-card round matchup with this same Blue Jays squad. As a result, the Rays look poised to lean on a melange of relievers to cover the final two games of the regular season, with Armstrong leading off Saturday's contest. Armstrong hasn't covered more than three innings in any of his appearances in the majors or minors this season, so he's unlikely to work deep into Saturday's game to qualify for a win.

Ginkel struck out one over one inning in Friday's 2-1 loss to Houston.

Ginkel made his first appearance since a blown save/loss Monday, when he told manager Torey Lovullo he was good to pitch after throwing 28 pitches the previous day. Following Monday's game, he admitted he wasn't "feeling great." Ginkel looked good Friday, setting the side down in order on nine pitches (seven strikes).

Pivetta (10-9) earned the win Friday, allowing two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the Orioles. He struck out 10.

Pivetta ended his season on a high note, notching his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the year. The 30-year-old righty was fantastic throughout September with a 2.43 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 43:5 K:BB in 33.1 innings. Pivetta ends the year with career lows in ERA (4.04) and WHIP (1.12) with 183:50 K:BB over 142.2 innings.

Winn (1-3) took the loss Friday versus the Dodgers, allowing six runs on six hits and striking out five without walking a batter over 5.1 innings.

Winn was tagged for three home runs to account for all of the offense against him in his return from a nine-day stint on the COVID-19 injured list. Winn closes the season with a 4.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 35:8 K:BB over 42.1 innings across nine appearances (five starts) in his first big-league campaign. The 25-year-old righty will likely have a chance to compete for a rotation spot in spring training next year.

Clase picked up the save Friday against the Tigers. He allowed one run on one hit over one inning without walking or striking out a batter.

Clase yielded a 391-foot solo homer to Spencer Torkelson to lead off the ninth inning before promptly retiring the next three Detroit batters. Although he has secured a career-high 44 saves, the Cleveland closer has struggled a bit this year, posting a career-worst 3.14 ERA and 8.0 K/9 (compared to a career 1.47 ERA and 9.3 K/9 prior to the season). Clase been especially shaky in September with a 4.63 ERA and 5.4 K/9 over 11.2 innings.

Pressly allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out one over one inning to earn the save in Friday's 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Pressly danced with danger after Alek Thomas reached on an error and Gabriel Moreno sent him home with an RBI double. Pressly was still able to get the job done, earning his first save since Sept. 9. The closer is up to 31 saves in 37 chances this season while logging a 3.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 74:16 K:BB through 65.1 innings overall.

Hader picked up the save in Friday's 3-2 victory over the White Sox. He allowed one run on one hit and one walk over one inning without recording a strikeout.

It was far from a clean outing for Hader, who allowed a solo homer to Carlos Perez to lead off the inning, then gave up a walk and hit a batter prior to inducing Yoan Moncada to ground into a game-ending double play. Friday's appearance marks only the sixth time in 60 appearances that Hader has allowed an earned run this season, leading to a 1.30 ERA, 1.12 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 55.1 innings.