MLB Player News

Willingham was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Willingham joined the Nationals on Sept. 1 for his latest stint in the majors, and he had a 3.48 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 4:5 K:BB over 10.1 innings during his time with the big club. His overall numbers in the majors this year are much worse with 18 earned runs allowed in 24.1 frames.

Abbott was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Abbott was sent to Rochester on Aug. 20 but will rejoin the Nationals after spending the past few weeks in the minors. The right-hander has a 7.48 ERA across 27.2 frames in the big leagues this season, so he's likely to fill a low-leverage role out of the bullpen.

The Athletics transferred Tarnok (hip) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.

Tarnok underwent surgery on his right hip in late August, effectively ending his season. As such, the move to the 60-day injured list doesn't affect Tarnok's timeline for a return, though it creates an open spot on the 28-man active roster for Joe Boyle, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of his scheduled start Sunday versus the Padres.

Simpson was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Heraldreports.

The left-hander was called up by Miami on Tuesday but didn't make his MLB debut during his time with the team. Simpson will return to Jacksonville, where he has a 4.50 ERA over 32 innings this year.

Newcomb was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a sprained left knee.

Newcomb's move to the IL most likely spells an end to his season. After getting a call-up from Triple-A Las Vegas in late August, Newcomb made seven appearances (two starts) with Oakland, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 17:9 K:BB in 15 innings. In a corresponding move, the Athletics selected Joe Boyle's contract from Triple-A in advance of his scheduled start Sunday versus the Padres.

McArthur (1-0) struck out two over 1.1 perfect innings to earn the win Saturday over the Astros.

Collin Snider surrendered a game-tying home run to Jose Altuve, but McArthur was able to prevent the Astros from pulling ahead in the seventh inning. The Royals gained the lead in their half of the frame, and McArthur wound up with his first big-league win. While he's had a couple of rough outings this year, the right-hander has allowed just one hit while striking out seven over 8.2 scoreless innings since he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha when rosters expanded at the start of September.

Alexander (7-3) allowed two unearned runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Rockies.

It wasn't a great first inning for the Giants overall, and their offense never caught up, leaving Alexander to take his first loss since Aug. 8. The southpaw hasn't strung together more than two scoreless appearances in a row since July, pitching to a rough 7.36 ERA and 2.05 WHIP over his last 14.2 innings. He's at a 4.47 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 29:11 K:BB through 46.1 innings overall, and he's added a save, eight holds and two blown saves this season.

Walker (4-3) allowed three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Rockies.

Walker worked in the fifth inning, but he made a mess of things, and the Rockies led the rest of the way. He hadn't given up multiple runs in an appearance since July 24, though he's typically worked short assignments lately when coming out of the bullpen. The right-hander has maintained a 2.59 ERA this year despite a 1.37 WHIP, and he's added a 69:21 K:BB with a save and two holds over 55.2 innings.

Bautista (elbow) threw a bullpen session Sunday in Baltimore, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

It was his first mound workout since he was diagnosed three weeks ago with a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow. Bautista appeared to be using his entire arsenal, per Ruiz, which is another encouraging development as the 28-year-old aims to return to the Orioles' active roster prior to the end of the regular season. Yennier Cano has been filling in as the O's primary closer.

Phillips (2-4) blew a save but earned the win over Seattle on Saturday, allowing an unearned run on two hits and one walk over one inning.

The game was scoreless after nine innings before Los Angeles put up a run in the top of the 10th. Phillips entered in the bottom of the frame looking for a challenging save and retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a two-out single to Mike Ford that scored the tying run. Phillips then surrendered a double and issued an intentional walk to load the bases, but he escaped the jam by getting Teoscar Hernandez to ground out, and Phillips earned the win as a result of the Dodgers plating five runs in the top of the 11th. The blown save was hardly a meltdown considering the circumstances, but it was still Phillips' first since July 4. He's been excellent since then, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 20:3 K:BB over 21.2 frames while picking up 11 saves.