MLB Player News

Luetge was designated for assignment by Atlanta on Tuesday.

Jesse Chavez (shin) is back from the 60-day injured list to fill the vacated 40-man roster spot. Luetge, 36, has surrendered 11 earned runs in 13.2 innings of relief this season at the major-league level.

Atlanta activated Chavez (shin) from the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Chavez has finally been cleared to return to major-league action following a three-month absence to heal a microfracture in his left shin. The veteran reliever was sporting a 1.55 ERA and 36:9 K:BB through 29 innings prior to the injury and tallied six strikeouts over 3.1 scoreless frames during a three-appearance rehab stint with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Bender (elbow) is expected to progress to live batting practice sessions soon, MLB.com reports.

Bender has been throwing off a mound for two months now and is almost ready to face hitters. The reliever is nearly 13 months removed from Tommy John surgery but is not expected to make it back before the end of the season.

Brazoban (hamstring/hip) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Monday, MLB.com reports.

It's the third time Brazoban has thrown from the bump since he landed on the injured list in mid-August with a left hamstring strain and left hip impingement. It would seem as though the reliever has a good chance to make it back before the end of the season, but a timeline for his activation is uncertain.

Martin picked up the save in Monday's 4-2 win over the Rangers. He allowed one hit while striking out two in a scoreless inning.

With Kenley Jansen on the COVID list, Martin was tasked with protecting a two-run lead in the ninth inning Monday. The right-hander worked around a one-out hit to earn his second save of the season, his first since June 11. While Martin is unlikely to see many save chances with Jansen due to return this week, the former has had an excellent year as a late-innings option for Boston while posting a 1.07 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and 46:8 K:BB across 50.1 innings.

Pressly (3-5) blew the save and took the loss Monday against the Orioles. He allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out three over one inning.

Tasked with protecting a two-run lead in the ninth, Pressly surrendered a pair of one-out singles before Cedric Mullins launched a three-run homer, sticking Pressly with his sixth blown save and the eventual loss. The right-hander's now given up five runs over his last two appearances after holding opponents scoreless in 11 of the previous 12 outings. Overall, Pressly has 30 saves on the year with a 3.84 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 71:13 K:BB across 61 innings.

Cano earned the save Monday, striking out his lone batter faced in an 8-7 win over the Astros.

Cionel Perez got the first two outs in the ninth before the Orioles turned to Cano. The 29-year-old right-hander would strike out Chas McCormick to close out a one-run victory and earn his seventh save of the year. It's Cano's third save since Felix Bautista (elbow) landed on the IL on Aug. 26. While Perez could continue to see high-leverage work against left-handed batters, Cano should remain Baltimore's top ninth-inning option. His ERA is down to 1.96 with a 0.97 WHIP and 59:11 K:BB across 69 innings this season.

McMillon (forearm) resumed throwing off the mound on Friday, MLB.com reports.

McMillon is progressing well from his right forearm strain and could be ready for a rehab assignment later this month. However, the Royals want to be cautious with their talented young relief arm, so it sounds like they're unlikely to activate him before the end of the season. McMillon has been out since late August.

Diaz will serve as the Tigers' opening pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

For the second time in three days, Diaz will open a game for the Tigers. After tossing a scoreless inning Sunday against the Angels before giving way to Joey Wentz, Diaz will most likely cover an inning or two Tuesday before giving way to Alex Faedo, who is available on five days' rest. Since joining the Tigers as a September call-up, Diaz has quickly emerged as one of manager A.J. Hinch's most trusted relievers. Diaz has yet to allow a run and has struck out nine while walking two over 6.2 innings.

Kowar (2-0) allowed a hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning to earn the win Monday over the Guardians.

Kowar's two wins have come over his last five appearances, in which he's posted a 5.1-inning scoreless streak with a 6:1 K:BB. The right-hander is finding a bit more success out of the bullpen in the majors, though he still has a 4.91 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 28:16 K:BB through 25.2 innings over 20 appearances this season. Kowar started just one of his 30 outings with Triple-A Omaha but pitched to a 5.96 ERA over 45.1 innings. It appears he'll mostly remain in a low-leverage role with the capability to take multiple innings for the rest of this season.