MLB Player News

Bard (forearm) threw a bullpen session Sept. 5, MLB.com reports.

Bard landed on the injured list Sept. 3, but he felt well enough to throw only a few days later. He is hoping to return in time to make three or four more appearances this season, though the team has yet to provide a clear timeline for his potential activation.

Pressly earned a save against the Padres on Saturday, allowing a hit and issuing a walk while striking out three batters in one inning.

Pressly got the ball in the ninth inning with the Astros up two runs. The Padres sandwiched a walk and a single around a Fernando Tatis strikeout to put the tying run on base, but Pressly rebounded by striking out Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts to escape the danger. The veteran closer thus earned his 30th save of the season, marking the second time in his career that he's reached that mark. Pressly tallied a career-best 33 saves last season.

Adam (oblique) is hoping to return from the injured list following the team's current road trip, MLB.com reports.

Adam has been sidelined since Aug. 29 and is eligible to return as soon as Sept. 14. While he may not be ready to be activated when first eligible, the team is hoping to get him back in time for a pivotal intra-division series with the Orioles beginning on the 19th. While the target date has been set, it's unclear what steps Adam has taken toward a potential return.

Newcomb allowed one hit over four scoreless innings in a no-decision against Texas on Saturday. He walked two batters and struck out five.

Newcomb hadn't pitched more than 2.1 frames in any of his five appearances coming into Saturday, so his workload was kept under control despite his effectiveness. The left-hander ended up tossing 62 pitches (41 for strikes) before turning the contest over Kyle Muller. Newcomb appears to be getting a look in Oakland's rotation, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, so he'll likely continue to build up his pitch count moving forward. He's been outstanding since getting called up from the minors Aug. 23, allowing just one run on three hits while posting a 15:6 K:BB over 12 innings.

Chapman earned a save against the Athletics on Saturday, walking two batters and striking out one in a scoreless inning.

With the Rangers having lost seven of eight games and needing a win as they battle for a playoff spot, manager Bruce Bochy deployed both of his co-closers late in a close contest. Will Smith got the final out of the seventh and followed with a scoreless eighth, while Chapman was called upon to close things out in the ninth. The latter made things stressful for Texas fans with a pair of walks but was able to navigate past those to pick up the save. Though they've come 10 days apart, Chapman has picked up the past two saves for the Rangers. However, he hasn't exactly been sharp of late, giving up seven runs (five earned) and posting an 11:9 K:BB over his past 7.2 frames.

Lange tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the save in Saturday's 3-1 win over the White Sox. He struck out two.

Lange has had a few hiccups here and there this season, though he now has 22 saves in 26 chances to go along with a decent 3.63 ERA. The righty has been scored upon only once in his last 12 appearances, and he has a 2.25 ERA during the stretch. Lange should remain locked in as Detroit's closer during the final weeks of the year.

Helsley earned a save against the Reds on Saturday, walking one batter and notching one strikeout over one scoreless inning.

Helsley entered with a one-run lead in the ninth inning and walked the first batter he faced but quickly rebounded to induce a double-play groundout. He then worked a full count to Will Benson before ending the contest with a punchout. This was Helsley's first save opportunity since he returned from an extended stay on the injured list Sept. 1. The right-hander has been excellent since being activated, posting a 6:2 K:BB while allowing just one hit over four scoreless frames.

Thompson (5-5) earned the win over Cincinnati on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six batters over five innings.

Thompson looked like he could be in for a short start when the Reds tallied three runs on four hits in the second frame, but the southpaw recovered and didn't allow any additional damage the rest of the way. He needed 98 pitches to get through five innings, going just deep enough to earn his third win across his past four starts. Thompson has been decent during that stretch, posting a 4.29 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over 21 frames. He's tentatively slated to face the Phillies at home in his next start.

Fujinami (7-8) struck out one without putting a runner on base over 1.2 innings to earn the win Saturday over the Red Sox.

Fujinami inherited a pair of runners in the fifth inning and saw them pull off a double steal to both get into scoring position, but he nullified the threat. He then pitched a tidy sixth inning and was ultimately awarded the win in a 13-12 Baltimore victory. With 4.2 scoreless innings and six strikeouts over four outings in September, it appears the Orioles are starting to get the best out of Fujinami. He still has a 7.15 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 79:39 K:BB through 73 innings this year, but he's been much more effective as a reliever with Baltimore than he was in any role with Oakland to begin the campaign.

Alcala (forearm) began a rehab assignment with Low-A Fort Myers on Saturday, broadcaster John Vittas reports.

Alcala struck out a pair in a clean inning and averaged 97.5 mph with his fastball. It was the first game appearance for the 28-year-old since he was diagnosed with a radial stress fracture of his right forearm back in mid-May. Alcala is aiming to rejoin the Twins' bullpen later this month.