MLB Player News

The Mets optioned Nittoli to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.

New York will swap one right-handed reliever on to the active roster for another, exchanging Nittoli for Reed Garrett, who was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move. Garrett will give the Mets a fresh arm after Nittoli tossed two innings out of the bullpen while giving up a run in Saturday's 13-2 win over the Cardinals.

The Mets recalled Garrett from Triple-A Syracuse ahead of Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

New York sent right-hander Vinny Nittoli to Triple-A in a corresponding move to clear room for another right-hander in the bullpen in Garrett. Over 9.2 innings in the big leagues between the Orioles and Mets in 2023, Garrett has given up 13 earned runs on 15 hits and six walks.

Stewart (elbow) has been throwing off flat ground from 90 feet as of Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

Slowly but surely, Stewart is increasing his throwing distance as he works his way back from right elbow soreness. Twins head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said that Stewart could be cleared to begin throwing bullpen sessions by late August, which would keep hope alive for a September return from the 60-day injured list.

The Pirates placed Perdomo on the 15-day injured list Sunday with left elbow discomfort, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Perdomo presumably picked up the injury during his most recent relief appearance in the Pirates' 5-1 loss to Minnesota on Friday, when he was touched up for two earned runs on three hits and one walk while retiring two batters. The Pirates could send Perdomo in for additional tests on his elbow to determine if he's dealing with anything more than soreness, but the southpaw will be on the shelf for at least the next two weeks. Right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta (back) was brought back from the 15-day IL in a corresponding move.

The Pirates reinstated Moreta (back) from the 15-day injured list Sunday.

Moreta received the green light to rejoin Pittsburgh after striking out two over a scoreless inning in his lone rehab appearance Thursday with Triple-A Indianapolis. Prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 4 with lower-back soreness, Moreta had notched four wins, one save and four holds over 48.1 innings out of the Pittsburgh bullpen while pitching to a 4.10 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 63:22 K:BB. He should step back into a key setup role in front of closer David Bednar.

Ortega was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

After getting sent down to Rochester on July 26, Ortega turned in a 0.87 ERA with 15 strikeouts against two walks across 10.1 innings over his seven appearances. He'll now get the chance to fill a middle-innings role in the Minnesota bullpen after the Twins optioned the struggling Jordan Balazovic to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Twins optioned Balazovic to Triple-A Rochester on Sunday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Balazovic will head back to the minors after giving up three runs on three hits and three walks over an inning out of the bullpen in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Pirates. He's struggled with an 8.71 ERA and 7:8 K:BB ratio in 10.1 innings over his last seven appearances. Balazovic could return to the Twins in September if he can rebound with a sustained run of success at Triple-A.

Romano picked up the save in Saturday's 4-3 win over Cincinnati. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Romano was tasked with preserving a one-run lead in the ninth inning and immediately found himself in hot water, allowing the first two batters to reach on a walk and a base hit. The All-Star closer then induced a flyout, a swinging strikeout and a groundout to end the threat and earn his 30th save. Romano has successfully converted both of his save opportunities since his return from the injured list.

The Reds optioned Busenitz to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

He'll cede his spot on the 26-man active for to right-hander Hunter Greene (hip), who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Sunday versus the Blue Jays. During his four-day stint with the Reds, Busenitz tossed a scoreless inning in his lone relief appearance.

Borucki will serve as the Pirates' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Twins, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

He's expected to work in front of Osvaldo Bido, who will likely serve as a bulk reliever after he had been initially listed as the Pirates' starting pitcher for the series finale in Minnesota. The left-handed Borucki previously served as an opener for Bido on July 22 against the Angels, striking out three over 1.2 scoreless frames.