MLB Player News

Criswell is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Shawn Armstrong in Wednesday's game against the Twins, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Armstrong is unlikely to work more than once through the order before turning the game over to the bullpen, with Criswell being the primary candidate to cover multiple innings behind him. Criswell has yet to make a start for the Rays this season but has covered at least 2.1 innings in each of his five appearances with the big club, pitching to a 6.11 ERA and 1.64 WHIP.

Armstrong will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Twins, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After being on the shelf all season with a neck issue, Armstrong was activated from the 60-day injured list last weekend and tossed two scoreless frames out of the bullpen in his 2023 MLB debut Sunday in Boston. The Rays may allow Armstrong to work into the third inning while he serves as an opener Wednesday, but right-hander Cooper Criswell is the top candidate to operate as a bulk reliever behind Armstrong and is thus the likelier of the two pitchers to qualify for a win.

Pagan allowed a hit while striking out two over two scoreless innings Tuesday against the Rays.

Pagan has now put together 8.2 consecutive scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out eight in that span. His ERA is down to 3.76 with a 1.14 WHIP and 25:8 K:BB through 26.1 innings this season. The 32-year-old Pagan was moved out of a high-leverage role after a shaky start to the season, but he looks to be working his way back up the Twins' bullpen hierarchy.

Snead (shoulder) allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning for the Athletics' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate Tuesday.

Snead had a rough time kicking off his rehab assignment despite the caliber of competition, drawing the start but facing only four batters before getting the hook. The left-hander's outing Tuesday will likely be one of many across multiple minor-league affiliates before he's back on the big-league roster.

Ferguson (3-1) took a blown save and a loss Tuesday against the Reds, allowing three runs on one hit and three walks while getting through just a third of an inning.

Ferguson was called upon to protect a two-run lead in the ninth after Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips worked the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Ferguson quickly got himself into some major trouble, allowing a single, walking three and hitting a batter before being replaced by Shelby Miller with the game tied up. Miller tossed two pitches and the Reds walked it off with a hit from Matt McLain. Ferguson has now given up six runs over his last three innings pitched. Prior to May 27, he had given up just two runs all year over 18.1 innings. He is still the team's top left-handed pitching option but may have lost his chance at a ninth-inning role for the near future.

Iglesias struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his eighth save of the season in a 6-4 win over the Mets.

The right-hander has gone 10 straight appearances without allowing an earned run, but Iglesias' 8:5 K:BB through 9.1 innings over that stretch highlights his lack of dominance since making his belated season debut in early May. His 2.84 ERA and 1.11 WHIP are solid, but he's lost two mph on his four-seam fastball over the last couple years, seeing it decline from 96.3 mph in 2021 to 94.3 mph in 2023.

Jansen struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his 13th save of the season in a 5-4 win over the Guardians.

After working both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, Jansen was able to get a couple days off before his next appearance and looked refreshed, topping out at 96.7 mph with his cutter while firing nine of 13 pitches for strikes. The veteran closer has been scored upon only once in his last seven games, but his 25.8 percent strikeout rate and 13.5 percent walk rate on the season would be the worst marks of his career if they don't improve.

Munoz (shoulder) struck out two in a perfect inning, earning a hold in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Padres.

Munoz missed the better part of two months with a shoulder strain. He looked great in his return with a fastball that touched just over 100 mph and four whiffs on 16 pitches. Munoz has given up four hits and a walk while striking out five over 4.1 innings this season, and his usage Tuesday suggests he could immediately resume a high-leverage role. For now, Paul Sewald is the Mariners' preferred closer, but Munoz certainly has the stuff to potentially eke out his fair share of save chances.

Sewald allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Padres.

Sewald has walked a batter in three straight outings, but he hasn't been charged with a run over his last 5.2 innings. Tuesday's outing was far from efficient, but he was able to convert his 12th save in 13 tries this season. The 33-year-old now has a 2.84 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 35:8 K:BB through 25.1 innings. With Andres Munoz back from a shoulder injury, Sewald will need to continue pitching well to maintain his place as the Mariners' primary closer. Even then, it's possible this could become a two-man committee over the summer.

Estevez allowed two hits and struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Cubs.

Estevez worked around some traffic on the basepaths to pick up his 15th save in as many chances this year. He's now tied for second in the majors in saves after essentially being a question mark for the closer role entering the year. The 30-year-old has an excellent 1.37 ERA with a 1.14 WHIP and 34:11 K:BB through 26.1 innings, strong work that's allowed him to solidify his place in the Angels' bullpen hierarchy. Estevez has been scored on just twice in 13 appearances since the start of May.