MLB Player News

Castro (2-1) earned the win over San Francisco on Sunday. He struck out two over a scoreless ninth inning.

Castro worked the ninth inning in his last two appearances, picking up a save and a win. After he was lit up for three runs a week ago while pitching on a third consecutive day -- his 16th outing in 34 games -- manager Torey Lovullo tweaked bullpen rotations to keep arms fresh. Castro and Andrew Chafin remain in high-leverage roles, including important ninth-inning situations.

Pressly secured the save during Wednesday's 4-3 win over the White Sox after pitching a perfect ninth inning while striking out a batter in the process.

Pressly opened up his outing with a strikeout of Hanser Alberto and then got the next two batters to ground out. He remains a perfect 7-for-7 in save opportunities and already has four in May after he totaled just three in all of April. The 34-year-old now sits at a 3.63 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB over 17.1 innings.

Martinez (elbow) was charged with the loss in Triple-A Las Vegas' defeat at the hands of Albuquerque on Friday, allowing three earned runs on four hits across 1.2 innings. He struck out two and hit a batter.

Martinez pitched to plenty of contact for the second time in as many rehab appearances, although Friday's performance was by far the poorer of the two. Given the right-hander's struggles thus far in the minors, it's possible he's afforded a few more rehab appearances to straighten matters out before activation is considered.

The Rangers plan to select Bradford's contract from Triple-A Round Rock to have him start Monday versus Atlanta at Globe Life Field, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Dane Dunning and Nathan Eovaldi will both be pushed back a day in the Rangers' pitching schedule as the team looks to give both starters an extra day of rest after a long road trip, according to Grant. Bradford, 25, will be making his MLB debut when he gets the ball against Atlanta on Monday. A sixth-round pick in 2019, Bradford has been outstanding in the Pacific Coast League with a 0.91 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 37:13 K:BB over 39.2 innings across seven starts. The left-hander will have a tough test against the Atlanta offense, but his success in 2023 makes him a name to monitor going forward, even if Monday's outing proves to be just a spot start.

Lange worked around two walks to pitch a scoreless inning and earn the save in Sunday's win over the Mariners. He struck out two.

Lange is now 7-for-8 in save opportunities this season and has his ERA down to a sparkling 1.06. The righty has done it by missing plenty of bats, as he now has 23 strikeouts across 17 innings. Lange had 82 strikeouts in 63.1 innings last year, so it doesn't look like a fluke. With Gregory Soto now in Philadelphia, Lange is locked in as the team's most trusted end-game option, and he has the stuff to put up good numbers the rest of the way.

The Red Sox designated Brasier for assignment following Sunday's 9-1 loss to the Cardinals, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Brasier is likely being removed from the 26-man active roster and 40-man roster in order to make room for Joely Rodriguez (oblique), who is expected to return from the 15-day injured list Monday. After giving up three earned runs over 2.1 innings in Sunday's loss, Brasier now sports a 7.29 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 21 frames on the season. If Brasier isn't traded or claimed off waivers, he'll remain in the Boston organization, though he would have the right to refuse an assignment to Triple-A Worcester.

Thompson tossed two perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts in Sunday's 16-3 loss to the Twins.

Thompson was one of seven Chicago players to take the mound Sunday, and he and Brandon Hughes, who retired a single batter, were the only ones to not get scored upon. Thompson has been good in relief this season with a 2.95 ERA across 21.1 innings. With Hayden Wesneski struggling some as the team's fifth starter, Thompson could be a candidate to start at some point after making 17 starts in 2022, though he'll stick in long relief for the time being.

Rogers (0-3) took the loss Sunday versus the Diamondbacks, allowing a run on a hit and a walk over one inning.

Rogers pitched a perfect eighth inning to keep the game tied at 1-1. He stayed in for the ninth, walking Christian Walker before Lourdes Gurriel tagged him for a walkoff double. All three of Rogers' losses have come in his last six outings, a span in which he's given up five runs over 5.2 innings. The reliever has a 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 16:6 K:BB while adding a save and seven holds through 20 innings overall this season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Rodriguez (oblique) has a good chance of being activated from the 15-day injured list before Monday's game against Seattle, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Rodriguez has been on the shelf all season after suffering an oblique strain in spring training. The left-hander pitched well in his rehab assignment with a 1.69 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over five innings between Double-A Portland Triple-A Worcester. Once active, Rodriguez should be a mid-to-late-inning option for Boston.

Fairbanks (forearm) is expected to be activated from the injured list Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Fairbanks gave up a hit with two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning in a rehab outing Friday for Triple-A Durham. It looks like he'll immediately move back to the top of the Tampa Bay bullpen.