MLB Player News

Vest tossed two scoreless innings of relief with four strikeouts in Saturday's loss to the Orioles.

Vest was recalled from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day and immediately looked comfortable in the MLB bullpen. The righty posted a 4.00 ERA with a 63:22 K:BB over 63 innings last season for the Tigers, so it was a bit of a surprise that he didn't make the Opening Day roster despite some struggles in spring training. He could stick around now, however, with Detroit lacking in established bullpen options.

Tate (forearm) said Sunday that he'll need to make 5-to-6 minor-league rehab appearances before he's able to return from the 15-day injured list, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Tate is set to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Single-A Aberdeen. In addition to making five or six appearances before being activated, Tate added that he'll need to pitch on consecutive days for the Orioles to feel comfortable about his availability out of the big-league bullpen. He should have a chance to return from the IL in early May if he experiences no setbacks in his recovery from a right flexor strain.

Sborz allowed one run on one hit and struck out four over two innings in Saturday's 18-3 win over the Athletics.

He was also part of a rarity, getting an at-bat against a position player -- he struck out looking against Oakland third baseman Jace Peterson. If it's a blowout, Sborz is likely to make an appearance. He entered Saturday with Texas leading by 14. Since coming off the injured list April 14, the right-hander has made four appearances, all in mop-up situations with the Rangers winning or losing by a significant margin.

The Phillies recalled Marte from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday.

Marte will provide the Phillies with a fresh arm out of the bullpen for Sunday's series finale with the Rockies while Cristopher Sanchez returns to Lehigh Valley after making a spot start for Philadelphia in Saturday's 4-3 loss. Over 41 career appearances in the big leagues, the 28-year-old Marte owns a 6.43 ERA and 1.59 WHIP across 49 frames.

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

After starter Kenta Maeda lasted just two innings in Friday's 3-2 loss to Washington in the series opener while battling an ankle injury, the Twins summoned Woods Richardson from Triple-A on Saturday to give a fresh arm to an overtaxed bullpen. The 22-year-old right-hander ended up serving as an innings eater in relief in the Twins' 10-4 loss Saturday, covering 4.2 frames and striking out five but giving up five earned runs on seven hits and three walks. Woods Richardson will head back to St. Paul a day later with the Twins needing to open up a roster spot for Sunday's starter, Bailey Ober, who was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Nelson allowed one hit and struck out two over one scoreless inning in Saturday's 5-3 loss to San Diego.

Nelson was charged with a blown save, but he was presented with the challenge of getting out of starter Merrill Kelly's none-out, bases loaded jam in the sixth inning. After the first two batters he faced struck out, Ha-Seong Kim's single on a ball hit with a .170 XBA found its way to the outfield to plate two runs. Nelson has pitched well out of the bullpen and earned the high-leverage chance. Even when the left-hander was tagged with Thursday's loss, it was due to two unearned runs thanks to a Nick Ahmed error. Nelson has a 0.93 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and three walks over 9.2 innings.

Puk walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his fourth save of the season in the second game of a doubleheader sweep of the Guardians.

After the Marlins took the matinee 6-1. The nightcap proved to be a tighter affair, but Puk was able to preserve a 3-2 victory. Since being scored upon in his Miami debut, the southpaw reliever has reeled off seven straight appearances without allowing an earned run to lock down the closer role, and on the season Puk sports a 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 9:2 K:BB through nine innings.

Smeltzer didn't factor into the decision in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over four innings in a 6-1 win. He struck out three.

Making his first start of the season after a couple relief appearances, the former Twin gave the Marlins a solid outing but wasn't able to qualify for the win, exiting after 65 pitches (42 strikes). It was an impressive turnaround for Smeltzer, who served up four homers in his first five innings this year, and with the Miami rotation in tatters right now due to a rash of biceps injuries to Trevor Rogers, Johnny Cueto and Sandy Alcantara, the 27-year-old southpaw could get stretched out further to handle more than just a spot start in a twin bill.

Fujinami (0-4) took the loss Saturday, allowing eight runs on seven hits and three walks over 2.1 innings against Texas. He struck out two.

Fujinami has gotten off to a brutal start this season, posting a 14.40 ERA and 2.07 WHIP over four appearances. The rookie has plenty of time to right the ship, but he cannot be trusted in fantasy until he strings together some quality starts. The right-hander is tentatively slated to face the Angels on the road in his next appearance.

Thompson (1-1) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Saturday versus the Mariners.

Thompson replaced Miles Mikolas with one out in the sixth inning and finished the frame. In the seventh, Thompson put two batters aboard, and Giovanny Gallegos let them both come around to score. These were the first earned runs on Thompson's line through nine appearances this season. The southpaw owns a 1.80 ERA through 10 innings, but his 1.40 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB aren't all that encouraging. He'll likely continue to serve as a middle-relief option.