MLB Player News

Morris (1-2) picked up the first win of his young major-league career Friday against the Rangers, giving up two runs (one earned) in five innings while striking out five and allowing two walks and four hits.

The Rangers scored twice in the bottom of the second inning on a Kevin Plawecki single and a Myles Straw throwing error. Three batters reached base in that inning, but Morris didn't allow more than a single baserunner in any of his other four frames. The Guardians were losing when he completed the bottom of the fifth but scored six runs in the top of the next frame while Morris was still the pitcher of record. The outing brought Morris' ERA down to 2.18 through his first five starts. He tentatively lines up to face the Rays and Royals (both at home) to end the regular season.

Williams retired the only four batters he faced while earning a save over the Reds on Friday. He struck out three.

Williams recorded one out to end the eighth inning before striking out the side in the ninth to finish off a 5-3 win. The 28-year-old righty now has 14 saves in 15 attempts this season. He's allowed one run over his last 9.2 innings, lowering his season ERA to 1.72 through 62 appearances.

Kimbrel was removed from the Dodgers' closer role Friday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

The decision comes after Kimbrel allowed at least one run in three of his last four games. That followed a stretch in which he allowed just one hit across nine scoreless appearances, but his 6:3 K:BB in those outings was far from convincing. The veteran now owns a 4.14 ERA on the season and has struck out a modest 27.2 percent of opposing batters, well below his career mark of 40.0 percent. A committee approach to the ninth inning appears to be the plan for now in Los Angeles, with Chris Martin, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol among the leading candidates.

Holton was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Friday.

He was recalled Wednesday and never got into a game before being sent back to Triple-A. Holton has a 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and six strikeouts in nine innings over 10 MLB appearances.

Hudson (knee) hopes to be ready for spring training next season, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

Hudson tore his ACL in late June, an injury which carries a lengthy recovery timeline. The veteran will avoid trying to push himself too much, and the Dodgers should be able to avoid rushing the 35-year-old given their typically strong bullpen depth, but it's still good to see that an Opening Day return remains a possibility. Hudson was having an excellent season at the time of the injury, cruising to a 2.22 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 24.1 innings while saving five games, which convinced the team to pick up his 2023 option.

Castillo is expected to start Sunday's game against the Mariners, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Castillo was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Sept. 7, and he's posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.82 WHIP in 9.1 innings over three appearances following his demotion. He tossed a scoreless inning against Iowa on Thursday, so it's not yet clear whether he'll face any restrictions during Sunday's outing.

Payamps was placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained lumbar muscle Friday.

Payamps had inconsistent results in September, posting a 5.19 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 8.2 innings over eight appearances. Although he tossed a scoreless inning Tuesday against the Mariners, he's apparently dealing with a back issue that will force him to miss the remainder of the regular season. The right-hander made a career-high 41 relief appearances between Kansas City and Oakland this year and generated a 3.23 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 55.2 innings.

Clarke (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment in the minors Monday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Barring any setbacks during his assignment, Clarke remains on track to rejoin the Royals before the end of the season. He was posting a 5.50 K/BB this season before being sidelined with a left oblique strain.

Baumann will start Saturday's game against the Astros, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The 27-year-old rejoined the Orioles on Sept. 11 and has made two appearances out of the bullpen, but he'll start Saturday with Tyler Wells (shoulder) on the injured list. Baumann covered two frames in each of those outings and is unlikely to have a full starting workload.

Holmes (7-4) earned the win over Boston on Thursday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter over two innings.

Though it wasn't a save situation, Holmes' outing Thursday was a positive step after he allowed a run in four of his previous five appearances. The right-hander preserved a 4-4 tie by keeping Boston off the scoreboard in the ninth inning and worked around the automatic runner in the 10th to again prevent a run. He was credited with the win after the Yankees walked it off in the bottom of the frame. Holmes isn't guaranteed to get all of New York's save chances moving forward with manager Aaron Boone recently indicating he may shift to a committee approach, though Holmes figures to still be in the mix in that scenario.