MLB Player News

Bender (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday, Paige Leckie of MLB.com reports.

It was reported earlier this month that Bender would require Tommy John surgery, and he was able to sneak in the procedure before August came to a close. Given the timing of the injury, Bender may not be ready to pitch again until sometime in 2024.

The Rangers placed Sborz on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow sprain.

Sborz is eligible to return around the middle of September, but elbow sprains typically require more extended absences. A.J. Alexy was recalled to fill Sborz's spot in the Rangers' bullpen.

The Rangers recalled Alexy from Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday.

The right-hander, who has allowed three runs across two big-league relief appearances this season, rejoins the Rangers to replace Josh Sborz (elbow) in the bullpen. Alexy has never pitched particularly well in the big leagues and figures to handle low-leverage innings for however long he's at the MLB level.

Holmes struck out one batter in a perfect inning in Monday's loss to the Angels.

Holmes was activated from the injured list early Monday, and he was brought in with a runner on first base in the seventh inning with the Yankees down by two runs. The righty reliever was sharp, throwing six of seven pitches for strikes and notching one punchout. Holmes had been struggling in a closing role prior to hitting the IL, but he could reclaim that role quickly if he shows that he's back to form.

Martin earned a save with a scoreless outing against the Marlins on Monday. He struck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning.

The game went into an extra frame, and the Dodgers scored one run in the top of the 10th inning to take the lead. Craig Kimbrel -- who pitched a perfect ninth -- was brought back out for the bottom of the 10th, but he issued two walks to load the bases with one out. Martin was then summoned from the bullpen, and he struck out Garrett Cooper and then got Jacob Stallings to foul out to slam the door. Martin recently took a few days off due to arm issue, but he appears to be recovered since he pitched both Sunday and Monday.

Devenski signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Tuesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Devenski parted ways with the Diamondbacks on Sunday, and it did not take him long to find work with a new club. Devenski had a rough go of it with Arizona the last couple years, but the Phillies will try to help him get back on track.

Atlanta claimed Chavez off waivers from the Angels on Tuesday.

Chavez will begin his fourth stint with Atlanta and his second of the season, after he was previously dealt to the Angels in the Aug. 2 deal for reliever Raisel Iglesias. As a 39-year-old right-hander on an expiring deal, Chavez didn't have much long-term appeal for the non-contending Angels, who exposed him to outright waivers over the weekend. The veteran reliever was a key contributor on Atlanta's World Series-winning club in 2021 and has been solid enough in 2022 across three stops, turning in a 3.62 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while striking out 60 batters in 54.2 innings. Chavez is likely to handle a middle-relief role as he returns to Atlanta.

The Rays recalled Yarbrough from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Tampa Bay optioned Yarbrough to Triple-A on Saturday since the team planned to get by with a four-man rotation during its five-game week, but reliever Ryan Thompson's (triceps) move to the injured list Tuesday prompted the team to bring Yarbrough back from the minors earlier than anticipated. Yarbrough is expected to work out of the bullpen for the next few days before likely slotting back into the rotation when a fifth starter is next required Sept. 6 versus the Red Sox.

The Giants released Giles on Monday.

His stint in the Giants organization lasted just one week, with Giles receiving his release after allowing one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.2 innings across his three appearances at Triple-A Sacramento. Giles will now look to move on to his third organization of the season, as he was previously cut loose by Seattle earlier this month.

Kelly allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Twins.

Kelly, who was part of a bullpen shakeup following a blowout loss Sunday, made his MLB debut Monday. The 27-year-old Kelly and Kaleb Ort were called up, while Austin Davis and Hirokazu Sawamura were DFA'd. The bullpen has been a mess all season, and general manager Chaim Bloom needs to address it during the offseason. For now, the Red Sox are hopeful Kelly, who had a 2.72 ERA for Triple-A Worcester, could become a discovery like John Schreiber, a 28-year-old with a 2.22 for Boston in 2022.