MLB Player News

Alexander is slated to start Thursday's series opener in Toronto, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

When Alexander was reinstated from the 15-day injured list in mid-June, the Tigers initially used him in a relief role, but an assortment of injuries to other starting pitchers has prompted manager A.J. Hinch to move the lefty back into the bullpen. Alexander made his fourth start of the season coming out of the All-Star break and acquitted himself well last Thursday against the Blue Jays, tossing three scoreless frames and allowing one baserunner before turning the game over to the bullpen. Since he's not yet fully stretched back out, Alexander could be on a limited pitch count in his rematch Thursday with Toronto.

Kowar was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Kowar will return to the Royals just one day after being sent down to Omaha. He'll replace Angel Zerpa (knee) on the active roster after the latter was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Kowar has produced a 8.80 ERA over 15.1 innings in six appearances with Kansas City this year.

The Royals placed Zerpa on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right knee discomfort, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The transaction comes after Zerpa exited his start Tuesday against the Angels with the knee injury following four innings of one-run ball. Zerpa looked as though he would line up for a two-start week, but the knee issue will thwart those plans. Jackson Kowar was called up from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday to replace Zerpa on the active roster.

Strzelecki was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

Strzelecki has made five relief appearances for the Brewers this year, posting a 4.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in nine innings. He spent just over a month in the minors but will rejoin Milwaukee's bullpen after Ethan Small was sent down Wednesday.

Jansen retired the only two batters he faced to record his 23rd save of the season in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Phillies.

The Atlanta closer looked like he would get the night off when the team took a 6-1 lead into the ninth inning, but another implosion from Will Smith forced Jansen into action. The long-time Dodger has converted 11 of 12 save chances since the beginning of June, posting a 3.45 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and sharp 20:0 K:BB through 15.2 innings over that stretch.

Scott struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his 13th save of the season in a 2-1 win over the Reds.

The southpaw faced Cincinnati's 9-1-2 hitters and needed only 11 pitches (seven strikes) to lock down the save. Scott had stumbled through July, posting a 4.26 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 12:11 K:BB through 12.2 innings and blowing three of his nine save chances; however, he still appears to be manager Don Mattingly's top choice for the closer role.

Thompson (8-4) picked up the win in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Pirates, allowing two unearned runs on four hits over seven innings. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

The right-hander was cruising toward a potential shutout until an error by Nico Hoerner extended the seventh inning and set the stage for a two-run blast by Oneil Cruz. Thompson exited after 97 pitches (69 strikes) and had to settle for his first win, and first quality start, since June 22. On the season, the 27-year-old sports a 3.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 82:29 K:BB through 88.1 innings.

Wilson (1-6) took the loss Tuesday, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk over six innings as the Pirates were downed 4-2 by the Cubs. He struck out two.

The quality start was Wilson's third in four trips to the mound in July, but he's collected a win in only one of them thanks to a lack of run support. The right-hander has a 3.27 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over that stretch with a 13:2 K:BB through 22 innings, a massive improvement on the 8.29 ERA and 1.84 WHIP he carried into the month.

Boxberger tossed a scoreless seventh inning in Tuesday's victory over the Twins.

Boxberger allowed a hit and issued a walk, but he also struck out two batters and escaped the jam unscathed. Boxberger has struggled a bit of late, allowing five earned runs (7.11 ERA) and posting a 2.37 WHIP in 6.1 innings over his last seven appearances, but he remains the top option ahead of setup man Devin Williams and closer Josh Hader.

Poche (2-1) allowed three earned runs on three hits and a walk while recording just one out in the eighth inning to take the loss Tuesday against the Orioles.

Poche entered the game with a one-run lead but surrendered a two-run home run to the second batter he faced to blow the lead. He subsequently allowed a walk and a double prior to being pulled. Poche has served up four long balls across his last 12 appearances, resulting in a 6.75 ERA in that span. He's still likely to remain in the mix for saves in Tampa Bay, but Brooks Raley and Jason Adam have also recently entered games in save situations.