MLB Player News

Pressly (personal) was activated from the paternity list Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 33-year-old moved to the paternity list Thursday but will rejoin the Astros after spending a few days with family following the birth of his daughter. Rafael Montero, Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu each picked up a save in Seattle, but Pressly is back to reclaim the closer role ahead of Sunday's series finale.

Martin was recalled from Triple-A Reno and will start Sunday against the Nationals.

The 26-year-old was previously announced as the starter for Sunday's contest, and he's now officially been added to Arizona's active roster. Martin has come out of the bullpen in his five big-league appearances this year and has a 4.40 ERA and 14:6 K:BB across 14.1 innings, though he's worked as a starter in the minors and delivered eight shutout innings for Reno in his last start.

Nance was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right groin strain, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Nance presumably sustained the injury during Saturday's appearance against the Pirates when he allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. The 31-year-old will now be unavailable for at least the next couple weeks.

Perez (5-1) earned the win Saturday over the Yankees. He allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning.

Perez put some traffic on the basepaths, but he was able to keep the deficit at one run. The Orioles' offense then took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning and held on from there to give Perez his first win since June 1. The high-leverage lefty has a 2.16 ERA in July and owns a 1.41 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 28:13 K:BB through 32 innings overall. He's added a save and 14 holds as one of the setup men to closer Jorge Lopez.

Lopez allowed a hit and struck out one to earn the save in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Yankees.

Lopez had no trouble in protecting a three-run lead to convert his 18th save in 22 chances. He's returned to strong form lately, allowing one unearned run on four hits and two hit batsmen while striking out 10 over his last seven innings, earning five saves and a win in that span. The closer owns a 1.59 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 52:15 K:BB through 45.1 innings, and the Orioles' recent uptick in success has allowed him more opportunities to finish games.

Helsley struck out three in 1.1 perfect innings to earn the save in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Reds.

Helsley got the final out of the eighth inning and then struck out the side in the ninth. He's allowed only one unearned run in 9.2 innings in July while posting an impressive 15:2 K:BB this month. The 28-year-old continues to dominate as the Cardinals' top closer. He's up to nine saves in 12 chances with six holds, a 0.67 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 60:12 K:BB across 40.1 innings.

Jackson recorded his second save in a win over the Rangers on Saturday, firing a scoreless ninth inning during which he recorded two strikeouts.

After Sam Moll earned his 10th hold with a strong 1.1-inning performance that served as a bridge to the ninth inning, Jackson took over and disposed of the Rangers on 13 pitches to close out the win. The right-hander has the swing-and-miss stuff to seemingly thrive in high-leverage spots, posting a 12.7 K/9 across what is now an 11-appearance, 10.2-inning stretch during which he hasn't allowed an earned run.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Alexander is expected to start Thursday's contest against the Blue Jays, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Alexander will join the rotation as a replacement for Michael Pineda (triceps), who went on the 15-day injured list Sunday. The 28-year-old Alexander has produced a 4.05 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 18 strikeouts over 33.1 innings in 14 appearances, including four starts with the Tigers this season. Hinch said that the team is taking it start-by-start with Alexander for now, making it possible that the lefty only makes one turn through the rotation before returning to the bullpen.

Hoffman was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with right forearm stiffness, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hoffman presumably suffered the injury Saturday against the Cardinals when he delivered a scoreless inning. The severity of the injury remains unclear, though the 29-year-old will be eligible to be reinstated Aug. 8.

Heasley (shoulder) will start his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Heasley has been out since July 10 with right shoulder tendinitis, but he appears to be on track to return to the Royals' rotation in the next week or so. The 25-year-old has produced a 5.50 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 40 strikeouts over 52.1 innings in 11 starts this year.