MLB Player News
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Chayce McDermott RP | LAD
Orioles' Chayce McDermott: Likely to make MLB debut Wednesday
McDermott is likely to be called up from Triple-A Norfolk make his major-league debut Wednesday in Miami, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
McDermott was added to the taxi squad Tuesday, and the Orioles have since announced that Corbin Burnes will start Thursday, filling one of the two open spots in the rotation for the series in Miami. The Orioles still have an opening for Wednesday, and McDermott is fully expected to fill the void. The 25-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.96 ERA and 129:54 K:BB over 91 innings this season with Norfolk.
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Doug Nikhazy RP | CHC
Guardians' Doug Nikhazy: Faring well at Triple-A
Nikhazy has a 0.86 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 21 innings across four starts for Triple-A Columbus.
A second-round selection in 2021, Nikhazy has outperformed his scouting report this season. The 24-year-old lefty doesn't have an overpowering fastball (sits in the low-90s), but he has multiple above-average-to-plus secondary offerings, and his fastball has good movement. His walk rates at Double-A and Triple-A have been just north of 10 percent, which is a big improvement for him, as he had a 15.4 percent walk rate at Double-A last year. Nikhazy's 54.3 percent groundball rate at Triple-A is another mark in his favor. He could be an option to join the big-league rotation this summer.
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Ben Kudrna SP | KC
Royals' Ben Kudrna: Moving up to Double-A
Kudrna was promoted from High-A Quad Cities to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday.
Kudrna gets the call to Double-A just over a year after his move to High-A. This year, he posted a 3.49 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 71:32 K:BB over 69.2 innings for Quad Cities while starting all 14 of his appearances. He has clear strikeout upside, but he'll need to work on his walk rate -- he had a 4.2 BB/9 this season and will likely be challenged in that regard by moving up a level.
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Tyler Alexander RP | TEX
Rays' Tyler Alexander: Officially called up
The Rays recalled Alexander from Triple-A Durham, and he's expected to serve as a bulk reliever Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.
Shawn Armstrong will open Tuesday's contest for Tampa Bay, and Alexander is likely to follow as the primary pitcher. The left-hander has struggled in a swingman role this season and has a 6.19 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 48:13 K:BB across 56.2 innings.
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Reese Olson SP | DET
Tigers' Reese Olson: Avoids serious shoulder injury
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday that Olson's right shoulder injury is considered mild after the pitcher underwent further testing, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Olson was removed early in his start Saturday against the Blue Jays and was subsequently placed on the 15-day injured list with what was referred to as a right shoulder strain. The good news is that Olson appears to have avoided structural damage, though a timetable for his return remains unclear.
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Chayce McDermott RP | LAD
Orioles' Chayce McDermott: Joins taxi squad, could get call-up
The Orioles added McDermott to their taxi squad Tuesday, signaling that he could soon be formally called up from Triple-A Norfolk, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Baltimore currently has a vacancy in its rotation after sending Cade Povich down to Norfolk prior to the All-Star break, and McDermott would appear to be in line to fill the void Wednesday in Miami for what would be his major-league debut. The right-hander has collected a 3.96 ERA and 129:54 K:BB over 91 innings this season with Norfolk.
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Mike Clevinger RP | PIT
White Sox's Mike Clevinger: Pulled off rehab assignment
The White Sox returned Clevinger (elbow/neck) from his rehab assignment Monday, and he's no longer scheduled to start for Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday as originally planned, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "We'll reevaluate as we go," Grifol said of Clevinger's status.
Grifol's comments don't offer much clarity regarding why Clevinger's rehab assignment was halted, but the right-hander presumably didn't bounce back well from his latest start with Charlotte on July 14, when he struck out three and allowed one earned run over four innings. Clevinger had already stretched out to 71 pitches over the course of his four rehab starts, so if he's not dealing with a major setback and is able to resume ramping up quickly, he could still have a chance at making it back from the 15-day injured list before the end of the month or early August. Clevinger was placed on the IL on May 28 with right elbow inflammation and also had his rehab program slowed down in late June due to a stiff neck.
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Cooper Criswell RP | SEA
Red Sox's Cooper Criswell: Drawing another start Tuesday
Criswell is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field.
After being called up from Triple-A Worcester shortly before the All-Star break, Criswell covered six innings for the Red Sox in his July 12 start versus the Royals, though he took the loss after giving up five earned runs on nine hits and two walks. Criswell will get another chance Tuesday to stake a claim to a more permanent claim to a rotation spot, but he won't be a recommended streaming option while he toes the rubber in one of baseball's most hitter-friendly venues in Denver.
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Tyler Alexander RP | TEX
Rays' Tyler Alexander: Set for bulk role Tuesday
The Rays are expected to recall Alexander from Triple-A Durham prior to Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays and have him serve as a bulk reliever, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Shawn Armstrong is slated to open the game for Tampa Bay, but he's likely to be limited to one or two innings before handing the ball over to Alexander. The 30-year-old southpaw is back with the big club for the first time since late May, as he was demoted to Durham after turning in a 6.19 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 48:13 K:BB in 56.2 innings with the Rays. With Jeffrey Springs (elbow) closing in on a return from the 60-day injured list, Alexander likely won't be in line for an extended stay in the Tampa Bay rotation.
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Matthew Boyd SP | CHC
Guardians' Matthew Boyd: Shines in latest rehab start
Boyd (elbow) struck out five over four innings while giving up one earned run on four hits and no walks in his rehab start Sunday with Double-A Akron.
After covering three innings in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League in his first rehab start during the All-Star break, Boyd bypassed a couple of levels to make his second start in the Eastern League. The veteran southpaw once again impressed Sunday, needing 52 pitches (41 strikes) to get through four frames while inducing eight swinging strikes. Boyd will likely need at least two or three more rehab outings to get fully stretched out for starting duty, but he thus far seems to have had a smooth recovery from his June 2023 Tommy John surgery. Once he completes his rehab assignment and gets activated from the 15-day injured list, Boyd could fill the No. 5 spot in the Cleveland rotation, which has been a bit of a revolving door of late.