MLB Player News

Varland is expected to be used in a traditional relief role down the stretch, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

It had previously seemed as though the Twins were considering a quasi six-man rotation with Varland included as a bulk reliever, but he pitched his way out of that conversation in a hurry. Varland gave up eight runs on five hits and a walk over 2.1 innings against the Rays on Wednesday, bringing his ERA to 7.62 through 39 innings with the major-league team this season.

Blanco will be available out of the bullpen for this weekend's series against the Diamondbacks, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Manager Joe Espada confirmed, however, that the Astros will be returning to a six-man rotation following Monday's team off day, which means Blanco will be back in the rotation next weekend in Anaheim. Chances are, the right-hander will return to the bullpen for the postseason, but with Houston not having another day off after Monday until Sept. 26, Blanco could perhaps make two more starts before the end of the campaign. He's already thrown a career-high 148.1 innings in 2024.

Hill was designated for assignment Friday, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

Hill had a 4.91 ERA, five strikeouts and three walks in 3.2 innings over four appearances for Boston. It's possible this is the last we see of the 44-year-old lefty in the majors.

Maeda struck out one over 1.2 perfect innings out of the bullpen in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Padres.

Maeda hasn't made a start since July 9, but he's essentially maintained a rotation spot over the past two months while frequently operating as a bulk reliever. However, the right-hander was deployed in middle relief Thursday, with starter Casey Mize working five-plus innings before Maeda entered the game with one out and a runner on first base in the bottom the sixth inning. With Mize back in action following a recent stint on the 60-day injured list and with Brant Hurter and Ty Madden looking to have secured back-end spots in the Detroit rotation, Maeda appears poised to be used as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen.

Cole (calf) is listed as the Yankees' scheduled starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Cole departed his most recent start Monday against the Rangers with a right calf cramp, but the Yankees' ace looks like he'll be ready to take the hill on five days' rest. Even though the calf cramp knocked him out of the game after six innings, Cole still came away with his third win in his last four starts. Since the beginning of August, Cole has delivered a 1.85 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 40:11 K:BB across 34 innings.

Dana is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Rangers in Arlington.

Dana is likely to stick around with the Angels in September as part of a six-man rotation, and a strong finish to the season would position the 20-year-old to begin the 2025 campaign as a member of the Opening Day rotation. The young righty produced a quality start in his MLB debut this past Sunday, covering six innings en route to claiming a win against Seattle. He struck out four and gave up two earned runs on two hits and four walks.

Marsh is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Twins in Kansas City.

He'll be making his second straight turn through the rotation as a replacement for Michael Lorenzen (hamstring), who was placed on the injured list Aug. 28. Through 22 appearances (21 starts) for the Royals this season, Marsh has gone 7-8 with a 4.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 100:34 K:BB in 111 innings.

Leiter is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Angels in Arlington.

Though he could end up being squeezed out of the rotation once both Jacob deGrom (elbow) and Max Scherzer (shoulder) return from the injured list, Leiter will retain a starting role for now. The rookie had been pitching well at Triple-A Round Rock since the All-Star break, but he's yet to find much success through his first five big-league outings. He'll carry an 11.78 ERA and 2.13 WHIP into Saturday's start.

Aldegheri is scheduled to start Friday's game against the Rangers in Arlington.

The rookie will receive a second turn through the rotation after he served up seven runs -- but only two earned -- in five innings while taking a loss in his MLB debut this past Friday versus Seattle. Prior to his promotion to the majors, Aldegheri posted pedestrian numbers over his five starts at Double-A Rocket City (5.19 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 25:9 K:BB in 17.1 innings). The 22-year-old southpaw doesn't profile as much more than a streaming option for strikeouts.

Mize did not factor into the decision in a win over the Padres on Thursday, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk over 5.1 innings while striking out two.

Mize got off to a rough start, allowing the leadoff man to reach in each of the first two innings while also surrendering two home runs over that span. However, he would finish strong before being relieved by Kenta Maeda with one out in the sixth. Mize has allowed three runs in each of his first two starts since returning from the injured list, though he's managed to get through at least five frames in each of those outings while posting a combined 6:2 K:BB. He'll look to secure his third win of the season next week when the Tigers host Colorado.