MLB Player News

The Rays optioned Orze to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Orze pitched two innings over two appearances after being recalled from Triple-A on Thursday, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two batters. He'll now be sent back to the minors while Tampa Bay brings in a fresh arm in the form of Garrett Acton.

The Rays selected Acton's contract from Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Acton has spent the entire season at Durham, where he owns a 3.64 ERA and 1.11 WHIP to go with a 67:24 K:BB through 54.1 innings. He'll now join an MLB bullpen for the first time since 2023 as a replacement for Eric Orze, who was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Kirk isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles.

Kirk will receive a day to reset after going 0-for-18 with four walks and two runs scored over his last six games. Tyler Heineman will start behind the dish instead and catch for Max Scherzer.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 11-3 win over Atlanta.

The 35-year-old took Dane Dunning deep in the sixth inning, giving Altuve his 25th homer of the season -- the fourth time he's reached that milestone in his career. He's been struggling down the stretch, batting just .146 (6-for-41) so far in September, but Altuve will remain an everyday player for the Astros as they battle the Mariners down the stretch for the AL West crown.

Cole went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Friday's 11-3 win over Atlanta.

Starting in left field and batting eighth in his big-league debut, Cole became just the fifth player in Astros history to leave the yard in their first career at-bat when he deposited a Hurston Waldrep cutter over the right-field fence in the third inning for a two-run homer. Cole's presence in the lineup returned Jose Altuve to second base and Yordan Alvarez to DH, and if the rookie keeps swinging a hot bat, he could quickly become a fixture in the lineup against right-handed pitching. Prior to his promotion, Cole was slashing .347/.430/.645 over 32 games for Triple-A Sugar Land since the beginning of August with 20 of his 43 hits going for extra bases (nine doubles, five triples and six homers).

Gordon struck out three and gave up three earned runs on three hits and one walk over four relief innings Friday to record his first career save in an 11-3 rout of Atlanta.

The southpaw spoiled a combined shutout bid by four Houston hurlers as the team went with a bullpen game Friday, with Gordon serving up home runs to Ronald Acuna in the sixth inning and Eli White in the eighth to account for all of Atlanta's offensive damage on the night. After tossing 60 pitches Friday, Gordon is one of the more stretched-out options in the Houston bullpen, making him a candidate to fill the vacant fifth spot in the club's rotation. However, with Gordon having submitted a 7.92 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 25 innings with the big club since the All-Star break, the Astros may prefer to go in another direction the next time a fifth starter is needed Wednesday versus the Rangers.

Murray didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 11-3 rout of Atlanta, allowing one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out one without walking a batter.

Making just his third big-league appearance, Murray faced one batter over the minimum as the opener while tossing an efficient 32 of 40 pitches for strikes. The Astros currently have only four healthy starting pitchers and seemingly no help coming from either Triple-A or the injured list, so they could be turning to their well-stocked bullpen every fifth turn through the rotation, with Murray likely to be part of that equation. The 28-year-old righty hasn't given up a run in his first 5.1 MLB innings, and Friday's third-inning single by Marcell Ozuna was the first baserunner he'd allowed.

Eaton started in right field and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Yankees.

Eaton busted up a no-hit bid by New York pitching with a seventh-inning home run, one of two hits Boston mustered on the evening. He's been part of the crew helping to fill a void in right field, along with Nick Sogard and Rob Refsnyder. That void will eventually be filled by Wilyer Abreu (calf), who is running at 85 percent, per MLB.com. Abreu could return during next week's series against the Athletics beginning Sept. 16. Since being called up from Triple-A Worcester in August, Eaton is batting .278 with a .750 OPS, one home run, two RBI and six runs scored over 15 games.

DeGrom (12-7) picked up the win Friday, giving up three runs on four hits over seven innings in an 8-3 victory over the Mets. He struck out two without walking a batter.

The veteran righty didn't display the same kind of dominance he possessed the last time he stepped on the mound at Citi Field at the end of the 2022 season while a member of the Mets -- deGrom managed to generate only five swinging strikes on 88 pitches (59 total strikes) -- but he didn't need to as the Rangers backed his revenge game with six runs in the top of the first inning. DeGrom was still plenty effective, retiring the final 15 batters he faced in his 14th quality start of the year, and he hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last six outings, posting a 2.91 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 36:6 K:BB in 34 innings over that stretch. He lines up to make his next start on the road next week in Houston as Texas tries to stay in the AL wild-card picture.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that Seager (abdomen) was able to rotate his body, MLB.com reports.

Seager's ability to rotate his body enables the Rangers to speed up his recovery. He hopes to begin swinging a bat soon and could return during the team's final homestand beginning Sept. 19.