MLB Player News

Messick is slated to make his next scheduled start Tuesday against the Rays at Progressive Field.

Messick will unsurprisingly receive a second straight turn through the Cleveland rotation after he excelled in a no-decision in his MLB debut this past Wednesday, when he limited the Diamondbacks to one run on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings while striking out six batters. The 25-year-old lefty may eventually cede his spot in the rotation to the rehabbing John Means (elbow), but Messick could make it tough for the Guardians to justify moving him to the bullpen or back to Triple-A Columbus if he comes through with another strong start Tuesday.

Finnegan (3-4) tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in Friday's 7-5 victory over the Royals. He walked one and struck out one.

Finnegan worked the seventh and eighth innings to earn the win out of the bullpen, with Will Vest covering the ninth. The former has two wins since joining Detroit at the trade deadline to go along with four saves and a hold. He's also sporting an impressive 0.00 ERA and 0.38 WHIP with 12 strikeouts across 10.2 innings with his new team. Both Finnegan and Vest are seeing ninth-inning work for the Tigers, giving both pitchers fantasy appeal but also capping their respective ceilings.

Torres went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 7-5 win over the Royals.

Occupying his familiar No. 2 spot in the lineup, Torres continued to provide a spark for the Tigers. The veteran infielder has three multi-hit performances across his last six games, and he's slashing .261/.360/.399 overall in 115 contests. The .360 on-base percentage would be a new career best for Torres, driven in part by a 13.2 percent walk rate, which is up from 10 percent in 2024 with the Yankees.

Guerrero (hamstring) isn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against Miami.

Guerrero is out of the lineup for Toronto's fourth straight game while he battles left hamstring inflammation. The star first baseman participated in pre-game warmups Friday, taking batting practice and doing sprints at about 80 percent effort, but manager John Schneider indicated that the team wants to take a cautious approach with Guerrero's return, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. "Trying to learn from past injuries of that nature, we definitely can't afford to lose him for an extended period of time, so we're being cautious, yeah, but at the same time trying to get him back to him," Schneider said of Guerrero on Friday. Meanwhile, the slugger suggested that he's not in for a long-term absence, saying, "It's going to be soon, but we've got to take it day by day." Ty France has stepped in at first base while Guerrero has been out and is starting there again while batting sixth Saturday.

Minnesota recalled Abel from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday.

Abel will be making his Twins debut Saturday with a start against the White Sox in Chicago. After being acquired from the Phillies on July 30, Abel was optioned to Triple-A and thrived in his three starts for St. Paul, delivering a 1.76 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 15.1 innings. In six starts with the Phillies prior to being dealt, Abel posted a 5.04 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 21:9 K:BB across 25 frames.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday of Refsnyder (oblique) and Wilyer Abreu (calf), "it feels like they're gonna be back with us next week," Mike Monaco of ESPN reports.

Refsnyder was able to run sprints Friday -- a good sign that his strained left oblique has improved. The veteran outfielder last played in a game Aug. 13, though he wasn't placed on the IL until Aug. 18 (retroactive to Aug. 15). It's unclear whether Refsnyder will be ready to return immediately when eligible Monday, but it sounds like his activation will be in the not-too-distant future.

Abreu (calf) did some hitting and "moved around" in the outfield Friday, and manager Alex Cora said the outfielder could be back with the Red Sox next week, Mike Monaco of ESPN reports.

Abreu exited from a game against Miami on Aug. 17 due to right calf tightness and was subsequently placed on the IL. He'll be eligible to be activated next Thursday, and it sounds like there's a possibility Abreu will return when (or shortly after) his IL stay is up. While he's been out of action, Roman Anthony has gotten most of the reps in right field.

Little struck out both batters he faced in the eighth inning Friday to record his 25th hold of the season in a win over the Marlins.

The southpaw leads the Blue Jays in holds, and Little is second in the American League in that category behind the Guardians' Hunter Gaddis (27). Little had a couple poor appearances in late July and early August, but he's otherwise been impressive in a breakout campaign, posting a 2.93 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 79:37 K:BB over 55.1 innings.

France went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Friday's win over the Marlins.

Getting the start at first base in place of Vladimir Guerrero (hamstring) and batting sixth, France rapped a two-run single in the first inning. He's started three straight games, going 3-for-10, but Guerrero could rejoin the starting nine as soon as Saturday, bumping France back into a bench role. Over 54 plate appearances since being acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, France is slashing .327/.389/.429, but he's still looking for his first homer in a Blue Jays uniform.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Judge is "close" to throwing to bases, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Judge hasn't played the outfield in a game since before he landed on the IL with a flexor strain in late July. Though the slugger has been taking part in a throwing program, it hasn't yet included throwing to bases. Judge seems to be close to advancing to that step, which would move him closer to being able to return to defensive work during games. For the time being, though, he'll likely remain New York's primary DH, which has resulted in Giancarlo Stanton getting more frequent rest days and playing right field when he is in the lineup.