MLB Player News

The Orioles transferred Eflin (back) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.

Eflin is out for the season after the Orioles confirmed that he would undergo back surgery during the upcoming week, so his move to the 60-day IL is merely procedural. The veteran right-hander is expected to face a 4-to-8 month recovery from surgery, so his availability for the start of the 2026 season is in question. The 31-year-old is set to become a free agent this winter.

Vest tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Twins. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two.

Vest recorded the last out of the seventh inning and then worked the eighth against the top of Minnesota's order to earn his second hold of the season, with Kyle Finnegan covering the ninth for the save. Before Saturday, Vest had rattled off two straight saves, but Finnegan had three consecutive saves prior to that. It appears that both relievers will see ninth-inning work with Vest as the higher-leverage option, giving them each fantasy value but capping their respective ceilings. Vest still leads the Tigers with 18 saves in 23 opportunities.

The Orioles optioned Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday.

After being claimed off waivers from the Giants on Monday, Johnson appeared in four games for Baltimore and went 2-for-14 with a walk, a stolen base and three runs. He'll give up his spot to Colton Cowser (concussion), who was reinstated from the 7-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Sweeney went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Twins.

Sweeney recorded his first multi-hit performance since May 12 and set a new season high in runs scored. It's been a bit of a struggle for the second-year shortstop, as he's batting just .206 overall with a .573 OPS. Sweeney spent some time with Triple-A Toledo until a recent call-up to the majors, but he's been getting regular work at shortstop while Javier Baez has been needed in center field.

The Orioles optioned Noda to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday.

Noda joined Baltimore in early August after being claimed off waivers from the White Sox and went 2-for-13 with an RBI and a stolen base in seven games with the big club. He's headed to the minors to create room on the 26-man active roster for catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo, who was called up from Norfolk.

Torkelson went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Twins.

Torkelson has been in a nice groove lately, posting a .286/.405/.571 slash line over his last 10 games to go along with three home runs, four RBI and five runs scored. After a down year in 2024, the 25-year-old has bounced back as a key offensive performer for the Tigers this season. Torkelson is currently tied for 13th in the majors with 26 long balls this year.

The Orioles reinstated Cowser (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Sunday.

Baltimore optioned Daniel Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk to clear room for Cowser, who missed about a week and a half while recovering from a concussion. Prior to being shelved, the 25-year-old slashed .213/.279/.401 with nine home runs and six stolen bases over 215 plate appearances on the season. Cowser should immediately settle back into an everyday role in the Baltimore outfield.

Keith went 1-for-2 with two walks, a double and a run scored in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Twins.

Keith made an impact before getting lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning when the Twins turned to a lefty out of the bullpen. The Tigers are limiting Keith's exposure to southpaws -- he has only 42 at-bats in those matchups this year along with a rough .367 OPS. It's been a different story against righties, as he has an .818 OPS in 291 at-bats against opposite-handed pitching.

After appearing as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, Jones went 2-for-2 with a double, a stolen base and two RBI in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Twins.

He replaced Colt Keith when Minnesota turned to lefty Kody Funderburk, and Jones quickly made an impact on the game. While he doesn't see much run against righties, the outfielder has done well against southpaws this season, posting an .835 OPS across 70 at-bats. He remains a platoon option for the Tigers with fantasy value in the right matchups.

The Orioles selected Basallo's contract from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. He'll start at designated hitter and bat sixth in his MLB debut.

Widely regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball, Basallo will make the leap to the big leagues after slashing .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs, a 14 percent walk rate and a 23.7 percent strikeout rate over 321 plate appearances at Triple-A. Though he's mainly served as a catcher in the minors, the 21-year-old will likely see most of his playing time at either first base or designated hitter, while Adley Rutschman continues to handle the bulk of the starts behind the plate. Assuming he settles into a near-everyday role, Basallo is worth rostering in the majority of fantasy leagues for managers in need of an infusion of power.