MLB Player News

Manoah (elbow) may not have a spot available on the big-league roster when he's completed his rehab assignment, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Trade-deadline acquisition Shane Bieber (elbow) will beat Manoah back from the IL, and once the former Guardian joins the 26-man roster, the Blue Jays will already have six qualified options for the rotation. Manoah could work as a long reliever, but he has minor-league options remaining, and the organization may prefer to have the 27-year-old right-hander finish out the year in the rotation at Triple-A, and focus on getting ready to challenge for a starting job in Toronto next spring -- Bieber holds a player option for 2026 he's likely to decline, while both Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt will be free agents this winter. In his most recent rehab start Aug. 7, Manoah built up to 64 pitches (36 strikes) for Double-A New Hampshire, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks over three innings while striking out two.

Bieber (elbow) built up to 78 pitches in a rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Andres Soto of MLB.com reports.

The veteran righty allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over 5.2 innings while striking out six, continuing a tantalizing run that has seen him post a 3.06 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and stellar 23:2 K:BB over 17.2 rehab innings since the All-Star break. The Blue Jays want Bieber to make one more rehab start before they debut their big trade-deadline acquisition, with manager John Schneider indicating his target workload will be 85 pitches. The team has yet to decide whether it will move to a six-man rotation when Bieber is activated from the IL, but Schneider seems to be against it. "You don't want to have that long of a layoff [between starts]," he said Saturday. Bieber hasn't pitched in the majors since April 2, 2024, his last outing with the Guardians before undergoing Tommy John surgery, but it appears as though he'll be ready to handle a regular workload right away once he's activated.

The Twins optioned McCusker to Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday.

McCusker's latest stint in the majors lasted just one day, and he went 1-for-3 at the plate as the team's designated hitter in Saturday's loss to the Royals. He's gone 2-for-9 with five strikeouts over six contests with the Twins in 2025.

The Angels optioned Kochanowicz to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Kochanowicz's second demotion of the season comes after he was lit up for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and two walks over three innings in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Tigers. The right-hander now holds a 3-10 record to go with a bloated 6.19 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 107.2 innings in the majors this season, so he may need to have an extended run of success at the Triple-A level before he receives another look in the Los Angeles rotation. Carson Fulmer tossed five innings of long relief behind Kochanowicz on Sunday and could be a candidate to replace the latter in the rotation the next time the Angels require a fifth starter. Victor Mederos and Sam Aldegheri have also been pitching well recently for Salt Lake and Double-A Rocket City, respectively, and could also merit consideration for the open spot in the big-league rotation.

Forret was promoted to Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Forret will make a much-deserved jump to Double-A after registering a 1.51 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with 76 strikeouts over 59.2 innings in 16 appearances, including 15 starts, with High-A Aberdeen this season. The 21-year-old will now look to continue his impressive campaign with Chesapeake.

Narvaez signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Sunday.

Narvaez will move on to his third organization of the season after stops with the White Sox and Astros. The 33-year-old catcher has seen MLB action in parts of 10 seasons but has spent the majority of the 2025 campaign at the Triple-A level, slashing .243/.372/.338 with three home runs across 180 plate appearances with Charlotte and Sugar Land. He'll report to the Rangers' top affiliate in Round Rock but could be a candidate to receive a promotion to the big leagues in September, when Texas' active roster expands to 28 players.

Montgomery went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored Sunday against the Guardians.

Montgomery was out of the lineup Saturday but returned to smack a solo home run in his first at-bat of the day Sunday. He continues to showcase a boom-or-bust approach at the plate, tallying nine home runs across his last 16 starts while also striking out multiple times on five occasions in that span. Montgomery's lack of ability to make consistent contact could ultimately catch up to him, but he's an elite source of power for the time being.

Sosa went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and three RBI on Sunday against the Guardians.

Sosa kicked off the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning, his 14th of the season. That continued a prolific power surge, as Sosa now has five homers in his last 11 starts. He's also managed to go 13-for-39 with 10 RBI and nine runs scored in that span.

Meyers (calf) has resumed sprinting, hitting and fielding, MLB.com reports.

Meyers landed on the injured list July 11 but is ramping up his activity. The team plans for him to increase the volume and intensity of his work before advancing him to live at-bats. Meyers is still projected to return in August, but his activation looks likely to come later in the month.

Walker went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Yankees.

Walker played a key role in a few of Houston's rallies Sunday, beginning with an RBI double in the third inning. The performance marked his fourth mult-hit game in his last 11 starts, during which he's gone 11-for-42 with three homers, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored.