MLB Player News

The Yankees reinstated Hamilton (lat) from the 60-day injured list Saturday.

A right lat strain has kept Hamilton sidelined since mid-June, but he'll now return to New York's bullpen after throwing four scoreless innings during a rehab assignment, striking out six batters and walking none. The 29-year-old righty posted a 4.55 ERA and 1.58 WHIP across 29.2 big-league frames before getting injured and will likely be used in middle relief as he adjusts to facing major-league hitters again. With Clarke Schmidt (lat) also returning from the 60-day IL, both Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi were DFA'd in corresponding moves.

The Yankees reinstated Schmidt (lat) from the 60-day injured list Saturday.

After being held out since May due to a strained right lat, Schmidt will now return to the Yankees' rotation and start Saturday's game against the Cubs. The 28-year-old righty made three rehab games in the minors, allowing three earned runs and posting an 18:2 K:BB through 11.1 innings. He was only able to get up to 70 pitches during his most recent outing, however, so there's a good chance he makes a relatively early exit during his first start back in the majors. Ian Hamilton (lat) will return from the 60-day IL alongside Schmidt, pushing Phil Bickford and Nick Burdi off the 40-man roster.

Taylor (biceps) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday.

Taylor recently began throwing bullpen sessions after missing the entire season due to a nerve injury in his left biceps, and he's now been given the green light to return to a game setting. He'll likely require a handful of rehab outings given the amount of time he's spent on the IL, though the Royals remain confident the 31-year-old lefty will return to their bullpen before the end of the year.

Wells went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in Friday's 3-0 win against the Cubs.

Wells returned from a two-game absence after taking a hit-by-pitch on the hand Monday. The backstop accounted for the bulk of New York's scoring Friday with a two-run single in the third inning. Now that he's back in action, Wells will likely start behind the plate most of the time when the Yankees face right-handed starters while Jose Trevino is expected to get the call against most southpaws.

Naylor (back) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Friday against the Dodgers.

He exited Tuesday's game with an acute back spasm but only missed a few days. Naylor has been locked into the four hole against righties and the five hole against lefties while slashing .245/.324/.426 with four home runs and one steal over his last 25 games.

Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 6-1 win over the Cardinals.

The center fielder impressed with his glove Friday as much as his bat and legs, but Rodriguez still extended his current hitting streak to nine games while stealing his 31st bag of the season. Since returning from an ankle injury in mid-August, the 23-year-old is slashing .256/.340/.400 over 23 contests with three homers, three stolen bases, 12 RBI and 13 runs.

Miller (11-8) picked up the win in Friday's 6-1 victory over the Cardinals, allowing three hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander fired 62 of 94 pitches for strikes and benefitted from some impressive defense behind him when St. Louis put the ball in play. The quality start was his 15th of the year, and he's given up three runs or fewer in six straight outings, posting a 1.56 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB in 34.2 innings over that stingy stretch. Miller will look to keep rolling in his next start, which is scheduled to come at home next week against the Rangers.

Massey went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-0 win over the Twins.

The second baseman took rookie Zebby Matthews deep in the fourth inning, part of Massey's first multi-hit performance since Aug. 24. That brief slump has been the exception for the 26-year-old of late -- since the beginning of August, Massey is slashing .297/.330/.473 over 28 contests with nine extra-base hits, including three of his 12 homers on the year.

Ragans (11-9) picked up the win in Friday's 5-0 victory over the Twins, allowing four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

When Ragans fanned Royce Lewis with a changeup in the third inning, it made him the first left-hander in Kansas City history to record 200 strikeouts in a season. He's only the fifth Royals pitcher to ever reach that mark, joining a group that includes Zack Greinke (2009), Kevin Appier (1996), Dennis Leonard (a franchise-record 244 Ks in 1977) and Bob Johnson (1970). The quality start was the 18th of the season for Ragans, and since the beginning of August he's posted a 3.23 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB over 39 innings. His 204 strikeouts on the year put him third in the majors behind Tarik Skubal's 208 and Chris Sale's 206. Ragans is scheduled for a tough road start against the Yankees next week, and his subsequent turn in the rotation could set him up for a dramatic showdown with Skubal in Kansas City on Sept. 17.

Matthews (1-3) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings as the Twins were downed 5-0 by the Royals. He struck out four.

While his offense gave him no support, Matthews once again left too many hittable pitches over the plate. The rookie right-hander served up his sixth homer in 22 big-league innings, a fourth-inning solo shot by Michael Massey, and while his 22:3 K:BB over that stretch demonstrates that the impeccable control he displayed in the minors remains intact, it comes with a 7.36 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. Matthews lines up to make his next start at home next week against the Angels.