MLB Player News

The Rays reinstated Eflin (back) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday versus the Marlins in Miami.

Tampa Bay optioned right-hander Justin Sterner to Triple-A Durham to clear the way for Eflin's return to the 26-man active roster. Eflin missed just over the minimum 15 days while recovering from lower-back inflammation, and the Rays signed off on him returning from the IL without a rehab assignment after he completed a 40-pitch, two-inning simulated bullpen session Sunday. According to MLB.com, manager Kevin Cash suggested that Eflin could face some limitations with his workload Wednesday, but the Rays will wait and see how the right-hander fares as the game unfolds before making any decisions on whether to cut his start short.

Tucker (shin) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Cardinals, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Tucker exited Monday's 7-4 win over St. Louis after fouling a ball off his right shin and has now missed two straight starts. The Astros are off Thursday, so Tucker could have a shot to return to the lineup Friday, when the club takes on the Angels. Trey Cabbage will cover right field Wednesday.

Torres went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Twins.

He took Bailey Ober deep in the second inning to get the Yankees on the board, giving Torres his fifth long ball of the year. The second baseman has hit safely in five straight games and 10 of the last 11 as he shows signs of emerging from his season-long slump -- over that 11-game stretch he's slashing .297/.372/.514 with two doubles and two homers.

Gil (8-1) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory over the Twins. He struck out six.

The 26-year-old didn't miss a beat after being named the American League Rookie and Pitcher of the Month for May. Gil extended his quality-start streak to seven with the performance, and he's won all seven of those outings with an eye-popping 0.60 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 50:15 K:BB through 44.2 innings. He'll look to keep rolling in his next start, which is scheduled to be a marquee matchup against the Dodgers in Yankee Stadium this weekend.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow confirmed that O'Neill (knee) will be activated from the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

O'Neill was hitless in a rehab game with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, but more importantly, he came out of the contest with no concerns about his right knee, clearing the way for his return from the IL. The 28-year-old spent the minimum 10 days on the IL.

Saucedo earned the save in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Athletics after coming in to get the final out of the game. He did walk a batter before ending things.

Saucedo was called upon to get the final out of the game after Andres Munoz was forced to depart with a lower-back injury that flared up after a collision at home plate. He was tasked with stranding a runner at second and walked JJ Bleday before handling a Brent Rooker ground ball to end the game. It was Saucedo's second save of the year, though he also has two blown saves to his name as well. The 31-year-old owns a 3.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB in 15 innings.

Estevez picked up the save in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Padres while pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Estevez needed just nine pitches to retire the side for his second save in as many days. He has not allowed a baserunner in any of his last three appearances and becomes the 16th pitcher to reach double-digit saves this year. The 31-year-old now owns a 4.26 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB in 19 innings this year.

The Astros announced that Urquidy will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday on his right elbow, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Houston didn't provide any specifics on the nature of the surgery, but more details should come out once the procedure is completed. Urquidy previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 during his time in the minor leagues, so he could instead be getting an internal brace procedure, which would likely shorten his recovery timeline while perhaps increasing the longevity of his career. In any case, Urquidy is being shut down for the rest of the season, and his availability for the start of the 2025 campaign could also be affected regardless of what type of surgery he gets. Urquidy opened the season on the Astros' injured list with a right forearm strain and made three rehab starts before suffering a setback.

Sandoval did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's win over the Padres, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven over six innings.

Sandoval put together his second straight quality start but once again was left with nothing to show for it in the win column, as the Angels didn't take a lead until the bottom of the seventh. The lefty struck out the side in the second and retired nine straight at one point before Jurickson Profar banged out a base hit off him with two outs in the sixth. Sandoval has now recorded seven strikeouts in consecutive outings, something he only did three times over his first 11 starts of the year. He'll carry a 5.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 71:28 K:BB (66.2 innings) into his next start, which projects to come against the Astros this weekend.

Kirby (5-5) got the win over the Athletics on Tuesday, recording nine strikeouts while allowing two earned runs on six hits and a walk over five-plus innings.

The right-hander had his swing-and-miss stuff in prime form for the second consecutive start, one-upping his eight-strikeout tally against the Astros last Wednesday. The two runs on Kirby's ledger came about through relatively innocuous means, with Abraham Toro getting to him with an RBI single in the third and Austin Voth conceding an RBI groundout to inherited runner Shea Langeliers upon entering for Kirby in the sixth. Kirby's last two strikeout-heavy outings have come on the heels of back-to-back starts where he gave up five runs apiece to the Nationals and Orioles, giving him some momentum heading into a projected tussle with the improved Royals at home on Sunday.