MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Casparius will probably be returning to the bullpen Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Casparius has been working either as a primary pitcher behind an opener or as a traditional starter since mid-June, but he's struggled of late, posting a 9.77 ERA with a 1.79 WHIP over his past four outings spanning 15.2 frames. He yielded six runs over three innings against the Astros on Friday, which may have been the tipping point in terms of the Dodgers' decision to move him back to the bullpen. However, that transition may have been coming regardless of Casparius' results, as the team's decimated rotation is beginning to get healthy -- Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) is expected to return next week, and Blake Snell (shoulder) is nearing a rehab assignment. Los Angeles also has Emmet Sheehan as starting pitching depth in the minors, and he could be called up to start against the Astros on Sunday.

Brooks isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Texas.

Brooks will step out of the starting nine after going 2-for-4 with a double Friday, breaking what had been an 0-for-11 skid. Luis Arraez will serve as San Diego's designated hitter Saturday while Jake Cronenworth starts at first base and Jose Iglesias gets the starting nod at second.

Bogaerts (hamstring) will start at shortstop and bat fifth Saturday against the Rangers.

Bogaerts suffered a hamstring injury toward the end of Friday's contest, but it won't be enough to prevent him from playing Saturday. The 32-year-old infielder has been heating up at the plate recently, going 9-for-23 (.391) with a homer and three runs scored over his last six games.

Hoskins was removed from Saturday's game against the Marlins due to left thumb discomfort, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Hoskins suffered the injury while tagging out Eric Wagaman in the fourth inning. He remained in for the rest of the frame but was replaced by Jake Bauers at first base to start the fifth. The Brewers should provide more details regarding the severity of Hoskins' injury relatively soon, but the slugging first baseman can be considered day-to-day for now.

The Dodgers recalled Little from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Little gave up two runs in two innings during his lone MLB outing this year, but he owns a 3.60 ERA and 1.37 WHIP through 35 innings in the minors. He'll work in middle relief for Los Angeles and take the place of Noah Davis on the active roster.

The Dodgers optioned Davis to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Davis was shelled for 10 runs in 1.1 innings during Friday's 18-1 loss against Houston. Now sporting a 19.50 ERA in the majors, he'll head back to the minors in favor of Jack Little.

King (shoulder) isn't yet throwing off a mound, but he's pain-free and has been able to increase the intensity and distance of his throws, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

King has been out since mid-May due to a pinched thoracic nerve in his right shoulder, and he was initially unable to throw a baseball at all. The fact that he's now playing catch suggests considerable progress, though a timeframe for his return to game action probably won't be established until King is able to throw off a mound again. Manager Mike Shildt said that the Padres are "as optimistic as [they've] been" about King's status but also indicated that the team is guarding the optimism," so it appears the right-handed hurler still has several boxes to check before he's ready for a potential rehab assignment.

Bergert (forearm) is expected to throw 50-to-60 pitches in a rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Bergert was hit by a comebacker during a game June 24 and was subsequently placed on the IL with a bruised forearm. X-rays came back negative, and the right-hander was able to throw a bullpen session July 4, so he appears to have escaped a serious injury. If Bergert's outing with El Paso goes well, he could be activated when first eligible July 10 or shortly thereafter.

Black threw four relief innings in Friday's 11-2 loss to the Athletics, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits -- including two home runs -- while striking out five.

Black made his season debut after being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. The right-hander entered the game in the fourth and allowed just one hit through his first two innings. However, things unraveled for the 25-year-old in the next two frames, as the Athletics extended their lead to 11-0 by the end of the seventh. Before joining the big-league club, Black made 14 starts in 15 appearances for Sacramento, posting a 4.75 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 70:42 K:BB across 72 innings.

Smith went 1-for-1 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 11-2 loss to the Athletics.

The first baseman entered the game for Wilmer Flores in the eighth inning. Smith then hit a double to center field in the ninth before coming around to score the Giants' final run. The 30-year-old has appeared in five straight games, slashing .214/.214/.357 with two doubles and two runs scored across 14 plate appearances during that span.