MLB Player News

Headrick recorded a hold Sunday in the second game of a doubleheader against the Dodgers by tossing two perfect innings, during which he struck out three batters.

Headrick was the third pitcher to enter for New York in a bullpen game for both clubs. The left-hander thrived during his time on the mound, recording six outs on just 22 pitches, with four of his 15 of his strikes being of the swing-and-miss variety. It was the continuation of a dominant 26-outing span for Headrick, as he's posted a 0.69 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 31:8 K:BB over 26 innings while collecting five holds and two wins during that span. Coming into the campaign, Headrick had just one hold across 32 career regular-season relief appearances, but he's moved into higher-leverage work this year with 11 holds -- second-most on the Yankees -- over 49 outings.

Crisantes has been promoted from Double-A Amarillo to Triple-A Reno, Chase Ford of MiLB Central reports.

Crisantes earned the promotion after slashing an impressive .319/.413/.548 with five home runs and a 19:29 BB:K in 35 games with Amarillo. The 21-year-old has played second base exclusively this season, which lessens his chances of a promotion later this season since that's Ketel Marte's position with the big club.

The Twins plan to re-evaluate Abel (elbow) on Sept. 1, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Abel was placed on the shelf April 20 due to right elbow inflammation and appeared to be on the cusp of a return in late June before suffering a setback and ultimately requiring arthroscopic surgery July 1. Given that he won't even be cleared to throw until he's re-evaluated and will required an extended ramp-up period, Abel appears likely to remain out until the end of the regular season Sept. 27. Even if Abel avoids any further snags when he's eventually cleared to throw and makes it back from the injured list before the end of the season, he won't have enough time to get built back up as a starter and will be ticketed for a relief role.

The Twins optioned Gray to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.

Gray had started just one of the last four games and four of the past 11 contests. He'll head to St. Paul, while Ryan Kreidler assumes the bulk of the starts at shortstop for the Twins. Gray's demotion frees up a spot on the active roster for the return of Byron Buxton (hip) from the injured list.

Raya (shoulder) struck out two and allowed two earned runs on one hit and one walk across one inning in a rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A St. Paul.

Raya appears to be tracking toward an abbreviated stay on the injured list after the Twins deactivated him July 8 due to a right shoulder impingement. He averaged 94.4 mph with his four-seam fastball Saturday, with that velocity being right on par with his season-long average. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Raya is slated to cover two innings and throw around 35 pitches in his next outing with St. Paul on Tuesday in what could be his final rehab appearance before he gets reinstated.

The Twins activated Buxton (hip) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Buxton had been shelved for nearly two weeks after aggravating a right hip injury, but he's ready to go for the start of the Twins' four-game series in Cleveland that begins Monday. He skipped a rehab assignment, as the Twins were satisfied with the work Buxton put in in recent days between his hitting and defensive drills. Tristan Gray was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul in a corresponding move.

Barco (elbow) struck out two and allowed two hits and two walks over three scoreless innings Saturday in an appearance for Triple-A Indianapolis after being reinstated from the 7-day injured list.

Barco had been on the shelf since June 20 due to left elbow inflammation but was cleared to rejoin Indianapolis after completing a 1.2-inning rehab start in the rookie-level Florida Complex League over the All-Star break. The southpaw owns a 4.54 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 48:20 K:BB in 41.2 innings across 12 appearances (six starts) for Indianapolis on the season.

Blubaugh struck out three and gave up one hit and one walk in a two-inning relief appearance in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles in 11 innings.

With no saves and just four holds this season, Blubaugh hasn't handled a high-leverage role for Houston but has found success as a multi-inning reliever. He's been especially effective over his last 15 appearances, recorded multiple strikeouts in all but one of those outings while pitching to a 2.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 25.4 K-BB% across 28.1 innings during that stretch.

Holmes (fibula) is tentatively scheduled to make his first minor-league rehab start Thursday, MLB.com reports.

Holmes had been slated to begin his rehab assignment this past Saturday with High-A Brooklyn, but as a result of rainy conditions, he instead opted for a 45-pitch bullpen session. The right-hander will look to build on that pitch count Thursday, and if all goes well, he could make his return from the 60-day injured list as soon as July 28. Holmes likely won't be stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload immediately upon his activation, but the Mets may be eager to showcase him to potential suitors ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Rodriguez (undisclosed) struck out a batter over a perfect inning Friday after being reinstated from High-A Brooklyn's 7-day injured list.

The one-inning start marked Rodriguez's debut outing for Brooklyn, after he had been stashed on the affiliate's injured list throughout the season. The 23-year-old lefty has struggled mightily to stay healthy for extended periods throughout his professional career. Since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2022, Rodriguez has logged just 16.2 total innings in affiliated ball.