MLB Player News

The Athletics transferred Soderstrom (hip) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Soderstrom is scheduled to undergo hip surgery Friday that will cause him to miss the rest of the season, so the A's will move him to the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man roster spot for Johnathan Rodriguez, who was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh.

The Athletics claimed Rodriguez off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The A's were running a bit thin on outfield depth on the 40-man roster after losing Tyler Soderstrom (hip) for the season, so they'll pick up Rodriguez to help solve that problem. Rodriguez has gone just 2-for-11 in the majors this season but owns a .286/.380/.410 slash line through 321 plate appearances at Triple-A.

Gimenez was removed from Thursday's game versus the Rays in the fourth inning with a right hamstring injury, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Gimenez was attempting to beat out an infield single in the top of the fourth inning when he tweaked his hamstring while running through the first-base bag. He walked off the field gingerly and did not take his position for the bottom of the frame. The Blue Jays should have more on Gimenez's status after the game, but it looked like an issue that could force a stint on the injured list. If that happens, Ernie Clement would likely take over at shortstop, with Josh Smith and/or Charles McAdoo handling second base. Gimenez went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases Thursday before exiting.

Phillips struck out three and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks across two innings of relief in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Phillies.

After a stretch of 12 consecutive appearances as a starter, Phillips shifted to a relief role for the series in Philadelphia while the Marlins opted for a bullpen day when his turn in the rotation came up. Rather than leaning more heavily on Phillips as a bulk reliever behind opener Cade Gibson, manager Clayton McCullough opted to use five different bullpen arms to record the final 20 outs. Phillips' spot in the rotation will come up again Monday versus the Red Sox, but it's not clear whether he'll reclaim a traditional starting role for that game or continue to work out of the bullpen.

Freeman (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.

Freeman has been out since mid-August with a back injury that's bothered intermittently this season. Because his absence has been brief, Freeman's rehab assignment should be a short one. He's slashed .247/.317/.314 with three home runs and six stolen bases in 79 contests for the Rockies this season.

Hill (hand) was used off the bench Monday and Wednesday during the Phillies' series versus the Marlins, going 1-for-1 with a walk and two RBI between the two games.

Hill hurt his right hand when he was hit by a pitch in Saturday's 9-1 win over the Twins, and though he hasn't been included in the lineup since, his usage off the bench on two occasions suggests that he's healthy. In addition to reaching base in both of his plate appearances during the series with Miami, Hill also played three innings in center field and one in right field.

Black struck out a batter and allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Athletics.

For a third consecutive appearance since being called up from Triple-A Omaha on Aug. 7, Black ended up covering multiple innings in relief behind starter Daniel Lynch. The two pitchers' schedules have been intertwined while Lynch has gradually been building up his pitch count after making the in-season transition from relieving to starting, but Black could soon be ready to handle a more flexible relief role. Lynch tossed four innings and 45 pitches Tuesday and could be ready to handle five or six innings when his turn in the rotation comes up again Sunday versus the Tigers.

Drohan is slated to start Sunday's game against Atlanta in the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Drohan had made 13 consecutive appearances as a starter before the Brewers made him available out of the bullpen Tuesday, when he struck out a batter and allowed one hit and two walks over two innings in a 22-0 win over the Mariners. The southpaw will slot back into Milwaukee's six-man rotation this week, but he appears to be the pitcher most at risk of losing his starting spot once the Brewers eventually condense the rotation to five as the postseason draws closer. Murphy acknowledged as much Sunday, telling McCalvy that the Brewers have discussed the possibility of shifting Drohan into a hybrid role in an effort to keep his innings in check. After missing most of the 2024 campaign while recovering from left shoulder nerve decompression surgery, Drohan covered 54 innings between two minor-league stops in the Red Sox organization in 2025. He's already up to 114 innings between Milwaukee and Triple-A Nashville this season.

Assad struck out two and allowed two hits and no walks over three scoreless innings of relief Tuesday in the Cubs' 4-3 win over the White Sox.

Though he was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Monday as the corresponding move to Edward Cabrera (finger) returning to the 15-day injured list, Assad won't end up replacing Cabrera in the rotation. After the Cubs called upon Assad to work in long relief following a short start by Kevin Gausman (hand) on Tuesday, David Peterson will end up taking over Cabrera's spot in the rotation this weekend in Seattle, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.

Vesia was charged with a blown save Wednesday against Colorado after giving up two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out two batters over one inning.

Vesia was summoned from the bullpen to begin the seventh inning with the Dodgers up 4-2. The lefty reliever couldn't protect the lead, issuing a two-out walk that was followed by a two-run Mickey Moniak homer. Vesia was excellent in the first half of the campaign, posting a 2.27 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 31.2 innings. However, he's been much less effective since the All-Star break, compiling a 5.68 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with a 13:10 K:BB across 12.2 frames spanning 15 appearances. He's likely to remain a high-leverage option for manager Dave Roberts, however, given his history of playoff success.