MLB Player News

Ballesteros was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Elias Schuster of SI.com reports.

Ballesteros will head to Iowa after struggling to a .128 average with one home run, seven RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base over 94 at-bats in his last 34 contests. The 22-year-old will look to hit the reset button at the Triple-A level and then get another shot with the major-league roster down the road this year.

Munoz earned the save Thursday against the Orioles, allowing two walks while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Munoz was handed a three-run lead in the ninth and made things a bit interesting. The right-hander issued walks to Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo to bring the tying run to the plate, but the right-hander ultimately closed out the victory to secure his 12th save in 17 opportunities. He's recorded consecutive scoreless appearances for the first time since May 22. Munoz now owns a 5.47 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 39:13 K:BB across 26.1 innings.

Soriano (chest) will start Friday's contest against the Athletics in Sacramento, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Soriano initially appeared on track to start Thursday's series opener, but the Angels opted to push the right-hander back an extra day to give him more time to heal up from the chest tightness and sore legs he experienced after being struck by a comebacker in his previous appearance last Saturday. Soriano has come back down to earth after a remarkable start to the season, posting a 4.74 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with 49 strikeouts over 49.1 innings in his last nine starts, though he tossed five scoreless frames his last time out against the Rays before leaving the game early.

Witt exited Thursday's contest against the Cardinals in the fourth inning due to an apparent right knee injury, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Witt torqued his right knee/leg while attempting to make a sliding stop at shortstop in the top of the fourth inning, and he ultimately exited the game before his next at-bat in the bottom of the frame. Witt will finish his night having gone 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Tyler Tolbert has replaced him in the lineup.

Baz (4-7) took the loss Thursday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out nine over seven innings.

Baz's outing got off to a rocky start as Seattle pushed across three runs in the first inning, but the right-hander was excellent from that point forward. After allowing five hits during his first trip through the Mariners' lineup, Baz didn't surrender another hit the rest of the way and retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced before exiting. The three earned runs matched the most he has allowed in a start since May 15, as he entered Thursday with a 2.05 ERA over his previous five outings. Baz now owns a 4.04 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 76:34 K:BB across 89 innings this year and is scheduled to face the Angels on the road in his next start.

Woo (6-5) earned the win Thursday against the Orioles, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine over seven scoreless innings.

Woo turned in one of his best starts of the season, tossing 61 of his 89 pitches for strikes while generating 12 whiffs. The right-hander was overpowering Thursday, striking out five consecutive batters during one stretch and allowing just two baserunners through his first seven innings of work. He returned for the eighth but issued a leadoff walk and surrendered a single, prompting his exit before any damage could be done. The outing continued a boom-or-bust stretch for Woo, who has recorded three starts of six or more scoreless innings over his last six appearances but has also allowed a combined 16 runs in the other three. The 26-year-old now owns a 3.49 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 88:16 K:BB across 89 innings and should be lined up for a road start against Pittsburgh next time out.

Chisholm exited Thursday's contest against the White Sox in the fourth inning due to an apparent groin injury, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Chisholm fouled a ball off his inner groin area in the bottom of the fourth inning, and he was ultimately forced to exit the game in the middle of his at-bat. The 28-year-old finished his day 0-for-1 from the plate, and Anthony Volpe replaced him in the contest, batting fifth versus Chicago. An update on Chisholm's status moving forward will likely come in the near future.

Walton is not in the starting lineup Thursday night against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Walton will remain on the bench for the second game in a row as the Angels face another southpaw. Gage Jump will be on the bump for the A's, and Oswald Peraza will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in the series opener.

Leiter (3-7) took the loss Thursday against the Twins, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out four.

The Twins got to Leiter early Thursday, scoring four runs in the first inning, capped by a Brooks Lee three-run blast. He'd give up another two runs on a Trevor Larnach homer in the fourth. It's been a tough stretch of late for Leiter, who's lost his last three starts while giving up 15 earned runs across 13.2 innings. His ERA now sits at 5.29 with a 1.44 WHIP and 83:35 K:BB across 15 starts (80 innings) this season. Leiter will look to turn things around his next time out, tentatively slated to come next week on the road in Miami.

Larnach went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, three total RBI and an additional run scored in Thursday's 9-3 win over the Rangers.

Larnach extended Minnesota's lead to 6-0 in the fourth inning with his two-run, 419-foot blast off Jack Leiter for his fifth homer this season. The 29-year-old Larnach has suddenly turned red hot, going 7-for-11 with a pair of home runs in his last two games after going just 4-for-25 in his previous nine contests. Overall, Larnach is slashing .273/.373/.417 with 21 RBI and 33 runs scored across 217 plate appearances this season.