MLB Player News

Oakland selected Neal's contract from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday.

Neal has allowed three earned runs in 3.1 innings of work this season at the major-league level, and he hasn't been much better on the farm. The 34-year-old right-hander figures to operate in long relief in his return to the Athletics, though there is an open rotation spot.

Jimenez (shoulder) allowed five earned runs on one hit, three walks, a hit batsman and a wild pitch over one inning in Triple-A Las Vegas' loss to Albuquerque on Wednesday. He struck out one.

Jimenez's disastrous performance in what was already his fifth rehab appearance is of at least some concern, as it also marked the second time in the last three outings he surrendered multiple earned runs. The significant lack of control Wednesday was also alarming, and Jimenez got only 14 of his 35 pitches into the strike zone overall. The right-hander still has some time to work out the kinks on the farm, but if he doesn't demonstrate notable improvement in subsequent appearances, it's not inconceivable he'd remain at the Triple-A level for the time being once activated.

Topa, who recorded his 17th hold in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox with a scoreless one-third of an inning, could see some closing opportunities in the wake of Paul Sewald's trade to the Diamondbacks on Monday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Topa was called on to get the last out of the eighth inning Wednesday with the Mariners holding a three-run lead, but Kramer notes the 32-year-old could occasionally see higher-leverage opportunities than that the rest of the way. Topa has given up just four earned runs across the 16.2 innings covering his last 20 appearances while producing a 16:3 K:BB, and his 59.8 percent groundball rate for the season speaks to his ability to keep the ball down. Topa has primarily been called on for seventh- and eighth-inning work thus far, yet with manager Scott Servais noting he'll "mix and match" to an extent with the closer role moving forward, the right-hander could get some save chances as well.

Curry came on in relief of starter Gavin Williams in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Astros, covering 1.2 scoreless innings while striking out three and giving up two hits and no walks.

Curry made three of his previous four appearances as a starter, though he never surpassed three innings in any of those outings. His usage in relief Tuesday likely suggests he won't be a candidate to start Saturday versus the White Sox, when the Guardians will need to add a new fifth member of the rotation to the mix. After building up to 7.1 innings in his latest rehab start last Sunday, Peyton Battenfield (shoulder) could be activated from the 60-day injured list to fill the open rotation spot. The door might not be closed on Curry starting this weekend, however, as Cleveland could require another replacement in the rotation for Sunday's series finale if Noah Syndergaard (lower leg) isn't ready to pitch.

Green (elbow) is scheduled for another rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A Buffalo, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

There seems to be a good chance that it will be his final outing on the farm. More than 13 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Green has tallied six strikeouts with no walks through five rehab outings (five innings) between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Triple-A. The 32-year-old right-hander could prove to be a high-leverage weapon for Toronto down the stretch.

Brash (7-3) got the win over the Red Sox on Wednesday, firing a perfect seventh inning during which he recorded two strikeouts.

Brash mowed through the Red Sox during a seventh frame in which he needed just 10 pitches to record his three outs. The right-hander was then rewarded for his sharp performance when Seattle mounted a four-run rally in the seventh inning and held on the rest of the way, making him the pitcher of record. Brash is expected to see a boost in eighth-inning work, especially in games when the Mariners have the lead, as part of the reshuffling of the high-leverage end of the bullpen in the wake of Paul Sewald's trade to the Diamondbacks. However, the fact manager Scott Servais called on him to prevent a 3-2 deficit from growing any larger underscores the trust Brash has built with a breakout 2023 that's seen him pitch to a 3.35 ERA and 15.4 K/9 while also garnering 15 holds and one save, in addition to the seven victories.

Sandlin (5-4) allowed a run on a hit and a walk over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss versus the Astros on Wednesday.

Sandlin surrendered a sixth-inning solo shot to Chas McCormick that was the final run of a 3-2 game. It's been a rough patch for Sandlin lately -- he's been scored on in five of his last seven appearances. That's pushed his ERA up to 3.64 with a 0.98 WHIP and 47:16 K:BB through 42 innings overall. He's added five holds, but he's likely to remain in lower-leverage assignments until he can steady his pitching.

Toronto recalled Francis from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.

He is replacing Trevor Richards, who landed on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of neck inflammation. Francis has impressed in limited action this season at the major-league level, boasting a 2.30 ERA and 14:4 K:BB through 15.2 innings.

Munoz picked up the save Wednesday against the Red Sox, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

Munoz staked an early claim to the closing job in Seattle following the trade of Paul Sewald. The hard-throwing right-hander logged a pair of strikeouts, setting the Red Sox down in order to close out a 6-3 win. The 24-year-old Munoz certainly has the stuff to succeed in a closing role -- he's generated a 52 percent whiff rate with his slider this season, paired with a 100-mph fastball. Munoz has now converted 3-of-4 save opportunities this season while sporting a 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB across 25.2 innings.

Richards was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to August 2, with neck inflammation.

It doesn't sound like an overly serious issue, but Richards will be missed in the Toronto bullpen as he spends at least the next two weeks on the shelf. The 30-year-old right-hander has posted a sharp 2.98 ERA with 83 strikeouts through 54.1 innings of work this season for the Blue Jays.