MLB Player News
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Kaleb Ort RP | LAA
Red Sox's Kaleb Ort: Promoted, opening Game 1
Ort was recalled from Triple-A Worcester and will start Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
The 31-year-old was sent to Worcester in early June but will rejoin the big club Sunday with Tanner Houck (face) landing on the injured list. Ort hasn't covered more than two frames in any outing this year, so he'll likely exit after working an inning or two in Sunday's matinee. Nick Pivetta could follow as Boston's primary pitcher.
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Chris Murphy RP | CHW
Red Sox's Chris Murphy: Appointed as 27th man
Murphy was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Sunday to serve as the 27th man for the doubleheader against the Yankees, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
Murphy will give the Red Sox an extra arm in the bullpen for the twin bill against New York after Saturday's contest was postponed. In his MLB debut against Cleveland on June 8, the southpaw threw 3.1 scoreless innings while striking out five, but he's registered an unhealthy 7.01 ERA and 1.88 WHIP as a member of Worcester over his 43.2 frames.
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Greg Weissert RP | BOS
Yankees' Greg Weissert: Promoted for twin bill
Weissert was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday to serve as the 27th man for the doubleheader against the Red Sox.
Weissert already has had two brief stints in the majors this season and has allowed three earned runs with a 5:5 K:BB across 5.1 innings. The 28-year-old will provide bullpen depth for the twin bill before likely returning to the minors.
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Tyler Alexander RP | TEX
Tigers' Tyler Alexander: Covers two innings Saturday
Alexander pitched two scoreless innings of relief in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Twins. He allowed a hit and two walks while striking out two.
Alexander has been serving some as an opener recently, though he worked as a more traditional long reliever Saturday, covering the last two innings of the game for the Tigers. Since allowing three runs in an outing May 26, the lefty has a 1.54 ERA over his past 11.2 innings, a span of five appearances. Alexander's season ERA now sits at 4.93, and he could continue whittling that down if he maintains his current form moving forward.
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Kirby Snead RP | SEA
Athletics' Kirby Snead: Makes second appearance for Vegas
Snead (shoulder) allowed an earned run on a hit and a walk over two-thirds of an inning in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over Reno on Saturday.
Snead worked 12 of his 18 pitches into the strike zone during another solid step toward an eventual 2023 debut. The left-hander is still rounding into shape after suffering his injury in spring training, but with 3.2 frames across four rehab appearances now under his belt, Snead could be on the verge of activation considering he doesn't need to build up much more for his projected relief role.
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Tayler Saucedo RP | LAA
Mariners' Tayler Saucedo: Takes first loss Saturday
Saucedo (2-1) took the loss in extra innings against the White Sox on Saturday, allowing an unearned run on two hits over two-thirds of an inning.
The southpaw appeared on his way to working his way out of the 11th inning following two quick outs, but consecutive singles by Andrew Benintendi and Zach Remillard snapped a 3-3 tie and gave the White Sox a one-run lead the Mariners wouldn't overcome. Saucedo does now have three straight appearances without allowing an earned run, but it's worth noting his usage in the high-leverage scenario was essentially the byproduct of Andres Munoz, Paul Sewald and Gabe Speier having already been deployed earlier in the game.
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Aroldis Chapman RP | BOS
Royals' Aroldis Chapman: Snags second win
Chapman (2-2) allowed a run on a hit and two walks while striking out three in one inning to earn the win Saturday over the Angels.
Chapman struggled versus the heart of the Angels' order, but he limited the damage to an RBI single from Mike Trout. The Royals then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to get the walk-off win. Chapman has given up just two runs over his last 10.2 innings with a 23:11 K:BB over that span. While the elevated walk rate is concerning, he continues to be effective in a high-leverage role for a Royals team that rarely has a lead to protect. He's pitched to a 2.96 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 44:17 K:BB through 24.1 innings this year while adding two saves, seven holds and two blown saves.
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Ian Hamilton RP | ATL
Yankees' Ian Hamilton: Starting rehab assignment Sunday
Hamilton (groin) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Sunday.
Hamilton will likely need to make a handful of rehab appearances at the Double-A level before having a chance to rejoin the New York bullpen. The right-hander has been out since the middle of May with his right groin strain. He was pitching effectively with a 1.23 ERA and 30:9 K:BB over 22 innings in his 16 appearances.
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Will Smith RP | KC
Rangers' Will Smith: Secures 12th save
Smith gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his 12th save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays.
The veteran reliever converted his eighth straight save chance, a stretch that dates back to May 8 in which he's posted a 2.40 ERA and 18:2 K:BB through 15 innings. Smith has solidified the back of the Texas bullpen this season, reaching double-digit saves for the fourth time in his career, and his rebound this season may be the product of more than a little luck -- despite a career-low 23 percent groundball rate and career-high 41 percent flyball rate, his 5.7 percent HR/FB% is less than half his 2022 mark.
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Joel Kuhnel RP | ATH
Astros' Joel Kuhnel: Traded to Houston
Houston acquired Kuhnel from the Reds on Saturday for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Kuhnel was designated for assignment by the Reds on Tuesday, and he'll now provide some organizational depth for the Houston bullpen. The right-hander made two relief appearances in 2023 while allowing three earned runs on six hits with two walks over 3.1 innings.