MLB Player News

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.

Sewald blew the save in Saturday's 4-3 loss against the White Sox, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one over one inning.

Sewald couldn't secure Seattle's one-run lead and blew his second save of the season. The right-hander owned a 2.54 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 40:9 K:BB through 28.1 innings and had converted 13 of 14 saves coming into Saturday, so it's safe to chalk the poor outing up as an outlier. However, Andres Munoz, who tossed a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts during the loss, may get a few more save opportunities moving forward if Sewald continues to falter.

Duran picked up the save in Saturday's 2-0 victory over the Tigers, allowing one hit while striking out one.

Duran was part of a shutout effort for the Twins' bullpen, finishing off the Tigers with his four-seam fastball in the ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the season. The right-handed reliever has allowed just one run since April 29 against the Royals and has not walked a batter in three of his last four appearances. With Saturday's scoreless inning Duran lowered his ERA to 1.33 on the season to go along with a 0.96 WHIP.

De Leon did not factor into the decision Saturday, pitching two scoreless innings against the Tigers while not allowing any hits or walks. He struck out two.

De Leon opened the game for Minnesota and was highly effective over his 2.1 innings of work, striking out two while not allowing a runner to reach base. He did basically all of his damage using his four-seamer and changeup and was part of a strong bullpen effort overall in shutting out the Tigers on the afternoon. The reliever had surrendered three runs over his last 2.1 innings coming in (over two appearances) but now holds a very solid 3.38 ERA on the season after Saturday's scoreless appearance.

Richards (0-1) took the loss Saturday as the Blue Jays fell 4-2 to the Rangers, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk over three innings. He struck out two.

Toronto has gone with something of a tandem approach to filling the hole in its rotation, and for the second straight appearance Richards started and went three innings before giving way to the rest of the bullpen. Unlike his last outing June 10, when he fanned seven Twins over three shutout frames, the right-hander had far less success this time around, tossing 36 of 65 pitches for strikes and serving up back-to-back homers to Josh Jung and Jonah Heim in the second inning. Until Alek Manoah turns things around or Hyun Jin Ryu (elbow) is ready to return, the Jays will likely continue patching together their fifth starter spot, and Richards should remain a big part of that plan. On the season, he sports a 3.82 ERA and 51:15 K:BB through 33 innings.

Mayers did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings against the Angels. He struck out one.

Mayers had been operating as a bulk reliever behind an opener during his last three appearances, but he drew his second start of the year Saturday. The role switch didn't change things for the right-hander, who has now given up 16 earned runs over his past three outings while posting more walks (five) than strikeouts (three) during that stretch. The Royals are dealing with numerous injuries to their pitching staff, which has allowed Mayers to carve out a role recently, but if he continues to struggle, Kansas City may have to look for help in the minors.

The Guardians recalled Herrin from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old lefty will return to Cleveland's bullpen with the placement of Triston McKenzie (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Saturday. Herrin has made 10 major-league appearances this season, allowing nine runs over 12.2 innings while racking up 14 strikeouts.

Cleveland selected the contract of Norris from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Norris will provide the Guardians with some bullpen depth after spending the first 10 weeks of 2023 in the minors. The southpaw posted a 6.93 ERA with a 1.91 WHIP in 37.2 innings over 14 appearances with Columbus prior to the promotion.

Bachman earned a save against the Royals on Friday, striking out two batters in two perfect innings.

Patrick Sandoval held KC scoreless over seven frames, and Bachman continued the shutout by retiring all three batters he faced in the eighth. Rather than turn to closer Carlos Estevez, who walked all three batters he faced the previous night, Angels manager Phil Nevin allowed Bachman to finish things out in the ninth with Los Angeles holding a 3-0 lead. The rookie succeeded with ease, retiring the side in order on 14 pitches. Bachman has allowed just one run over 12 innings as a major leaguer thus far, though his 10:8 K:BB suggests he's benefitted from some good fortune. Nonetheless, he may be moving up in the bullpen pecking order given his propensity for keeping runs off the board so far.

Englert (2-2) allowed one run on four hits across two innings of relief and earned the win Friday against the Twins. He had two strikeouts.

Englert followed opener Will Vest and was able to earn the win despite allowing a lot of traffic on the bases during his two innings of work. The righty has a middling 4.87 ERA and 1.52 WHIP for the season, limiting his fantasy appeal. He has at least been able to give the Tigers some length out of the bullpen, as 14 of his 23 appearances this year have covered at least two innings.