MLB Player News

Pressly struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Pressly had no trouble protecting a two-run lead. He's converted five saves and added a win since his blown save June 14 versus the Nationals. The right-hander is 17-for-20 in save chances with a 2.72 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 39:7 K:BB through 36.1 innings overall. Pressly continues to enjoy stability in the closer role for Houston.

Dubin allowed a run on three hits and two walks while striking out three over four innings, taking a no-decision in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.

Dubin worked up to 68 pitches (39 strikes) in his first big-league start, and he did an effective job of quieting a strong offense. The run on his line came on an Adolis Garcia sacrifice fly in the first inning. It's unclear if Dubin will stick in the Astros' rotation beyond Sunday -- Framber Valdez (ankle) is questionable to pitch again before the All-Star break. If Dubin starts again, it'll likely be during a four-game home series versus the Mariners.

Leclerc (ankle) was assigned to Double-A Frisco on Sunday to begin a rehab assignment.

The 29-year-old landed on the shelf with a right ankle sprain June 21, and his quick return to game action indicates the injury was never a serious concern. Leclerc will be eligible to be reinstated from the injured list Thursday.

Bautista picked up the save Sunday against the Twins, striking out three in a scoreless ninth inning.

Bautista's now converted 14 of his last 15 save chances, allowing just one run in that span (14.2 innings) while striking out 31. He's up to 22 saves on the season with a 1.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and an eye-popping 79:17 K:BB across 38.2 innings.

Lovelady (elbow) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Sunday.

Lovelady landed on the shelf in mid-June with a left-elbow strain, but he spent just one day over the 15-day minimum on the IL. He's been a solid late-inning option for Oakland this year with four holds and a 3.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 20:10 K:BB across 21 innings.

The Astros optioned Blanco to Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Since Blanco wasn't scheduled to make another start during the final week before the All-Star break, the Astros opted to swap him off the 26-man active roster in favor of a fresh bullpen arm in Parker Mushinski, who was recalled from Sugar Land in a corresponding move. While serving as a starter in each of his last five appearances for Houston, Blanco went 2-0 with a 4.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 23:15 K:BB across 28 innings. Unless Jose Urquidy (shoulder) is ready to return from the 60-day injured list coming out of the All-Star break, Blanco will likely rejoin the Astros once the team requires a fifth starter for the first time in the second half.

Barria will start Monday against the Padres in San Diego, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

As the holder of the final slot in a six-man rotation, Barria's role and routine tend to fluctuate. The right-hander didn't see action for 10 days between a relief appearance June 18 and a start June 28, and he's now being asked to pitch on four days of rest so that Shohei Ohtani, who's dealing with a cracked fingernail, can get an extra day before his next start. Of course, four days is typical rest in many big-league rotations, and Barria tossed just 59 pitches his last time out, so he should be fresh for Monday's start.

The Astros recalled Mushinski from Triple-A Sugar Land prior to Sunday's game against the Rangers, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Houston optioned Ronel Blanco to Triple-A in a corresponding move, with Mushinski set to provide the Astros with a fresh arm out of the bullpen since Blanco wasn't scheduled to make another turn through the rotation before the All-Star break anyway. Mushinski has previously made three appearances in the big leagues in 2023, covering 3.1 innings while striking out four and allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks.

The White Sox selected Shaw's contract from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Shaw is a veteran of 753 career regular-season appearances, but he has yet to pitch at the big-league level in 2023 after he was forced to settle for a minor-league deal with the White Sox this offseason coming off a poor season with the Guardians. The 35-year-old right-hander has pitched respectably at Charlotte this season, logging a 4.03 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB in 22.1 innings. Look for the White Sox to limit his usage to lower-leverage spots initially, but he could eventually work his way into a setup role if he excels early on.

Jansen picked up a save in Saturday's 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out three over 1.1 innings.

It wasn't pretty, but Jansen managed to get the job done Saturday to record his 17th save of the season. The right-handed reliever entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and got Cavan Biggio to go down on strikes. He then struck out Kevin Kiermaier to open the ninth before giving up back-to-back hits and eventually allowing one run to come home for Toronto, making it a 7-6 ballgame. However, Bo Bichette was thrown out at home on a single from Vladimir Guerrero as Boston escaped with the win. Jansen has now allowed a run in each of his last three appearances, increasing his ERA to 3.45 on the season.