MLB Player News
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Lucas Erceg RP | KC
Royals' Lucas Erceg: Shaky in loss
Erceg (4-3) took the loss Saturday, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks in an inning of relief as the Royals fell 3-1 to the Marlins. He struck out one.
Called in for the bottom of the eighth inning after Kansas City had tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the frame, Erceg handed the lead right back to Miami, although his line was somewhat misleading -- two of the walks he issued were intentional, and he threw 11 of 18 pitches for strikes. Carlos Estevez has blown three straight save chances, so the door could be open a crack for Erceg to work his way into the ninth-inning mix, but this performance won't encourage manager Matt Quatraro to switch things up. Through nine appearances in July, Erceg carries a 4.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 10:7 K:BB over nine innings.
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Jeff Hoffman RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Jeff Hoffman: Notches 23rd save
Hoffman gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his 23rd save of the season in a 6-3 win over the Giants.
After striking out the side Friday in a perfect ninth inning in a non-save situation, Hoffman came back the next day and shut down San Francisco once again. The right-hander has been tagged with earned runs in only one of his last 12 appearances, posting a 2.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB over 11.1 innings during that stretch while converting six of seven save chances.
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Brent Headrick RP | NYY
Yankees' Brent Headrick: Comes off minor-league IL
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre activated Headrick (undisclosed) from the 7-day injured list Saturday.
Headrick landed on the minor-league IL on June 26, but he's now healthy enough to pitch again. The lefty reliever got into 11 games with the Yankees earlier in the campaign, posting a 4.73 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB over 13.1 innings.
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Michael Arias RP | NYY
Yankees' Michael Arias: Activated from minor-league IL
The Yankees activated Arias (undisclosed) from the 7-day minor-league injured list Saturday and transferred him to Double-A Somerset.
Arias landed on the minor-league IL in April but was able to begin a minor-league rehab assignment in late June. In six games between the organization's Florida Complex League, Single-A and High-A affiliates, the righty hurler posted a 3.12 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 7:2 K:BB over 8.2 innings. Arias spent most of 2024 with the Cubs' Triple-A squad, and he could progress to that level with the Yankees before the end of the campaign if he makes a good impression at Somerset.
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Justin Slaten RP | BOS
Red Sox's Justin Slaten: Restarts throwing program
Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Slaten (shoulder) has resumed playing catch, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
The Red Sox pulled Slaten off his throwing program last week in an effort to focus on building strength in his shoulder. Now that the team is satisfied with his strength, the right-handed reliever will begin building back up. He remains without an official return timeline, but he figures to still be multiple weeks away from activation.
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Tanner Rainey RP | DET
Tigers' Tanner Rainey: Inks minor-league deal with Detroit
The Tigers signed Rainey to a minor-league contract Friday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Rainey got into 11 games with Pittsburgh earlier this season, posting an ugly 10.57 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with a 9:6 K:BB over 7.2 innings. The righty has spent most of his MLB career with the Nationals, with arguably his most productive season coming in 2022, when he racked up 12 saves. Rainey will look to get back on track with Triple-A Toledo in an attempt to make it back up to the majors.
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Yerry De Los Santos RP | NYY
Yankees' Yerry De Los Santos: Beginning rehab assignment
De Los Santos (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset on Saturday.
De Los Santos began throwing off a mound July 5 after being shelved with an elbow injury in mid-June. He'll now begin the final stage of his recovery by playing in minor-league games, and he may still be able to return to the Yankees' bullpen before the end of the month.
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Wikelman Gonzalez SP | CHW
White Sox's Wikelman Gonzalez: Summoned to big club
The White Sox recalled Gonzalez from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.
Gonzalez previously had a stint with the White Sox in late June and allowed two runs on three hits with a 5:4 K:BB over four innings spanning two outings. His call-up Saturday corresponds with rookie starter Shane Smith landing on the IL due to a left ankle sprain. Though Gonzalez has plenty of starting experience in the minors, all 16 of his outings in Triple-A this year have come in relief, and he'll presumably fill a role at the back of Chicago's bullpen while he's up with the team.
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Jake Eder SP | WAS
Angels' Jake Eder: Tosses three frames in bulk relief
Eder did not factor in the decision Friday against the Phillies. He allowed three runs on four hits and three walks and did not strike out a batter over three innings.
In their first contest following the All-Star break, the Angels went with a bullpen game, with Ryan Zeferjahn opening and Eder logging the biggest workload (61 pitches). The latter struggled with his control, throwing just 59 percent of his pitches for strikes and walking three batters, while all three runs scored against him came on a homer by Bryce Harper. Eder entered Friday having posted a 1.93 ERA over 9.1 innings with the big club, but that number shot up to 3.65 following his subpar outing. It remains to be seen how the team will handle the fifth-starter role following Jack Kochanowicz's demotion to Triple-A, and it's possible that Eder could be asked to work again in bulk relief until a plan for the rotation comes into focus.