MLB Player News

Pressly earned the save during Game 1 of the ALCS, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing zero hits and zero walks while striking out two in the 4-2 win over the Yankees.

Pressly entered the game in the eighth inning and struck out Matt Carpenter to get the Astros out of a jam. In the ninth, he needed only 10 pitches to close out Harrison Bader, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jose Trevino. Facing the bottom of the Yankees' order, the 33-year-old Texan delivered 10 straight pitches in the strike zone, showing a clear effort to be aggressive. This marked Pressly's second save in the postseason and his 35th of the year in 39 opportunities. Pressly's reliability toward the end of the season has been impressive -- he has converted 14 consecutive save opportunities.

GM Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday that Munoz will undergo foot surgery, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

The 23-year-old was a key bullpen piece for Seattle this year with four saves, 22 holds and a 2.49 ERA across 64 appearances, and he'll go under the knife for a foot issue after the loss to the Astros in the ALDS. Munoz surrendered three runs over three innings against Houston, though it's unclear how much, if at all, the injury contributed to his struggles. The specifics of the procedure remain unclear, but the right-hander will have nearly four months to recover ahead of spring training.

The Yankees didn't activate Marinaccio (lower leg) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday ahead of Game 1 of the team's American League Championship Series with the Astros.

Though Marinaccio has resumed throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters, the Yankees apparently didn't see enough progress from the rookie reliever to justify adding him to the ALCS roster. Marinaccio has been on the shelf since Oct. 2 due to a stress reaction of his right shin.

Herget elected to become a free agent Friday.

Herget pitched just seven major-league innings in 2022, recording a 7.71 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in the process. Rather than accept an outright to Triple-A Durham, he will instead look to join another club ahead of the 2023 season.

Marinaccio (lower leg) is expected to return if the Yankees advance to the ALCS, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Marinaccio has pitched a bullpen session and is now travelling to Tampa Bay to face live batting practice. The reliever posted an impressive 2.05 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 56 punchouts over 44 innings in 40 appearances in the regular season and could provide a boost to New York's bullpen if the team is able to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

Reed was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox on Thursday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Reed was cast off the Orioles' 40-man roster Tuesday but will land a roster spot with the Red Sox a few days later. The right-hander made 18 appearances between the Mets, Dodgers and Orioles last year and posted a 7.02 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 16.2 innings.

Bazardo was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on Thursday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Bazardo spent the final month of the 2022 campaign on Boston's major-league roster and posted a 2.76 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 16.1 innings over 12 appearances. However, he'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster after Jake Reed was claimed off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday.

The Rays outrighted Herget to Triple-A Durham on Oct. 6.

Herget will remain in the organization after he cleared waivers for the third time in the less than three months after being designated for assignment. The 31-year-old right-hander ended up making three appearances for the Rays during his rookie season, giving up six earned runs over seven frames.

Ward was removed from his start Monday in the Arizona Fall League due to side discomfort, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

While the side injury might be significant enough to keep Ward out for the remainder of the AFL slate, the Red Sox are likely just relieved that the right-hander isn't dealing with any arm-related setbacks after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2021. Due to his prolonged recovery from the elbow procedure, Ward made just seven starts for Double-A Portland this season and was expected to pick up more innings in the AFL. The 25-year-old is expected to either return to Portland to begin the 2023 campaign or join the Triple-A Worcester rotation.

Smeltzer was placed on outright waivers by the Twins on Tuesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.

Smeltzer spent the majority of the 2022 season with the Twins, and he maintained a respectable 3.71 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 70.1 innings. However, his contact-heavy approach resulted in some inconsistent performances, as he allowed six or more earned runs in two of his 12 starts. Smeltzer will now be subjected to waivers and could find a new club relatively quickly.