MLB Player News

Romano gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his 22nd save of the season in a 6-5 win over the Yankees.

The right-hander turned in his ninth straight scoreless appearance to help keep the Jays in the hunt for a wild-card spot. Romano has been outstanding since the All-Star break, posting a 2.51 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 42:7 K:BB through 28.2 second-half innings while converting all 15 of his save chances.

Chafin (2-4) took the loss Wednesday against the Mariners after giving up one run on one hit and a walk in an inning of work.

Chafin entered to pitch in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied 2-2, and he walked the opening batter before allowing a base hit to put runners on first and third. Ty France was able to put the Mariners back ahead with a sacrifice fly that scored the runner from third and the Athletics weren't able to make up the deficit. It was Chafin's first run given up in six appearances since Sept. 15 and is his second loss this month. The self-proclaimed "failed starter" has been elite as a reliever this year with a 1.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 64:19 K:BB over 68.2 innings.

Lovelady (elbow) announced Wednesday that he recently underwent Tommy John surgery, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Lovelady was initially expected to avoid surgery for the sprained UCL in his left elbow, but that is no longer the case. Given the recovery timeline involved with the surgery, it's unlikely the lefty pitches in the majors during 2022. He should have plenty of time to be ready for the 2023 season, barring any setbacks in the lengthy recovery.

Manager Dusty Baker said Pressly (knee) would have been available for a potential save situation during Wednesday's 7-0 loss to the Rays, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Baker announced Tuesday that Pressly was unavailable for that contest due to an old knee issue that cropped up, though it's apparently not a serious concern since the right-hander was available a day later. The 31-year-old hasn't pitched since Sunday, and the Astros are likely to utilize him at least once during the final four games of the season to keep him fresh heading into the playoffs, regardless of whether or not a save opportunity arises.

Quijada (1-2) struck out all three batters he faced in his one inning of work, picking up the win in Wednesday's 7-2 victory over the Rangers.

Quijada wasted no time mowing down Texas batters in the sixth, as he took advantage of facing the bottom of the Rangers' order and fired 13 of his 17 pitches for strikes. This win must have felt a little extra special for the southpaw, as the Angels were just 4-19 in games that Quijada pitched entering play.

McHugh will start Thursday's game at Houston, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The right-hander will receive the start against his former team while serving as an opener ahead of Thursday's primary pitcher, Ryan Yarbrough. McHugh surrendered two runs his last time out Saturday but has a 2.53 ERA across 10.2 innings (six appearances) in September. The 34-year-old won't pitch deep enough to qualify for a potential victory against the Astros, but he could give the Rays multiple frames before giving way to Yarbrough.

Yarbrough is scheduled to pitch behind opener Collin McHugh at Houston on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Yarbrough followed an opener his last time out and will do so again Thursday for the ninth time this season. The left-hander has struggled over 11 starts since the All-Star break with a 6.50 ERA, though he's given up only four runs on seven hits with an 8:0 K:BB across 12 frames in his past two outings.

Hearn (6-6) allowed four runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts over 5.1 innings, taking the loss in Wednesday's 7-2 defeat to the Angels.

Hearn allowed just one extra-base hit in his outing against the Angels on Wednesday, but he nonetheless surrendered four earned runs and picked up his sixth loss of the season. Since joining the Texas rotation on Aug. 17, the left-hander has a 5.56 ERA and has allowed seven home runs in 43.2 innings. Still, Hearn's solid 29:10 K:BB over that same span and his ability to eat innings make him an asset. He'll look to vie for a role with the Rangers next season.

Lowther (1-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and struck out four in five innings, taking the loss versus Boston on Wednesday.

It wasn't a bad final start of the year for Lowther, but Baltimore's offense produced just four hits and two walks in the contest. The southpaw was better to finish the season with just five runs (four earned) allowed in his final 13.1 innings across three starts. He ended the season with a 6.67 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 30:13 K:BB in 29.2 innings. Lowther will likely be considered for a spot in the rotation heading into 2022.

Montero (lat) completed a bullpen session Wednesday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Montero is still hoping to pitch again for the Astros this season, but with just four games left on the Astros' schedule following Wednesday's contest against the Rays, he'll face an uphill battle to get activated before Sunday's finale. The 30-year-old has been on the shelf since Aug. 10 with a right lat strain, so he'll presumably need to face hitters in some capacity before Houston would entertain reinstating him.