MLB Player News

Hendriks struck out two over a scoreless ninth inning in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Tigers.

Hendriks had not pitched in five days and needed the work, which explains why he would be pitching in a non-save situation. A save opportunity has not presented itself since Sept. 10, leaving Hendriks to make three consecutive outings with the game not on the line.

Naughton (0-3) allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one across four innings, taking the loss to the Astros on Tuesday.

Naughton surrendered back-to-back home runs to Kyle Tucker and Aledmys Diaz in the second inning, and he has now lost in three of his four starts. The 25-year-old has a 5.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 20.2 innings this season. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday in Texas.

Jax didn't factor in the decision against the Cubs on Tuesday, pitching three innings and allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six.

The right-handed rookie gave up one run in each of the three innings in which he pitched, with the final two tallies coming by way of the long ball. Though it wasn't a very efficient outing -- Jax needed 72 pitches to retire nine batters -- he did flash some solid strikeout stuff, as his six punchouts were his most since he fanned 10 on Aug. 10. Jax has looked good at times this season, but his overall 6.75 ERA suggests that his first taste of the big leagues has been more struggle than success. He's expected to next take the mound Sunday at home in a tough matchup versus Toronto.

Merryweather will start Wednesday's game against the Rays, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.

Merryweather will make his first start of the season while serving as the opener in the rotation spot of Hyun Jin Ryu (neck), who landed on the injured list over the weekend. Ross Stripling is the likely candidate to pitch behind Merryweather in the bulk role Wednesday.

Patino will start Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Patino appeared lined up to start Friday versus the Marlins, but he'll instead pitch against the Blue Jays. The 21-year-old last started Friday against Detroit, so he'll remain on a five-day schedule by taking the mound Wednesday.

Romano collected a save after pitching a scoreless inning while walking three batters and striking out two in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Rays.

The closer struck out the first two batters he faced before walking the next three. He was able to escape unscathed after getting Joey Wendle to fly out for the final out. Romano is now 20-for-21 in save opportunities with his only blown save all the way back on April 8.

Clase earned the save Tuesday against the Royals after firing a scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and no walks while striking out two.

Clase worked around a one-out double by Michael Taylor in the ninth to slam the door for his 24th save of the year. Since July 25, Clase has converted 13 save opportunities in a row, improving his season stats to a 1.37 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.

Zimmermann's (ankle) rehab assignment was transferred to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.

The left-hander began his rehab stint with a start at Double-A Bowie on Saturday. He allowed three runs on five hits across 2.1 innings and will now make his next appearance with Norfolk, presumably later this week. If it ends up being his last outing in the minors, Zimmermann could be activated for the final week of the season, quite possibly to serve as a long reliever.

Fulmer earned the save against the White Sox on Tuesday after tossing 1.1 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one.

After allowing an inherited runner to score on an RBI single by Tim Anderson in the eighth, Fulmer returned in the ninth frame to finish things off. With two outs and a two-run lead, trouble loomed when Fulmer gave up a single to Eloy Jimenez and a walk to Yoan Moncada. The right-hander rebounded quickly by sending Leury Garcia down on strikes to finish off the victory. Fulmer now has 11 saves this season to go with a 3.12 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. With Gregory Soto out for the season, Fulmer looks to be the favorite for ninth-inning duties in Detroit.

Alexander allowed two runs on eight hits and a pair of walks while striking out two batters across 5.2 innings during Tuesday's win over the White Sox. He did not factor into the decision.

It wasn't a dominant start by any means -- Alexander gave up a season-worst eight hits -- but he kept the Tigers in the game to position them for the win. The 27-year-old has found success this month, yielding seven earned runs over 20.1 frames. On the season, Alexander has compiled a 4.10 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.