MLB Player News

Puk was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Puk was charged with two losses since the beginning of September, and he gave up five runs in 1.1 innings across three appearances since then. He'll attempt to get back on track with the minor-league club, while right-hander Miguel Romero was recalled to take his place in the bullpen.

Romero was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Romero began the season in Las Vegas and posted a 6.40 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 71.2 innings across 26 appearances (13 starts). Although he had lackluster results in the minors, he'll be available to make his major-league debut out of Oakland's bullpen after A.J. Puk was sent down Wednesday.

Mayers will start Wednesday's game against the Padres, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Manager Joe Maddon will employ a bullpen game in the series finale at San Diego, and Mayers will be the first reliever to take the mound. He has a 4.16 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 76:20 K:BB across 62.2 innings this season and figures to pitch one or two frames Wednesday.

The Blue Jays placed Kay on the COVID-19-related injured list Wednesday.

Even though Toronto optioned Kay to Triple-A Buffalo in July, his move to the COVID-19 IL will still allow the big club to temporarily remove him from the 40-man roster. The Blue Jays will use the open roster spot to bring back reliever Julian Merryweather (oblique), who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Assuming he isn't experiencing severe symptoms of the virus, Kay could have a chance to make it back in action for Buffalo before the end of the season, but he'll face an uphill battle to rejoin the big club's active roster at any point in September.

The Blue Jays optioned Baker to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.

Baker joined Toronto when the roster expanded from 26 to 28 men Sept. 1, but he'll head back to the minors less than a week later after the Blue Jays needed to open up a spot for reliever Julian Merryweather (oblique), who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. During his first stint in the big leagues, Baker made one appearance out of the bullpen, striking out a batter in a scoreless inning.

The Blue Jays reinstated Merryweather (oblique) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

He'll rejoin the Toronto bullpen for the first time since mid-April, after he required just under five months to recover from a severe left oblique strain. Before being shut down with the injury, the hard-throwing Merryweather appeared to emerge as the Blue Jays' preferred option for saves, but his lengthy absence means he'll likely have to prove himself in lower-leverage spots before he regains the trust of manager Charlie Montoyo in the late innings. Jordan Romano still looks like the best bet for saves out of the Toronto bullpen.

Puk (0-3) was tagged with the loss in relief Tuesday against the White Sox after allowing three runs on five hits across one-third of an inning, striking out one.

Puk entered the game in the fifth inning but struggled, facilitating a three-run deficit the A's weren't able to overcome. Puk has now given up multiple runs while pitching less than a full inning in two of his last three appearances, underscoring why he now sports a bloated 6.08 ERA across 13.1 innings (12 appearances) this year.

Lambert (1-1) earned the win Tuesday against Oakland after tossing five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and two walks while fanning two.

Lambert has been inconsistent over his four appearances (three starts), which makes it difficult to predict whether he'll remain in the rotation the remainder of the regular season. However, Tuesday's turn was his longest big-league outing of the season, offering some reason for optimism. Lambert owns a 6.23 ERA through four appearances at the MLB level this year, but he's given up just one earned run in each of his last two outings.

Hendriks picked up the save Tuesday against the Athletics after tossing a scoreless inning, striking out one.

Hendriks has nailed each of his last seven save chances and has racked up 33 saves on the year -- he paces the American League in that category and ranks second in all of baseball behind Mark Melancon, who has 36. Hendriks has also hurled five straight scoreless outings and owns an elite 0.82 ERA over his last nine appearances.

Herget (2-1) earned the win Tuesday against the Padres after tossing two scoreless innings in relief, giving up one hit and fanning two.

Herget came into the game in the sixth inning and was in complete control, allowing only one baserunner and completing two frames with just 24 pitches (14 strikes). He's given up just one earned run across three appearances (4.1 innings) since joining the Angels in late August.