MLB Player News

Garza (2-0) earned the win Monday versus Cincinnati. He allowed one run on a hit and two walks with three strikeouts over two innings.

Garza was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on July 31, and he made his third appearance in his second stint on the big-league roster this season. The right-hander was awarded the win Monday after Sam Hentges covered only two innings as the starter. Garza has a solid 2.35 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB across 15.1 innings. He's been lucky to limit opposing batters to a .184 BABIP in the small sample, but he should be able to provide length out of the bullpen.

Hentges allowed one run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout in two innings in a no-decision versus Cincinnati on Monday.

The southpaw gave up an RBI single to Joey Votto in the first inning, but Cleveland's offense made sure Hentges wouldn't take a loss in the bullpen game. The 25-year-old has a 7.71 ERA, 2.04 WHIP and 46:27 K:BB through 46.2 innings. It's unclear if he'll return to a bullpen role or remain in the rotation going forward -- if it's the latter, he lines up to start versus Detroit over the weekend. Either way, Hentges' performance suggests he's not likely to be much of an asset in fantasy.

The Athletics recalled Puk from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reports.

At least for this season, Puk has been working as a reliever between stops in Oakland and Las Vegas, with the organization presumably keen on limiting his innings after a slew of arm-related injuries in recent years. Though Puk is blessed with a fastball that sits around 96-to-98 miles per hour and pairs it with a sharp slider, he's largely been unable to translate his skills into useful results at Triple-A this season (6.08 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 48:13 K:BB in 40 innings). However, after a rough patch in late June, Puk has seemingly settled down at Las Vegas, delivering a 1.64 ERA and 24:4 K:BB across his last 13 appearances spanning 22 innings. Expect him to work in a multi-inning role in middle relief while he's up with Oakland.

Brasier (concussion) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Brasier's scheduled relief appearance will mark his first of any kind in affiliated ball this season, as he suffered a calf injury late in spring training that kept him on the shelf for the first two months of the campaign. The 33-year-old initially appeared to be trending toward a mid-June return to the Boston bullpen, only to sustain a concussion when he took a line drive to the head in a simulated game. He's since cleared MLB's concussion protocol, but Brasier will likely require several tune-up outings in the minors before Boston activates him from the 60-day injured list.

Alcala was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with right biceps tendinitis, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old allowed a solo homer and a walk while recording two strikeouts in one inning Sunday against the Astros, and he apparently suffered the injury during the contest. Alcala is without a timeline for his return and will be eligible to be reinstated Aug. 19.

Nelson was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Nelson was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday following a one-day stint on the major-league roster, but he'll return to the Yankees' bullpen as part of a move after Gleyber Torres (thumb) landed on the 10-day injured list Monday. The right-hander has posted a 9.45 ERA and 2.17 WHIP in 13.1 innings across 10 appearances (two starts) in 2021.

Canterino (elbow) struck out two over two perfect innings Sunday in a rehab start at Low-A Fort Myers.

Canterino has been sidelined at High-A Cedar Rapids since late May with a right elbow strain, but he looks on track to return from the 7-day injured list in short order. The Twins may want to have Canterino get in one more tune-up outing at Low-A before slotting him back into the Cedar Rapids rotation.

Naughton pitched one inning against the Dodgers on Sunday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk.

The left-handed hurler entered in the sixth inning with the Dodgers holding a 5-1 lead. Naughton yielded a single to the first batter he faced, then retired two straight hitters before giving up a run-scoring single to AJ Pollock. Naughton worked primarily as a starter throughout his time in the minors, and he wasn't particularly impressive with a 5.23 ERA and 1.58 WHIP across 51.2 innings at Triple-A this season prior to his recent call-up.

Romano picked up his 10th save of the season in Sunday's 9-8 win over the Red Sox, fanning two in a scoreless ninth inning.

Romano needed 17 pitches to get the job done, with 12 of his offerings finding the strike zone. The right-hander looks to be manager Charlie Montoyo's preferred option for saves at the moment, even after Toronto acquired a proven closer at the deadline in Brad Hand.

Stephan has allowed nine runs in his last 11.1 innings.

In that span, which covers eight appearances, Stephan has only kept opponents off the board three times. He's also yielded four home runs. The rookie right-hander has a 4.70 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 44:20 K:BB across 38.1 innings. With an FIP of 6.06, it's safe to say Stephan has gotten a little lucky this season, which doesn't bode well for his chances of pitching himself into a high-leverage role in the last two months of the season.