MLB Player News

Barnes tested negative for COVID-19 and is expected to be activated from the injured list Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Barnes was placed on the specialized injured list Tuesday, but he'll quickly rejoin the Red Sox after producing a pair of negative test results. The 31-year-old will immediately slot back into the closer's role after missing Tuesday's 4-2 loss to Detroit.

Phillips signed a minor-league deal with the Rays on Tuesday and will join Triple-A Durham, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The righty pitcher finds a home with the Rays just one day after being released by Baltimore. Phillips was unremarkable with Triple-A Norfolk this season, posting a 5.04 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 25 relief innings. That being said, the Rays' ability to turn unheralded minor leaguers into big-league weapons is well documented, so it will be interesting to see how Phillips' career progresses from here.

Howard (finger) will start Thursday's game against the Angels, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports.

It was unclear whether Howard would start or follow an opener as the bulk guy, but Tuesday's update confirmed the former. He'll make his Rangers debut after posting a 5.72 ERA and 31:17 K:BB in 28.1 games with the Phillies this season. Howard appeared in 11 games for Philadelphia, seven of which were starts.

Manager Kevin Cash said Feyereisen (biceps) will begin throwing off a mound soon, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Having been on the injured list since July 22, Feyereisen figures to require considerable mound work and possibly a rehab assignment before rejoining the Rays. The righty was scuffling before going on the IL, as he allowed five earned runs in his last five appearances after holding opponents scoreless in his previous 13 games.

Fairbanks (shoulder) threw Tuesday for the first time since landing on the injured list July 29, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The righty doesn't appear too close to being activated, as he still needs to progress to mound work and live bullpens before potentially heading out on a rehab assignment. More details about Fairbanks' progress and recovery should become available later in the week.

McHugh (arm) will throw live batting practice Wednesday and, barring any setbacks, is expected to be activated for the weekend series in Baltimore, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The slider-spinning righty landed on the IL on July 25 with a dead arm, but he appears very close to rejoining the Rays. McHugh has established himself as a huge asset in Tampa Bay's bullpen, posting a 1.51 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 41.2 innings this season after not pitching in 2020.

Barnes was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. He has not tested positive for the virus yet.

The righty's initial test came back negative, but he's expecting another result Tuesday night. How long Barnes is sidelined depends on whether he tests positive, as a positive test would keep him out for at least 10 days. An update on his status figures to come out Tuesday night or whenever his test results are determined.

The White Sox recalled Foster from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.

Foster will fill the spot on the White Sox's 26-man active roster that opened up when Jimmy Lambert was optioned to Triple-A on Monday. Through 27 appearances out of the Chicago bullpen this season, Foster has delivered a 6.04 ERA and 1.45 WHIP.

Rodriguez (2-1) took the loss in his first MLB start against Texas on Tuesday after allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman across six innings. He struck out seven.

All things equal, it was a promising first start for the young hurler, who made 13 appearances out of the Angels' bullpen earlier this year. Rodriguez wasn't exactly lighting up the minor leagues -- he gave up four runs in 4.2 innings in his most recent start and posted a 4.87 ERA across two levels -- but the 23-year-old has electric stuff and the sub-.500 Angels have nothing to lose by letting him spend the rest of the season in the rotation.

Barlow pitched a perfect inning and collected a hold Tuesday, striking out two Angels and setting a new club record for consecutive strikeouts in the process.

When Barlow struck out Jack Mayfield leading off the eighth inning, it was his eighth straight whiff spread across five relief appearances, breaking the club record of seven (which had been shared by three pitchers, including Nolan Ryan). Barlow has also collected a hold in three straight outings, and with a 0.93 ERA and 0.62 WHIP across the first 9.2 innings of his big-league career, he's already looking like one of the top arms in the Rangers' bullpen. Spencer Patton is first in line for saves right now, but if he stumbles, Barlow could be next in line.