MLB Player News

Pivetta was traded from the Phillies to the Red Sox on Friday in exchange for Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree.

Pivetta was recently sent to the Phillies' alternate training site, but he'll now get a fresh start with a new organization. The right-hander wasn't able to put things together to begin the season as he posted a 15.88 ERA and 1.94 WHIP over 5.2 innings in three relief appearances. While the Red Sox no longer have two of their top bullpen arms, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said that the team views Pivetta as a starter, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. He'll report to the Red Sox's secondary site in Pawtucket to begin his time with the team.

Junis (back) threw a "pretty intense" bullpen session Friday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Junis was expected to throw several innings Saturday against the Twins but suffered back spasms while warming up and was placed on the injured list. The issue doesn't appear to be too significant, given that he's already throwing at seemingly full strength less than a week later, so it seems as though he won't be out for too much longer.

Graveman (neck) is still hopeful he'll be able to pitch again this season despite the fact he's dealing with a benign tumor in his spine, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "He's still working through a few things," Mariners manager Scott Servais said Thursday. "He wants to see if there's a way he can still continue to try and pitch this year, whether in a shorter role out of the bullpen a couple innings here or there."

Servais adds the veteran right-hander is highly regarded in the Mariners' clubhouse and has been a strong influence on the team's younger players, so there is certainly a willingness to have Graveman return if he's physically capable. That very much remains an open question, however, as surgery is currently not an option due to the location of the tumor yet doctors have also told him the situation won't worsen if he continues to pitch. Graveman was able to take the mound during an intrasquad game Monday at the team's alternate training site in Tacoma and reportedly displayed good velocity; therefore, there's a chance he could eventually reemerge, although it would most likely be as a relief option so as to prevent the fatigue that the tumor usually causes when Graveman's pitch count gets past a certain point.

Richards came on in relief of opener John Curtiss in the second inning of Thursday's win over the Yankees, allowing two earned runs on four hits over three innings while recording two strikeouts.

Richards was able to give manager Kevin Cash some valuable innings in the bullpen day, and the only run he allowed came via an RBI groundout by Gleyber Torres. The right-hander was also dinged with one run on Gio Urshela's two-run home run off Diego Castillo, making it five times in as many appearances that Richards has been charged with multiple runs this season. Despite his elevated 5.94 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 16.2 innings, Richards is still a valuable asset due to his ability to cover multiple innings as either a spot starter or long reliever.

Fleming will be called up from the Rays' alternate training site to start Sunday's game against Toronto, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The outing will be Fleming's major-league debut. It's not clear that he'll have the chance to stick in the rotation long-term even if he pitches well, however, as Charlie Morton appears to be working his way back from a shoulder issue. The 24-year-old lefty threw 148.2 innings in the two highest levels of the minors last season, posting a 3.57 ERA and a 4.4 percent walk rate but striking out just 17.7 percent of opposing batters.

Manaea (1-2) earned the win Thursday against the Diamondbacks after tossing 5.1 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and fanning four.

Manaea allowed three or more runs in each of his first four starts of the season, but he is beginning to trend in the right direction of late -- he has pitched at least five innings in his past two outings, allowing four runs (three earned) in 10.1 innings during that two-game stretch. It's still far from convincing and well below Manaea's usual numbers, but the encouraging signs are noticeable. His next start is scheduled for Aug. 25 on the road against the Rangers.

Chavez allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning and blew his third save of the season in Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Padres.

Chavez entered in the bottom of the eighth inning to preserve a 6-5 lead but yielded back-to-back home runs to Ty France and Austin Hedges. It was the sixth time in 11 outings the reliever has allowed runs, and Chavez has given up six long balls in just 10.2 innings. He was once considered an important bullpen piece, but an 8.71 ERA (10.23 FIP) and 5.2 HR/9 should put an end to those thoughts.

Paredes (1-0) was credited with the win in Thursday's 10-8 victory over the Rockies. He worked around a walk in a scoreless inning.

In a slugfest at Coors Field, Houston starter Cristian Javier didn't last the five innings necessary to qualify for the win. Three relievers preceded Paredes, but the official scorer determined he was the best of that crew and he was given the win. The 24-year-old right-hander has pitched well out of the Astros' bullpen, posting a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings while not being hurt by the seven walks he's issued.

Jimenez allowed four runs on three hits and a walk while retiring just one batter in Thursday's loss to the White Sox. He struck out one.

Jimenez has served as Detroit's primary closer this season, but with the Tigers entering the day on an eight-game losing streak, the reliever came into the game with his team down 5-0 in the eighth. After striking out Adam Engel to begin the frame, Jimenez could not record another out. He was lifted from the game after Eloy Jimenez took him deep for a two-run homer. The right-hander now holds a messy 9.72 ERA on the campaign, and given his struggles, it would not be surprising for manager Ron Gardenhire to look elsewhere next time the Tigers come across a small lead in the ninth inning.

Hand struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Thursday to record his seventh save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Pirates.

The southpaw needed just 12 pitches (nine strikes) to breeze through the bottom of the Bucs' order. Hand has had some bumpy spots this season, and his 4.70 ERA is actually softened by a couple of unearned runs, but he has yet to blow a save and his 12:4 K:BB through 7.2 innings indicates he can still dominate. His grip on the closer role in Cleveland isn't slipping quite yet.