MLB Player News

Mengden came on in relief of Mike Fiers in the fourth inning of a loss to the Angels on Tuesday and allowed an earned run on five hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out two.

The right-hander threw 58 pitches overall while eating up some important innings in the middle of the contest in what was his first appearance since making a spot start July 28 against the Rockies. With Jesus Luzardo back in the rotation and Chris Bassitt thriving as a starter as well, Mengden, whose arm is built up for multiple innings, could serve as a valuable resource for manager Bob Melvin in instances such as Tuesday's when starters don't log a normal workload, which makes the 14 days between outings somewhat confounding.

The Royals added Hernandez to their 60-man roster pool Tuesday.

Hernandez already possesses a spot on the Royals' 40-man roster, so his inclusion in the pool wasn't totally unexpected. That being said, the 23-year-old right-hander has yet to pitch above the Low-A level, so he won't rank near the top of the list for a callup if the big club requires reinforcements in the rotation.

Chapman took part in a simulated game at the Yankees' alternate training site Tuesday, unofficially throwing 25 pitches and facing eight batters, Conor Foley of the Scranton Time-Tribune reports.

Per Foley, Chapman walked one batter and struck out two during his appearance. The outing against live batters represents another step in Chapman's progression to returning to game action after he tested positive for COVID-19 in July. The Yankees have not provided a timeline for Chapman's return, but he should resume his customary closer role upon joining the active roster.

Lopez (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a two-inning simulated game at the White Sox's alternate training site later this week, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The news is an indication that Lopez's inflamed left shoulder responded well to the side session he tossed over the weekend. The White Sox haven't officially specified what Lopez's role will look like once he's activated from the 10-day injured list, but expect him to at least build up his arm for starting duty to give the team another option in the rotation. After failing to escape the first inning of his first start before landing on the IL, Lopez was replaced in the rotation by Gio Gonzalez, who has posted a 4.26 ERA, 2.05 WHIP and 7.8 K/9 across three starts.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria said Tuesday that Bummer's biceps is "loosening up," but the lefty has yet to begin a throwing program, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The White Sox have been encouraged with how Bummer has bounced back from the left biceps strain after landing on the 10-day injured list Saturday, but a target date for his return probably won't be established until he's cleared to resume mound work. Before getting shut down with the injury, Bummer had served as Chicago's top setup man, giving up one earned run on four hits and four walks over 7.1 innings while striking out 12 and collecting three holds.

Pressly blew the save Tuesday against the Giants. He allowed one run on two hits and one walk while fanning two in one inning. He also threw a wild pitch.

Pressly entered the ninth inning with a one-run lead, but he couldn't get the job and allowed the Giants to tie the game on an RBI single from Darin Ruf. Things could've gone worse for the 31-year-old right-hander as he had Hunter Pence at third with two outs, but he struck out Wilmer Flores to end the threat. Pressly now has gone 1-for-3 in save opportunities this season.

Montero notched his third save of the season Tuesday against the Mariners. He pitched a scoreless inning and struck one.

Montero continues to look dominant as the new Rangers closer, going 3-for-3 on save opportunities and is yet to allow hits or runs in any of those outings, striking out three. Texas manager Chris Woodward already confirmed Montero as the new closer following Jose Leclerc's shoulder injury, and he has done nothing but respond to that confidence with three strong performances.

Curtiss (1-0) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits over 2.2 relief innings in an 8-2 victory over the Red Sox. He struck out one.

Andrew Kittredge (elbow) was the listed opener but only lasted two batters before coming out of the game, and Curtiss was the next man up for the Rays. The 27-year-old then got credit for his first MLB win when Tampa pushed across a couple of early runs against Martin Perez. Curtiss has now tossed 4.2 innings over two appearances since being added to the roster Sunday, finding success with a 1.93 ERA and 5:0 K:BB.

Sulser (1-1) allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one across one inning to blow the save Wednesday. However, he was credited with a win.

Sulser was called upon to protect an 8-6 lead in the ninth inning. After retiring the first two batters he faced, he allowed two singles and two walks to allow the Phillies to tie the game. Sulser was bailed out by the Orioles' offense after Austin Hays hit an inside-the-park home run to lead off the 10th inning and was credited with the win as a result. Sulser has now blown two saves this season and has a 5.63 ERA and 7:5 K:BB. The team has consistently used him in the closer role, though Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro could become options if his struggles continue.

Alexander (1-1) allowed five earned runs across 3.2 innings to take the loss Tuesday against the White Sox. He gave up four hits and three walks while striking out two.

Alexander struck out 10 batters, including an American League record nine in a row, in a relief appearance that spanned 3.2 innings back on Aug. 2, but the lefty was unable to recapture that magic in his first start of 2020. He was tagged for two home runs and saw his ERA rise from 1.17 to 4.76. Alexander will likely stick in the rotation for now, but Daniel Norris looms as an option to claim a spot at some point, as does top prospect Casey Mize.