MLB Player News

The MRI on Hand's arm was clean, according to manager Terry Francona, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Francona said Hand will still have to build back up because his tired arm has caused his arm slot to get lower and lower, so the Indians want to fix the matter while also trying to fight for a playoff spot. It may be unrealistic to expect Hand, who has a 9.00 ERA in his last 10 appearances, to return to his old self with only 15 games to go. Nick Wittgren could be an option for saves while Hand works his way back into form.

Hendriks struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his 20th save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Astros.

He's converted 11 of 12 save chances since the beginning of August, posting a 1.50 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and incredible 33:0 K:BB through 18 innings over that stretch. Hendricks' emergence as the A's closer has been a key component in their hunt for a playoff berth, and the club now sits in the second AL wild-card spot -- a half-game ahead of Cleveland, and a half-game back of the Rays for home-field advantage in the play-in contest.

Peters (3-3) took the loss Wednesday, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over three innings as the Angels were downed 4-3 by Cleveland. He struck out only one.

Four of the five hits off the southpaw went for extra bases, including homers by Francisco Lindor and Carlos Santana, and the Angels couldn't climb out of the early hole Peters had dug. He hasn't been able to complete five innings in four of his last five starts, and Peters will carry a 4.83 ERA and 48:21 K:BB through 59.2 innings into his next outing Sept. 18, on the road against the Yankees.

Cimber struck out the only batter he faced to record his first career save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Angels.

With Brad Hand (arm) unavailable, manager Terry Francona elected to play matchups in the ninth inning, using Nick Wittgren, Oliver Perez and Cimber for one out apiece. Wittgren is the most likely candidate to see regular save chances if Hand is sidelined for a while, but Cimber could become part of a committee approach to filling the gap.

Lopez (9-13) allowed six runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out six over 4.2 innings to pick up the loss against Kansas City on Wednesday.

Lopez was hoping to maintain the form he had in his last start, when he pitched a complete-game one-hitter, but the Royals teed off on offerings that stayed over the center of the plate. The right-hander was touched for four home runs and has now given up 31 in 166.2 innings (1.7 HR/9). Lopez's inconsistent season trudges on Monday when he faces the Twins on the road.

Leclerc gave up a run on two hits while striking out two in the ninth inning Wednesday to record his 12th save of the season in a 10-9 win over the Rays.

Ji-Man Choi's solo shot with one out made for a nervous ninth, but Leclerc was able to shut the door. The right-hander's 3.60 ERA and 1.47 WHIP since the beginning of August aren't particularly exciting, but he's converted seven of eight save chances in that time with a 21:10 K:BB over 15 innings.

Jurado didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 10-9 win over the Rays, surrendering six runs on six hits and two walks over 1.2 innings. He struck out only one.

Tampa hung two runs on him in the top of the first inning, but Texas struck back for seven in the bottom of the frame -- only for Jurado to immediately help cough up the lead and get chased from the game after recording only five outs on 47 pitches (27 strikes). The right-hander will take a 5.78 ERA and 79:36 K:BB through 118.1 innings into his next start Tuesday in Houston.

Bass struck out two in two-thirds of an inning to record his fourth save in a 5-3 win over the Reds on Wednesday.

Bass was called to pitch with one out and the bases loaded with a three-run lead in the ninth inning. Bass struck out the first two batters he faced, although a wild pitch allowed a run to score on the second punchout. He forced a groundout to nail down his fourth save of the season. The 31-year-old has now gotten a save in both games of the series, while Matt Magill has not pitched since Sept. 5.

Thornton (5-9) allowed no hits and a walk while striking out seven across five scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Thornton entered the game in the third inning to work as the primary pitcher behind Wilmer Font. He was given eight runs of support across his first two innings, but he didn't need much while allowing only one baserunner across his five frames and closing his stellar outing by retiring 13 consecutive batters. While Thornton's first 28 appearances of the season came as a traditional starter, his usage to close the season remains unclear. However, he should pitch next in some capacity on Tuesday at Baltimore.

Hand underwent an MRI for an apparent arm injury and returned to Cleveland after Tuesday's game against the Angels, Anthony Alford of WTAM 11 Cleveland reports.

Hand last appeared Sunday, when he earned the save in Minnesota, and he took a late flight back from Los Angeles on Tuesday to undergo the MRI, which came back clean. Manager Terry Francona indicated the lefty wasn't properly "bouncing back" from his throws but was still encouraged by his progress. The specifics of the injury remain unclear, but Hand will be evaluated further Friday with the team returning from the road trip.