MLB Player News

Lopez is listed as the Royals' probable pitcher for Friday's series opener in Miami.

With the Royals moving Eric Skoglund to relief last week, Lopez will stick around as the team's fifth starter and pick up a second turn through the rotation. Lopez draws a favorable matchup against a lowly Marlins squad in a pitcher-friendly venue in Miami, but that may not be enough to make him a comfortable streaming option. He failed to reach the fifth inning Saturday versus a similarly weak opponent in the Orioles, giving up four runs on four hits and two walks.

Betances (lat) threw live batting practice Tuesday and could go on a rehab assignment Friday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Betances reported feeling good about his repertoire in the on-field session in which he pitched to Giancarlo Stanton, Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade. Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won a tiebreaker game Tuesday to advance to the playoffs, so Betances could make an appearance with them as early as Friday. The Yankees are hopeful that the 31-year-old can make it back to the big club in mid-September.

The Twins promoted Balazovic from High-A Fort Myers to Double-A Pensacola on Wednesday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

The 20-year-old right-hander will aid the Blue Wahoos during their postseason run after turning in a stellar season between Fort Myers and Low-A Cedar Rapids. He earned a promotion to the Florida State League after just four starts with Cedar Rapids and didn't see his productivity wane at the higher level, posting a 2.84 ERA to go with a 96:21 K:BB in 73 innings. The 2016 fifth-round pick will likely open the 2020 campaign as a full-time member of the Pensacola rotation.

Garcia pitched three scoreless innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, giving up one hit and striking out two.

Garcia's fourth appearance since shifting to the bullpen in anticipation of a possible September callup was his most impressive to date. He allowed only a harmless single while throwing 22 of 37 pitches for strikes and whiffing two batters. Still, he has surrendered six runs in 7.2 innings since making the transition to a relief role and a promotion to the big club remains up in the air.

Coulombe was signed by the Yankees and assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Coulombe was released by Milwaukee on Aug. 29 but didn't take long to return to the Yankees organization, where he has spent the majority of 2019. In 31 minor-league games between Triple-A San Antonio and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, he has posted a 4-2 record, 4.71 ERA and 61:17 K:BB in 36.1 innings. The 29-year-old has pitched in 153 games in the majors across five seasons with the Dodgers and Athletics, compiling a 4.27 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 134:61 K:BB in 143.1 frames.

Norris did not factor into the decision against Kansas City on Tuesday, completing three innings and giving up three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three.

Due to concerns about his workload, Norris was limited to three innings for his fifth straight start. He entered the game having allowed only one run in his last nine innings but was less successful against the Royals, serving up a three-run homer to Jorge Soler in the third frame. The southpaw has given up 25 long balls in 132.1 innings this season while compiling a 4.76 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 114:38 K:BB. He'll likely be on an innings cap again when he makes his next scheduled start in Oakland on Sunday.

Barria threw four innings in a no-decision against the Athletics on Tuesday, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits, striking out five and walking two as the Angels eventually fell 7-5.

Barria's first start back in the rotation after not pitching at all last week didn't go well, as he was knocked around by Oakland before getting chased from the contest after throwing 74 pitches. He hasn't put himself on the fantasy radar this season, posting a 6.27 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 66 innings.

Hendriks got the save against the Angels on Tuesday, striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning without allowing a baserunner to close out Oakland's 7-5 victory.

Hendriks had given up three earned runs and blown a save in his last two appearances, but he got back in track with a clean effort against the Angels to pick up his 18th save of the season, needing just eight pitches to finish the job. He's blown five saves this season, but Hendriks' overall numbers are still fantastic, as he's sporting an elite 1.74 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 103:19 K:BB across 72.1 innings.

Jurado allowed five runs on seven hits and zero walks over four innings during Tuesday's loss to the Yankees. He had three strikeouts and didn't factor in the decision.

Edinson Volquez allowed two runs while working as the opener, saving Jurado from being saddled with the loss. Jurado fired four scoreless frames before falling apart during the sixth inning, allowing five hits -- including two homers -- and recording zero outs. The 23-year-old has a 5.40 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 78:34 K:BB through 116.2 innings this season and lines up for a more favorable matchup Sunday at Baltimore.

Rogers allowed one earned run on two hits and no walks while striking out two across 1.1 innings to earn the save Tuesday against the Red Sox.

Rogers surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced, cutting the Twins' lead to one run. From there, he worked around two additional baserunners to earn his 23rd save of the season. Despite the slight stumble, Rogers has been very effective of late, allowing just one earned runs across his last six appearance -- spanning seven innings. For the season, he owns a 2.52 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 79 strikeouts across 60.2 frames.