MLB Player News

Smeltzer won't draw the start for Thursday's game against the Rangers, with the Twins instead planning to activate Michael Pineda (triceps) from the 10-day injured list to take the hill in the series opener.

Smeltzer was brilliant in his first start in place of Pineda on Aug. 4 -- he tossed six scoreless frames in a win over Kansas City -- but was much less sharp in his second turn, giving up six runs on seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings in an Aug. 9 loss to Cleveland. With Pineda getting the green light to return after completing a throwing session earlier this week without incident, Smeltzer makes for the most logical choice to surrender his rotation spot. According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News Saint Paul, the Twins plan to demote Randy Dobnak to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move for Pineda, so Smeltzer looks poised to stick around with the big club as a long arm out of the bullpen for the time being.

Hernandez agreed Wednesday on a minor-league contract with the Yankees, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports.

The 34-year-old will move on to the seventh different organization of his career after being cut loose by the Reds a few days earlier. Prior to being released, Hernandez submitted a woeful 8.02 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 42.2 innings, but a 4.34 FIP probably paints a better picture of his true talent level. The Yankees assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and see if he can eventually be a solution for their bullpen in late August or September.

Pressly (2-3) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk while striking out two and was tagged with the loss to the White Sox on Wednesday.

Pressly hung an 0-2 slider that James McCann launched into the right field stands. Pressly recently returned from the injured list and posted holds in his first two appearances before surrendering Wednesday's grand slam.

Adams' (lat) bullpen session Tuesday was limited to fastballs, but he's slated to add in breaking pitches during his next session later this week, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Adams seems to finally be gaining some momentum in his recovery. The right-hander has been on the injured list since early July, so when he does eventually work his way up to a rehab assignment, it's likely to be a fairly lengthy one.

Peters (3-1) earned the win Wednesday after holding the Pirates to two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings.

Peters got off to a tough start with shaky command, issuing a leadoff walk and hitting the next two batters with a pitch before surrendering a pair of runs in the first inning. The southpaw soon settled into a better groove, holding the Pirates scoreless the rest of the way. The 26-year-old, who was coming off a season-high, eight-strikeout outing against the Red Sox, certainly has the potential to continue making a major impact on the Angels' rotation. He now owns a 3.38 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 33:9 K:BB over nine appearances (four starts) and will look for his next win during a road matchup against the Rangers on Monday.

Hendriks gave up a hit and struck out three over 1.1 scoreless innings Wednesday to record his 13th save of the season in a 9-5 win over the Giants.

After a rough ending to July, the Oakland closer has been flawless so far in August, converting all four of his save chances with a 0.00 ERA and 11:0 K:BB through five innings. Hendriks continues to outpitch Blake Treinen by a wide margin, and it seems unlikely the duo will switch roles again this season.

Jimenez pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout to earn the save in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.

Jimenez is now two-for-two in save opportunities since the Tigers moved Shane Greene at the deadline. The 24-year-old righty still has a high 4.76 ERA in what's been an up-and-down season, but he should have the closer's role locked down the rest of the way, albeit on a team that's just 36-81 after Wednesday's victory.

Beeks (5-2) took the loss Wednesday at San Diego after surrendering five runs on eight hits over five innings. He had six strikeouts and two walks.

Beeks gave up only two extra-base hits Wednesday, but he allowed baserunners in bunches and was ultimately unable to keep the Friars off the board for most of the outing. The outing was the first of at least five innings since May 1 for the 26-year-old, which can be partly explained by his frequent role as the primary pitcher behind an opener. Beeks has a 4.02 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 71:32 K:BB over 85 innings this season and lines up to face the Mariners on Tuesday.

Chapman allowed a hit but struck out two over one inning to post his 33rd save in a 6-5 victory against the Yankees on Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, this was Chapman's ninth straight outing with at least out strikeout. The last time he didn't post a punch-out was July 23, which also marks the date of his last blown save. Chapman has converted eight straight save chances since then. He is 3-2 with 33 saves, 2.45 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 69 strikeouts in 47.2 innings this season.

De Leon was optioned to Triple-A Durham following Wednesday's loss to the Padres, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

De Leon was recalled prior to the contest and made his first major-league appearance since 2017, allowing one run on one hit hit with three strikeouts and two walks over two frames. The 27-year-old returns to Durham, where he has a 3.65 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 64:24 K:BB over 44.1 innings this season.