MLB Player News

Varland earned the save in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Royals, allowing two hits and no walks with one strikeout in 1.1 scoreless innings.

Varland worked through traffic in both of the innings he pitched, as he entered and escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth and then allowed two hits in the ninth before securing the save. The 28-year-old righty has now converted 30 of his 31 save opportunities and hasn't surrendered an earned run in his past eight appearances.

Cruz was diagnosed with a partial tear in his right UCL on Wednesday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cruz will seek out a second opinion following his initial diagnosis, but manager Aaron Boone noted that Tommy John surgery is on the table. Even if the right-hander manages to avoid going under the knife, he would likely still miss the remainder of the regular season. Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn are likely candidates to see an uptick in setup opportunities while Cruz is out.

Sabrowski earned the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Angels, allowing a hit while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.

With Cade Smith unavailable after pitching the previous two days, it was Sabrowski who got the call in the ninth inning Wednesday, tasked with protecting a one-run lead. The southpaw gave up an infield single to lead off the frame, but he rebounded to retire the next three batters en route to his first save this season. Sabrowski has been excellent of late, holding opponents scoreless in 10 straight appearances (eight innings) while claiming a high-leverage role in the Guardians' bullpen. Sabrowski's ERA is down to 3.00 through 39 innings this year with a 1.26 WHIP and 65:25 K:BB.

Wells struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his fifth save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Tigers.

Bryan Baker is getting an extended breather after working three straight days from Saturday to Monday, so Wells got a chance to pick up his first save for the Rays and didn't squander it. The former Oriole has been scored upon only once in eight appearances for his new team, posting a 2.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB in 10.1 innings since switching AL East jerseys at the trade deadline.

The Athletics optioned Juenger to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Juenger has made 15 relief appearances between the Blue Jays and Athletics this season, allowing 16 runs with a 6:8 K:BB over 16 frames. He's being replaced on the roster and in the bullpen by Chris Roycroft.

The Athletics recalled Roycroft from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

After being scooped up off waivers by the Athletics on Tuesday, Roycroft will report directly to the big club. The big right-hander has given up 23 runs with an 18:12 K:BB over 24.2 innings between stops with the Cardinals and Rays this season.

The Yankees transferred Castro (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

The transaction frees a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Michael Fulmer, who signed a one-year contract. Castro hit the shelf in mid-August due to right elbow neuritis, and Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports that the 27-year-old is scheduled to meet with Dr. Keith Meister in the near future to determine whether surgery is necessary to address the injury. Even if Castro is able to avoid a procedure, his move to the 60-day IL officially ends his season.

The Yankees signed Fulmer to a one-year contract Wednesday.

Fulmer elected free agency Tuesday after being removed from the Angels' 40-man roster, and he was quickly able to secure a big-league deal with the Yankees. The veteran righty has spun 3.2 scoreless frames during his brief time in the majors in 2026 and holds a 2.93 ERA and 52:21 K:BB across 43 innings this season at the Triple-A level.

The Yankees optioned Hanner to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday.

In his first-ever stint in the majors, Hanner gave up three runs with a 6:0 K:BB over four innings. The right-handed reliever could get another look from the Yankees in September.

The Yankees placed Cruz on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right elbow soreness.

Cruz was tagged for a couple runs over one inning of relief in Tuesday's loss to the Astros, and to make matters worse, he came out of the appearance with elbow discomfort. The Yankees haven't provided word yet regarding how much time he might miss, but the loss of Cruz is a major blow to the bullpen ranks. Cruz holds a 3.13 ERA and 67:32 K:BB over 54.2 frames this season.