MLB Player News

Alvarado (oblique) fired a perfect first inning in High-A Charlotte's loss to Palm Beach on Sunday.

Alvarado needed only 11 pitches, nine of which he threw for strikes, to get through his one frame. The left-hander's first rehab outing obviously went extremely well, although the level of competition has to be taken into account. Alvarado is slated for at least a couple more rehab appearances this coming week before a possible activation next Friday.

Green pitched a scoreless ninth inning and was credited with the save against Boston on Sunday, giving up one walk while whiffing one batter.

With Aroldis Chapman unavailable after picking up saves in the previous two games, Aaron Boone turned to Green -- one day removed from a 25-pitch outing as the opener -- to protect a three-run ninth inning lead. The 28-year-old proved up to the task, allowing only a two-out walk before striking out Jackie Bradley Jr. to end the game. The save was the third of Green's career, two of which have come in his last five appearances. He's no threat to take over as closer but appears to be a viable option when Chapman needs a breather.

Bass struck out one in a perfect inning Sunday against the Astros.

Though he didn't enter Sunday's contest in a save situation, Bass appears to be in line for closing duties after Roenis Elias was dealt to the Nationals on Wednesday. Bass has registered just one save on the year and has four blown saves, so Matt Magill may also be in the mix if Bass struggles to get the job done.

Pressly (knee) completed a bullpen session Sunday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Pressly's ability to resume mound work seemingly puts him on track for a brief stint on the 10-day injured list. He's first eligible for reinstatement ahead of Tuesday's game against the Rockies, though he may need a couple additional days to build up before Houston is comfortable bringing the All-Star reliever back.

Perez has resumed rehabbing a mild forearm injury at the Astros' spring-training facility in Florida, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The forearm issue has kept Perez on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Round Rock since late June. Though he's seemingly progressing from the injury and could make a rehab start at one of the Astros' lower-level affiliates in the near future, the prolonged shutdown may hurt Perez's chances of resurfacing in Houston when rosters expand in September.

Santiago will be called up from Triple-A Charlotte to start the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader in Detroit, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox don't currently have an opening in the rotation, but Santiago could earn a spot over fifth starter Ross Detwiler with a strong showing in his 2019 debut with the big club. Since inking a minor-league deal with the White Sox in June, Santiago has made seven starts for Charlotte, submitting a 5.84 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 37 innings. The 31-year-old will be tough to justify including in weekly fantasy lineups outside of AL-only formats.

Payano allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks over 4.1 innings Sunday, striking out two batters in a no-decision during the win over Detroit.

Payano cruised through three scoreless innings to start the game before yielding a run in the fourth. He then coughed up a two-run double to Niko Goodrum in the fifth and walked the following batter, putting an end to his afternoon. The rookie right-hander owns a 3.45 ERA alongside a pedestrian 13:9 K:BB in 15.2 innings at the MLB level. Payano will face a tough test in Milwaukee on Saturday.

Rogers threw a hitless and scoreless inning to record his 17th save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Royals on Sunday.

Rogers entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead and made quick work of the Royals to nail down his 17th save. Rogers didn't allow a baserunner for the third time in is last four appearances. The 28-year-old has a 2.10 ERA and a 65:9 K:BB through 43 appearances this season.

Armstrong picked up the save after allowing two hits and striking out three over a scoreless ninth inning Sunday against the Blue Jays.

Armstrong entered the contest in the ninth inning with a one-run lead, and despite allowing the tying run to reach third base, he fanned the final batter of the contest to secure the victory. The 28-year-old right-hander has received two save opportunities over his last three appearances, and he's been able to convert on both chances. However, Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro will also continue to factor into Baltimore's closing committee moving forward.

Smeltzer (1-1) gave up no runs on two hits and one walk while striking out four through six innings to take the win over the Royals on Sunday.

Smeltzer was incredible in his first MLB win. He has only allowed one run in his last 12.1 innings and has likely earned more opportunities at the big-league level. The left-hander has a 2.28 ERA with a 21:5 K:BB through 27.2 innings this season. Smeltzer will make his next start Friday against the Indians at Progressive Field.