MLB Player News

Smeltzer was optioned to Triple-A Rochester following Wednesday's 10-7 loss to the Yankees, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Smeltzer was recalled earlier Wednesday and delivered five innings of one-run ball in long relief of Jake Odorizzi, providing a much-needed break for the Twins' bullpen. Unfortunately for Smeltzer, that means he head back to Rochester in favor of a fresh arm. The 23-year-old has a 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB through 21.2 innings this season.

Lopez (5-9) recorded 10 strikeouts and gave up two runs on four hits and one walk through eight innings to take the loss against the Marlins on Wednesday.

Although he picked up the loss, Lopez registered 21 swinging strikes in a dominant performance. Lopez's command was on another level, as he got 93 percent of his pitches through the first three innings into the strike zone and managed the feat on 76 of his 93 offerings overall. In his three starts since the All-Star break, the 25-year-old has only allowed four runs in 21 innings. Lopez will make his next start Tuesday against the Mets at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Yacabonis will start Thursday's game against the Angels, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Tom Eshelman was previously announced as the starter, but Yacabonis will instead take the mound. Yacabonis worked as an opener earlier this season, but the Orioles haven't indicated whether that's the case this time around. The 27-year-old may not be fully stretched out as a starter, but he did deliver 61 pitches in an appearance July 13.

Cisnero pitched 1.2 perfect innings in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Phillies. He struck out three.

Cisnero was recalled from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day and he looked good in his first MLB action since July 15. The 30-year-old righty now has a 2.84 ERA through 12.2 innings with the Tigers this season, and with Detroit badly in need of pitching help, Cisnero could carve out a role down the stretch if he keeps playing well.

Soto pitched three scoreless innings of relief in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Phillies. He allowed two hits and a walk while recording two strikeouts.

Soto, who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Saturday, has made seven starts for the Tigers this season, but he's operating out of the bullpen for now. The 24-year-old lefty has an unsightly 7.88 ERA, though Wednesday's long-relief effort was a step in the right direction. With Detroit sitting at 30-67, Soto should continue to get opportunities as the team assesses young players for 2020 and beyond.

Torres' contract was selected from Triple-A Rochester prior to Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

The 36-year-old righty was designated for assignment earlier this year by the Tigers, but he latched on with Minnesota and worked his way back to the majors. He logged a 4.15 ERA in 17.1 innings (eight appearances) and should offer some length out of the bullpen.

Smeltzer was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday and will work out of the bullpen.

Blake Parker and Kohl Stewart were dispatched to the minors, so the Twins needed some fresh bullpen arms, particularly after Tuesday's classic extra-innings game against the Yankees. Smeltzer has had a lot of success as a starter in the minors this year, and he could be particularly nasty out of the bullpen due to his deceptive delivery from the left side. Smeltzer could potentially handle multi-inning situations.

Pressly (knee) threw a scoreless eighth inning on eight pitches in Wednesday's win over Oakland. He allowed one hit.

With the scoreless frame, Pressly earned his 23rd hold (second most in baseball). It was his first appearance in close to a week -- Pressly was hit in the knee by a comebacker his last time out and manager AJ Hinch decided to stay away from him for awhile. Pressly is one of the best relievers in the game, and even in a setup role, he's worth rostering in most formats.

VerHagen's contract will be selected prior to Thursday's game against the Mariners.

VerHagen spent some time with the Tigers early in the season but was designated for assignment after allowing 10 runs and walking 10 batters in six innings of work. He righted the ship with Triple-A Toledo, though his 4.42 ERA isn't particularly encouraging. Daniel Stumpf was optioned to clear a spot on the 25-man roster, while Grayson Greiner (back) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man.

Pagan struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his seventh save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Red Sox.

After blowing his last two saves chances, Pagan was back on track in this one. The right-hander continues to pile up strikeouts, posting a 23:2 K:BB over his last 11.2 innings. However, he's also served up four homers during that span, making him a volatile source of saves for fantasy bullpens.