MLB Player News

Borucki (elbow) received a cortisone injection Friday and won't throw for two weeks, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Borucki apparently experienced some soreness during his last throwing session, prompting the injection. The 25-year-old was previously targeting a two-game series with the Giants on April 23-24 for his return, but that is clearly no longer possible. Borucki is likely looking at a return in mid-May at the earliest given that he won't resume throwing until the end of April.

Betances' simulated game did not go well Thursday, so he'll undergo another MRI on his inflamed shoulder, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The injuries just keep mounting in the Bronx. Betances had been working his way back after opening the season on the injured list but may now see his return delayed. A clearer picture should emerge following the MRI.

Swanson was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Swanson made one appearance after being called up Tuesday and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over two innings. The 25-year-old figures to return to his starting role with the Rainiers, but should see the majors again at some point this season.

Armstrong (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday.

Armstrong had been battling an oblique issue since mid-March. In a short, 14.2-inning sample last season, he recorded an excellent 1.23 ERA. The Mariners' closer job is wide open with Hunter Strickland (lat) on the 60-day injured list, though Armstrong may need a few outings to prove himself before pushing for save chances.

Barria was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake after Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Barria picked up the win during his lone game in the majors as he allowed one run on four hits across 2.2 innings after being called up earlier Wednesday. The 22-year-old figured to be out of commission for a few days after throwing 43 pitches, so the Angels opted to bring up a fresh arm in Jake Jewell.

Armstrong (oblique) fired a scoreless first inning in Triple-A Tacoma's win over El Paso on Wednesday and could be ready for activation during the upcoming homestand, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Armstrong now has back-to-back scoreless one-inning rehab outings under his belt, and he's been exceedingly sharp in both while throwing 25 of 33 pitches for strikes overall. Thus, the news of impending activation isn't overly surprising, although it remains to be seen if Armstrong will take one more minor-league turn before being deemed ready for his 2019 big-league debut.

Treinen pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to record his fourth save in an 8-5 victory against the Orioles on Thursday.

This is certainly the way owners wanted Treinen to respond after blowing his first save April 7. The 30-year-old was extremely efficient, retiring the side in 10 pitches while throwing seven strikes. He is 4-for-5 in save opportunities with a 1.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in nine innings.

Giles (0-1) allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out none in the ninth inning to blow the save chance and take the loss Thursday against the Red Sox.

Giles came on to begin the ninth inning with a one-run lead, and after recording the first outs without issue, he quickly ran into trouble before allowing a walkoff single with the bases loaded. Though one of his free passes was intentional, Giles struggled to throw strikes as just 12 of his 26 pitches found the zone. The two earned runs were the first surrendered by Giles this season, so there's likely no reason to panic over the security of his role yet.

Boxberger blew a save after surrendering two runs on three hits while striking out one during the ninth inning Thursday against Seattle.

Boxberger had put together a pair of scoreless appearances heading into Thursday's series finale, but he managed to squander a two-run lead and the Royals would ultimately give up the winning run in the top of the 10th inning. The 30-year-old continues to have a rough go of it in 2019, accruing a 9.95 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 6.1 frames. Kansas City has struggled to find a reliever who can close out games to this point, with Boxberger and Ian Kennedy blowing save opportunities this week.

Sadzeck notched his first save of the season after tossing a scoreless inning and striking out one Thursday against Kansas City.

Following a late rally by the Mariners, Sadzeck was deployed for his first save chance of the 2019 campaign and managed to get the job done without any trouble. The 27-year-old seems like an odd choice with the game on the line, although with Anthony Swarzak and Roenis Elias ruled unavailable due to recent usage, Sadzeck's name was called to work the bottom of the 10th inning.