MLB Player News

Martin (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day DL on Tuesday.

Martin will be available out of the bullpen for Tuesday's game in Arizona. He recently appeared in a rehab outing with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, and didn't experience any problems with the left groin, so consider him good to go moving forward. Through 28 appearances with the Rangers this year, he's logged a 4.32 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.

Ortiz was traded from the Brewers to the Orioles on Tuesday along with Jonathan Villar and Jean Carmona in exchange for Jonathan Schoop, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most would consider Ortiz the headliner in this package for Baltimore. He is a big, 6-foot-3, 230-pound righty whose minor-league production has never quite matched his scouting report. At his best, Ortiz shows a heavy fastball that leads to plenty of groundballs, a plus breaking ball and good command in the zone, while mixing in an average changeup. If he were to max out, he could make it as a mid-rotation starter, but it is probably more likely at this point that he ends up as more of a back-end starter. Look for him to be assigned to Double-A Bowie.

Lakins was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Since moving to a role in the bullpen at Double-A Portland near the end of May, Lakins has only allowed two earned runs while recording 22 strikeouts in 21 innings of work. He will get a taste of the Triple-A level for the first time in his professional career after spending the past 15 months with Portland.

Bollinger was called up from Double-A Trenton on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old previously spent a day with the Yankees in May but was optioned and subsequently outrighted to Trenton. Across 12 starts with the Double-A club, he's logged a 4.86 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 61 strikeouts in 66.2 innings. Look for him to be deployed in low-leverage spots during his time with New York.

May was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

May will take the place of Lance Lynn on the active roster after the latter was dealt to the Yankees on Monday. Through 13 appearances (four starts) with Rochester this year, May has logged a 4.00 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 25:16 K:BB across 27 innings. He hasn't pitched in a big-league game since 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of 2017. Look for him to be utilized in low-leverage spots upon his return to Minnesota.

Hearn was traded from the Pirates to the Rangers along with a player to be named later in exchange for Keone Kela.

One of the top pitching prospects in the Pirates' system, Hearn makes for a nice headliner for Texas in this deal, as his realistic floor would seem to be a high-leverage reliever. He stands 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and throws in the mid-90s from the left side, often touching 97 or 98 with his fastball. In addition to that impressive heater, he has an above average slider and useable changeup. Hearn turns 24 at the end of August and has not yet pitched at Triple-A, so it's hard to bank on significant improvements to the command or secondaries at this stage. That said, he posted a 3.12 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 107:38 K:BB in 104 innings with Double-A Altoona prior to the trade, so he will certainly continue to be developed as a starter for now. In that role, he has mid-rotation upside.

Pomeranz will start Tuesday against the Phillies, but is not guaranteed a spot in the rotation beyond this start, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Pomeranz recently came off the disabled and was less than impressive in a start last Tuesday, when he didn't hit the zone consistently and the velocity of his fastball averaged 88.46 mph. Tuesday's start is pivotal to his role going forward. "Drew is pitching, then after that we've got the off days and all of that, so, [Brian Johnson's] doing an outstanding job just kind of like Steven Wright early in the season," manager Alex Cora said. "We feel very comfortable. But, obviously, we got Drew that just came out of the rehab, so he'll pitch and we'll go from there." The left-hander was a very effective pitcher for the Red Sox going down the stretch last year, but injuries have limited him to nine starts with a ghastly 6.91 ERA. With Johnson, who has recently pitched well as a starter, the acquisition of Nathan Eovaldi, and Eduardo Rodriguez (ankle) increasing his activity, Pomeranz could be looking at a bullpen role over the final two months of the regular season.

Leclerc appears to be in line for save opportunities, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers sent Keone Kela, who had served as the team's closer all season, to the Pirates during Monday's game. General manager Jon Daniels wasn't ready to announce the name of the Rangers' new closer, but he heaped praise on Leclerc. "He is certainly one of our winning pieces in the bullpen," Daniels said. "I don't think we are here to name a closer tonight, but he's got that ability." Leclerc has a 2.27 ERA with 56 strikeouts over 39.2 innings.

Diaz didn't allow a baserunner in the ninth inning to record his 40th save of the season Monday against the Astros.

Diaz needed only seven pitches to sit the Astros' down in order. He is the first pitcher to reach 40 saves this season -- Craig Kimbrel is second with 33 -- and has not allowed an earned run since June 23. So long as the Mariners keep winning close games, Diaz is a good bet to remain the top fantasy closer.

Jerez and Ty Buttrey were dealt from Boston to Los Angeles on Monday in exchange for Ian Kinsler and cash considerations, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Jerez has yet to make his big-league debut. He made 33 appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket in 2018, posting a 3.68 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with 67 strikeouts over 51 innings of work, so he certainly holds some value as a future reliever. Jerez will likely report to the Angels' minor-league system following the trade.