MLB Player News

Rodney struck out the side to successfully convert the save Sunday against the Brewers.

Rodney was called in to protect a two-run lead, and he did so to record his ninth save of the season. He has now converted his last six save opportunities, quieting talk of him losing the closer role.

Lopez (1-3) allowed two hits and walked two while striking out eight across eight shutout innings to earn the win Sunday against the Rangers.

Lopez bounced back from his last start -- a disastrous six run outing -- and looked to be in complete control, needing only 107 pitches to complete his eight innings of work. He used a combination of strikeouts and groundballs to allow only two baserunners after the third inning. The 25-year-old has an impressive 2.98 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, but his peripherals suggest he needs to continue to show skill growth like today to maintain those results moving forward.

Mengden (4-4) allowed no runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two across seven innings as he picked up the win in Sunday's 9-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

Mengden earned his second win in a row after putting together a quality start Sunday. Through 10 outings this season, he owns a 3.30 ERA and 1.08 WHIP along with 38 strikeouts across 57.1 innings. Mengden has also demonstrated impressive control during the first few months of his 2018 campaign, allowing just six total walks. The 25-year-old will look to earn his fifth win of the year in his next start, which figures to come Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Ramirez was claimed off waivers by the Athletics on Sunday.

Ramirez was scooped up by the Athletics a week after being designated for assignment by the Blue Jays. The reliever owns a cumulative 2.57 ERA over eight minor-league seasons and held a 2.84 ERA over 19 innings of relief with the Blue Jays over the past two seasons.

Pagan (1-0) allowed a hit and a walk over two scoreless innings in a win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. He also recorded a strikeout.

Pagan took over after Sean Manaea struggled through five innings, delivering a pair of scoreless frames to keep the Athletics' deficit a manageable 4-0. That would ultimately prove pivotal to Oakland's comeback, as it was able to put together a five-run rally in the top half of the eighth that afforded Pagan his first win in an Oakland uniform. The strong outing was a welcome sight, considering that Pagan had earned a demotion to Triple-A Nashville in early May after allowing seven earned runs on 13 hits over six consecutive appearances.

Stanek failed to record an out in a win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two earned runs on two hits.

Just recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Durham, the hard-throwing right-hander was entrusted with preserving a 5-1 lead entering the ninth. However, he ran into trouble immediately, allowing a leadoff single to Zack Cozart before surrendering a 430-foot, two-run home run to Mike Trout, earning him the hook and bringing in Alex Colome for an unexpected save opportunity. Stanek had been effective in his three prior big-league appearances this season, allowing an earned run on a hit over 3.2 innings while generating seven strikeouts.

Jurado was optioned to Double-A Frisco on Sunday.

Jurado will head back to the minors following his first major-league start Saturday in which he allowed four runs over 4.2 innings against the White Sox. His demotion opens up a roster spot for Chris Martin's (forearm) activation from the disabled list.

Martin (forearm) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Sunday.

Martin is set to rejoin the Rangers' bullpen after missing the last three weeks with a forearm injury. Ariel Jurado was optioned back to Double-A Frisco to make room on the roster.

Hart was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Hart will be temporarily cast off the 25-man roster to make room for David Hess to be recalled ahead of his start Sunday against the Red Sox. Hart, who owns a 1.93 ERA in 4.2 innings of relief, could make his way back to the majors in the near future.

Jurado was lauded by manager Jeff Banister after the 22-year-old made his MLB debut Saturday in a loss to the White Sox, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. "I will say this: He showed a lot of moxie," Banister said. "He responded very well. He didn't seem affected [by the big inning]. There were a lot of learning experiences out there for him. There were so many positives. We loved what we saw."

The Rangers are going nowhere this season, so bringing in Jurado over a journeyman like Austin Bibens-Dirkx is the clearest sign the organization is preparing for its rebuild. Banister didn't make any announcements following the game, but the Rangers will need a fifth starter Thursday, and his comments came close to endorsing Jurado for that start. The right-hander is a low-level prospect who gets by mostly on his sinker. If he's leaving it up, he'll get tagged, as he did in the third inning Saturday when he allowed all four of his runs. But he recognized that and made the necessary adjustments to give the Rangers another six outs. He's similar to fellow Rangers starter Doug Fister, who has had a 10-year career as a serviceable major-league starter.