MLB Player News

Littell was promoted to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

Littell had an ugly 5.87 ERA through five starts at Double-A Chattanooga, but the Twins were clearly impressed by his underlying numbers. He struck out an impressive 31.7 percent of batters while walking just 6.9 percent, good for a 2.59 xFIP. Littell is on the 40-man roster, so if he continues his strong performance at the Triple-A level he could earn some big-league innings by the end of the season.

Giles was not used in the ninth inning Thursday when the Astros had a two-run lead in a game they eventually lost, 6-5, to the Yankees.

Instead of Giles, manager A.J. Hinch turned to Will Harris, who walked his first batter and allowed a pair of singles before being yanked. Once again, Giles was eschewed, this time in favor of Brad Peacock, who let all three inherited runners score. Giles had not pitched the previous night and was presumably available -- he pitched the first two games of the series, including an infamous four-run outing Tuesday that wasted Justin Verlander's gem, after which Giles could be seen punching himself on the way back to the dugout. Hinch said he'd like to see Giles control his emotions better after that incident, and we're left wondering if that played a role in the decision not to use Giles in a save situation Thursday. The Astros' closer has been a puzzle for fantasy owners so far this season. Just when it looked like he'd won back the confidence of his manager, Giles' status is again a topic of uncertainty.

Manaea (4-3) took the loss against the Mariners on Thursday, giving up four earned runs on six hits, striking out five with no walks as Oakland fell 4-1.

Manaea had been one of the most dominant starters in the league going into this game but he took the loss against Seattle after giving up a run in the first inning and three in the third. He's still got ridiculous numbers so far with a 1.63 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP, so the fact that an outing where he missed a quality start by one run feels like such a dud is a testament to how well he's been pitching. He'll take the mound next at home against the Astros next Tuesday.

Diaz got the save against Oakland on Thursday, working around a hit and striking out one batter to lock down Seattle's 4-1 victory.

After giving up a home run and taking his first loss of the season the previous night, Diaz got back on track and bagged his league-leading 13th save of the season in this one. He's been utterly dominant this season with a 1.04 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP through 17.1 innings and he looks primed to remain one of the league's premier ninth-inning options throughout the year.

Barria (2-1) got the win in the Angels' 12-3 victory over the Orioles on Thursday, giving up two earned runs on four hits over six innings, striking out two and walking two.

Barria was called back up from Triple-A before this start and he delivered a solid outing. While he might not have a spot in the Angels' rotation after Nick Tropeano (shoulder) returns from the disabled list, he's got a respectable 3.46 ERA over his 13 innings of big-league work this season and the 21-year-old probably did enough to earn the nod again with Tropeano standing to miss at least one more start.

Lopez got a no-decision in a 6-5 victory for the White Sox over the Twins on Thursday, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits over 6.2 innings, walking two with no strikeouts.

Lopez (0-2) hadn't given up more than two earned runs in any of his starts this season prior to this one, but the Twins were able to get to him to the tune of five runs in the third and fourth innings of this contest, forcing him to settle for another no-decision. He's still boasting a 2.43 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP through 37 innings, but he only has four strikeouts in his last three starts and he still has yet to log a win this year despite his solid ratios -- perhaps a symptom of the fact that he's pitching on a White Sox team that is just 9-20 on the season.

The Blue Jays optioned Barnes to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Barnes got off to a solid start with the Blue Jays after making the bullpen out of camp, but he's hit a skid of late tied to a lack of command. His last clean inning came April 18 against the Royals, and he's since allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and seven walks over his last six appearances. His two hits and two walks over one-third of an inning Thursday appears to have been the last straw, leading to his demotion. The 28-year-old will attempt to collect himself at Triple-A for a potential recall later in the season.

Santos' contract was purchased by the Blue Jays ahead of Game 2 of their doubleheader against the Indians, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays designated infielder Gift Ngoepe for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot and optioned Danny Barnes to Triple-A Buffalo. Santos made a strong impression in spring training and posted strong numbers at Triple-A before his call-up Thursday, allowing just two earned runs over five appearances (9.1 IP) to go with eight strikeouts. Having a fresh arm like Santos will be particularly helpful after Game 1 went into extra innings.

Maurer was outrighted off the Royals' 40-man roster Thursday.

Maurer will stick with the Storm Chasers after passing through waivers untouched. The 27-year-old struggled across the board in 2018, allowing six runs across 4.1 innings with the Royals while coughing up 12 runs (11 earned) through six innings with Triple-A Omaha. He'll remain with the organization as a depth piece.

Chapman struck out the side against Houston on Thursday to earn his seventh save of the season.

After George Springer reached on a two-out single to left, Chapman quickly rebounded and retired Jose Altuve to nail down the win for New York. Chapman's average fastball velocity has been down a couple ticks early on, but it hasn't mattered, as Chapman is striking out batters at would be the second-base rate of his career and he's a perfect 7-for-7 in save chances. With Kenley Jansen struggling, Chapman is looking like perhaps the top closer option in fantasy baseball.