MLB Player News

Lopez (back) played catch Monday, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

In addition to Lopez being able to play catch, manager Rick Renteria said that the righty's condition is improving. A timeframe for his eventual return is still unclear, but it should become known as Lopez continues to increase his level of activity.

Santiago (back) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Twins pulled Santiago off his rehab assignment last week and gave him an injection to address the inflammation he had been experiencing in his back. It appears the shot has had its desired effect, as Santiago will be ready to take the mound again following a few days off for rest. If all goes well in the bullpen session Wednesday, Santiago will likely face hitters in batting practice over the weekend before restarting a rehab assignment Aug. 29. The left-hander could rejoin the Minnesota rotation at some point in September and aid in the team's push for a wild-card spot.

Graveman has put together consecutive quality starts for just the second time in 2017 despite taking his fourth loss against the Astros on Saturday.

The 26-year-old right-hander had gone over four months between victories until notching his third win on Aug. 13 against the Orioles. Graveman then came back with another strong effort on Saturday, giving up just two earned runs on six hits and three walks over six innings while recording three strikeouts. Despite throwing 100 pitches against a potent Astros lineup, he managed to limit the damage to a two-run Marwin Gonzalez single. While he's far from trustworthy from a fantasy perspective, his performance over the last two starts could be a sign that Graveman is finally turning the corner.

Lawrence fired a scoreless ninth inning in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Rays, issuing two walks and recording a strikeout.

Just recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, Lawrence had a much better outing than the last two he'd produced for the Mariners before his most recent demotion. The right-hander had surrendered five earned runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings in those appearances, and he's generated an unsightly 6.45 ERA and 1.77 WHIP overall in 44.2 big-league innings with Toronto and Seattle. Given that he's bounced between Triple-A and the majors on multiple occasions, there's no telling how long his current stint may last.

Fulmer was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte and will start the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Twins.

Fulmer will be the 26th man for the twin bill, meaning that he'll only be in line for a spot start because the White Sox required a sixth starter this week due to their heavy schedule. Given that Fulmer has posted a 5.61 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 122 innings at Triple-A this season and is taking on a red-hot Twins offense, the 23-year-old is probably worth avoiding as a streamer this week in most formats.

Kahnle did not record an out Sunday, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in a loss to the Red Sox.

Kahnle has been very reliable all season, especially with his new club since being dealt to the Yankees at the trade deadline, but struggles have cropped up recently. In his last two outings, he's allowed four runs on five hits and a pair of walks while recording just two outs. It's likely too early to overreact, but if he continues to struggle, Kahnle could start falling in the pecking order of New York's crowded bullpen.

Puk (2-3) allowed an earned run on five hits and two walks over six innings for Double-A Midland against Arkansas on Sunday. He struck out seven.

Puk continues to find his way at Double-A, as he's now lowered his ERA in four consecutive starts. The 22-year-old has put together a 68:23 K:BB over 51.1 innings with the RockHounds, and according to William Boor of MLB.com, he's now given up three earned runs or less in six straight consecutive starts.

Treinen stuck out three batters through two scoreless innings to collect his fourth save of the season during Sunday's win over Houston.

There have been a number of ups and downs from Treinen this season, but he's currently closing out games, so he warrants attention in all fantasy settings. It's probably wise to expect more peaks and valleys moving forward, and with a 4.61 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 for the campaign his leash could be short.

Colome struck out one batter and gave up one hit en route to earning his 36th save Sunday against the Mariners.

The Rays had a 3-0 lead when they sent Colome to the hill in the ninth inning. Colome has now converted all six of his save opportunities in the month of August and has yet to allow a run in that time.

Castro was placed on the bereavement list Sunday.

Castro will be away from the team for at least three games but no more than seven. Alec Asher was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take his place in the bullpen for the time being, but Castro should immediately return to his role in the Orioles' bullpen when activated.