MLB Player News

Kelly (hamstring) will continue to play catch and is hopeful to return from the 10-day disabled list in the near future, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

It's too early to determine if Kelly will be able to come off the DL when first eligible July 20, but it sounds like the hamstring strain isn't nearly as concerning as the one he suffered in 2014. Kelly has been quite solid in a setup role for the Red Sox this season, turning in a 1.49 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and gathering 11 holds over 36.1 innings.

Diekman (abdomen) is scheduled to throw off a mound Thursday, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

It will mark the first time since October that Diekman will pitch off a mound after he required three surgeries in the spring to rebuild his colon. The lefty has been conditioning his arm by throwing off flat ground for the past few weeks, but after he completes a few bullpen sessions and starts facing hitters, Diekman will likely require a lengthy rehab assignment. He could be activated from the 60-day disabled list at some point in August.

Treinen was traded Sunday from the Nationals to the Athletics along with prospects Jesus Luzardo and Sheldon Neuse in exchange for relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.

Treinen was the first reliever to ride the Nationals' closing carousel this season, losing his job in mid-April after allowing runs in four of his first seven appearances. Things haven't gotten much better for Treinen since he transitioned back to setup duties, as he's still sitting on an abysmal 5.73 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 37.2 innings. While 2017 has been a disaster for the right-hander, he's shown the ability to be a solid contributor in the past, as evidenced by the 2.28 ERA and 63 strikeouts he churned out in 67 innings a season earlier. He'll likely work in middle relief for the Athletics initially, but if Treinen can start generating more groundballs and scale back his .377 BABIP, he could very well salvage his season in Oakland and emerge as a useful member of the bridge to closer Santiago Casilla.

Heller was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

Heller was excellent in his relief appearance Saturday, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out three batters. However, with the Yankees in need of fresh arms out of the bullpen following the 16-inning affair, Heller and Jonathan Holder will head back to the minors while Bryan MItchell, Domingo German and Caleb Smith join the big club to provide relief reinforcements during Sunday's doubleheader.

Leclerc faced two batters and picked up his second win of the season in Saturday's 1-0 triumph over the Royals, walking one and striking out the other.

Leclerc was able to get the job done in stranding a runner at second that he inherited from starter Cole Hamels to finish out the eighth inning, and it looked like the right-hander would get a crack at notching a save after coming out for the ninth. However, after walking Lorenzo Cain, Leclerc was pulled in favor of southpaw Alex Claudio, who matched up better with the left-handed Eric Hosmer. Claudio was able to strike out Hosmer and then coaxed a double-play grounder from Salvador Perez to end the game, earning his second save in as many nights. Given that Leclerc was used at the beginning of the ninth inning, it appears he's still in the mix for saves while the Rangers' closing role remains somewhat unsettled, but Claudio looks like the top option to own at this time. However, the upcoming return of Keone Kela (shoulder) may throw a wrench into that, as he was considered a heavy favorite for saves before landing on the disabled list.

Andriese (hip) expects to start throwing off the mound at Tropicana Field by the end of next week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The rehabbing right-hander is currently with the team in Anaheim since he was at home in California during the All-Star break. Andriese began playing catch on July 7 and has progressed to the point where he'll be able to take the next step in his recovery soon. The 27-year-old last pitched on June 10, when he exited an outing versus the Athletics after one inning with what was termed a groin strain at the time.

Kimbrel gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to blow his third save of the season during Saturday's 16-inning loss to the Yankees.

Kimbrel was called upon to earn a four-out save, and started off by winning a 10-pitch at-bat with Aaron Judge to get the Red Sox out of the eighth inning with a one-run lead, but on the third throw to leadoff batter Matt Holliday in the bottom of the ninth, Kimbrel allowed a monster shot over the Green Monster to blow his second save in the last three attempts. Besides the home run, Kimbrel struck out all three opposing batters in the ninth, bumping his K/9 to 16.2. Interestingly, all three of Kimbrel's blown saves this season have come on home runs to leadoff hitters at the onset of the ninth inning.

Fulmer (10-6) allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out three across eight innings to earn the victory Saturday against the Blue Jays.

Fulmer was in complete control in this contest while receiving 11 runs of support from the offense as he easily cruised to his 10th victory of the season. He's won four straight decisions, and with an ERA of 3.06 to go along with a 1.07 WHIP, he's provided fantasy managers with a legitimate ace to lead their pitching staffs. He'll make his next start Thursday against the Royals.

Graveman (shoulder) is expected to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports California reports.

Graveman recently threw live batting practice and appears ready to embark on his rehab assignment as he continues to progress from a shoulder injury that landed him on the DL in late May. It remains unlikely that Graveman will be able to return before the end of the month, but he should rejoin the team shortly after, barring any setbacks.

Covey (oblique) was able to throw off the mound Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of MLB.com reports.

Covey was initially placed on the 10-day disabled list on May 26 with a strained left oblique, but he hasn't been able to gain much ground over the past month and a half. Manager Rick Renteria said that the team will continue to take it easy with the 25-year-old, but they'll begin building his throwing program back up as he recovers. There has yet to be a definitive timetable set for Covey, but he will likely be reevaluated in the coming weeks once he starts advancing on his program.