MLB Player News

Graveman (shoulder) will throw an extended bullpen session in Arizona on Thursday, Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports California reports.

Graveman threw off the mound with no issues Monday. If all goes well in Arizona, expect Graveman to go on a rehab assignment toward the end of the week, with a return to the Athletics coming shortly after the start of the second half of the season.

Alvarez was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.

Alvarez was the roster casualty needed to clear room on the 25-man for Jason Grilli, who was recently acquired from the Blue Jays in a trade. While he compiled a respectable 2.76 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16.1 innings of work, his 2.02 WHIP and 14 walks suggest that success may be difficult to maintain. He'll head back to Round Rock to work some kinks out, but he should see another opportunity in the Rangers' struggling bullpen down the road.

Strahm (knee) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Monday.

The move clears room on the roster for Al Alburquerque, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Omaha earlier in the day. While Strahm remains without a timetable for his return as he awaits feedback from a second opinion, the earliest he could possibly return would be Aug. 30. The southpaw could ultimately be sidelined for the rest of the season if the injury requires surgery.

Kahnle could see some save chances against the Athletics while David Robertson is on the paternity list.

Robertson, the White Sox's regular closer, left the team to be with his wife for the birth of their second child, opening up a spot for Kahnle to possibly earn some save opportunities. The 27-year-old owns an impressive 2.20 ERA and 55:7 K:BB through 32.2 innings this season, so he's probably worth a look in deeper leagues regardless of his save totals. Still, Kahnle could deliver one or two saves if given the opportunity over the next few games.

Infante was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.

Infante was added to the White Sox's roster to replace David Robertson, who was placed on the paternity list earlier in the day. The 29-year-old owns a 4.79 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 20.2 innings with the big club this season. He'll likely be sent back to Charlotte once Robertson rejoins the team, which should be before the weekend.

Robertson was placed on the paternity list prior to Monday's game against the A's.

Robertson will step away from the team for a few days to be with his wife while she gives birth. With an off day approaching Thursday, he should be back for Friday's series opener against the Rockies. In the meantime, Tommy Kahnle could snatch a save chance or two in his absence.

Devenski (5-3) pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four in Sunday's 8-1 win over the Yankees.

With Houston leading 5-0, Devenski entered in the fifth inning to earn an easy win after starter Mike Fiers was done in by a rising pitch count. He routinely pitches multiple innings and will often get the call when starters are unable to give the Astros length. Sunday's effort was Devenski's third straight appearance of at least two innings and the 11th time in 33 appearances this season that he's been called on to get at least six outs.

Manaea allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six batters through 7.1 innings during Sunday's loss to Atlanta. He didn't factor into the decision.

The young lefty has now held opponents to three runs or fewer in eight of his past nine starts and sports a solid 3.75 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 for the campaign. His 3.67 FIP is also right in line with his other statistics, so he projects to remain a strong fantasy asset moving forward. Manaea's game-to-game consistency is also encouraging. A road date at Safeco Field against the Mariners is up next.

Diaz pitched 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to notch his 13th save of the season during Sunday's win over the Angels.

The closer had surrendered three home runs and seven total runs (albeit only three earned) through his previous three outings, so Sunday's smooth appearance was a strong rebound. Diaz has the pitch arsenal to be dominant, but he also has been extremely inconsistent this season, and it's worth remembering that the 23-year-old righty skipped the Triple-A level entirely when he joined the Mariners last June.

Chavez (5-9) held the Mariners to two runs on four hits over five innings, walking two and striking out three in a 5-3 loss Sunday.

Chavez labored through in this one, needing 96 pitches (56 strikes) to complete five frames. The veteran hasn't been sharp lately, posting a 4.3 BB/9 and a 6.12 ERA over his previous five starts. The lack of control could be a sign that the 33-year-old is losing steam as we enter the dog days of summer. Chavez was already a marginal fantasy asset with an overall ERA of 4.97, but his recent rough patch makes him hard to trust in almost any format going forward.