MLB Player News

Garton was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Garton made just one appearance in his second stint with the big club this season before being sent back to Durham; he was charged with a blown save after walking two batters and allowing a three-run homer in 1.1 innings of work. Jose De Leon was called up in a corresponding move to replace him in the bullpen.

Almonte was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Monday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Almonte had been slated to replace the injured Nathan Karns (forearm) in the rotation last week, but the Royals were able to skip his turn after Thursday's game against the Yankees was postponed due to rain. Though Karns won't be back from the disabled list in time for his next scheduled start Tuesday against the Tigers, the Royals won't turn to Almonte to fill the void after he came on in relief Sunday. The Royals called up reliever Kevin McCarthy in a corresponding move to replace Almonte on the pitching staff, but it's still unclear who will enter the rotation Tuesday.

Axford gave up two earned runs on two hits and two walks over an inning in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Yankees. He also recorded a strikeout.

The veteran reliever has gotten frequent use since making his 2017 debut on May 21, having already worked 4.1 innings across four appearances. It hasn't exactly been smooth, as Axford has given up at least one earned run in three of those outings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs overall. His ERA and WHIP now stand at an unsightly 8.31 and 2.08, respectively, but manager Bob Melvin figures to continue giving the 34-year-old righty regular opportunities to work through his early struggles.

Diaz fired a scoreless ninth inning in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Red Sox, recording two strikeouts.

The 23-year-old right-hander fired 13 of 17 pitches for strikes while setting down Dustin Pedroia, Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez. He impressively worked around throwing errors by Kyle Seager and Jean Segura that saddled him with a pair of baserunners, posting his fourth straight scoreless outing in the process. Diaz has regained the closer's role for the time being, and he should be able to easily hold on to it if he continues to turn in the caliber of performances he's recently mustered.

De Leon will be promoted from Triple-A Durham on Monday to serve as a reliever in the Rays' series opener with the Rangers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays will still hand Monday's start to Erasmo Ramirez, who came on in relief during Sunday's 15-inning win over the Twins to record a 12-pitch save. Ramirez's workload will likely still be monitored carefully Monday, so it wouldn't be surprising if De Leon, who last pitched for Durham on May 23, piggybacked him during the outing and covered multiple innings out of the bullpen. The Rays don't have an opening in their rotation, so it's possible that De Leon will be sent back to Durham in the coming days once the team's other relievers have sufficiently recovered from Sunday's marathon.

De Leon has been scratched from his scheduled start for Triple-A Durham on Sunday, another indication that a call-up is on the way, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It was reported earlier that De Leon was on his way to the big leagues, and this is the first indication from a local beat writer confirming that idea. It sounds as if the Rays still plan to start Erasmo Ramirez on Monday, but the 24-year-old De Leon could be used in long relief. Recently promoted to Triple-A after a forearm issue derailed his start to the season, the righty owns a 4.38 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 12.1 innings across two levels.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, De Leon will be recalled by the Rays in the near future.

Olney said De Leon is already on his way to the majors, but no other team source has yet indicated that this has been set in motion. The timing would make sense, as De Leon last started in the minors May 23, while the Rays played a 15-inning marathon Sunday afternoon. The team still plans to start Erasmo Ramirez on Monday even though he pitched the day before. With a short outing for Ramirez likely ahead, De Leon could be a candidate to eat up some innings in relief or swipe the start altogether. Stay tuned for an official announcement once the team confirms its rotation plans.

Mengden was recalled from Triple-A Nashville prior to his scheduled start Monday against the Indians.

This addition has been in the cards since Saturday, but the move to officially add Mengden to the 25-man roster is now complete. He'll draw a relatively tough matchup in his first MLB start of 2017, going on the road to face Carlos Carrasco and the Indians.

Graveman (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day DL on Monday.

Graveman will head to the disabled list for the second time this season due to shoulder soreness, and will give way to Daniel Mengden for his scheduled start Sunday. Based on earlier indications from manager Bob Melvin, look for Graveman to be on the shelf longer than the minimum stay this time around.

Robertson pitched a perfect two-thirds of the ninth inning in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Tigers to earn his seventh save of the season.

Robertson now has back-to-back saves after closing out Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader. The right-hander has given up just two runs this month and is 7-for-8 in save chances while sporting an impressive 12.5 K/9. His value could only increase this summer, as contending teams like the Nationals look to the trade market to beef up their bullpen. Chicago has a good chance of being sellers, with Robertson a top piece to offer.