MLB Player News

Colome pitched a perfect ninth inning while striking out one to earn his 11th save Friday against the Yankees.

Colome had no trouble in protecting a one-run lead. He's now converted 10-of-12 save opportunities, and although not considered an elite closer, he's certainly a strong fantasy option.

Axford (shoulder) will be activated Saturday or Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports Friday.

Axford has been solid in three rehab appearances over the course of the week, so now it just comes down to when it will be convenient for the Athletics to make the roster move to get him back to the majors. They may choose to give Axford a couple days to rest, so don't be surprised if they wait until Sunday to officially activate the reliever.

Leclerc (finger) was scheduled for an examination by a hand specialist Friday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The results of the appointment have not been disclosed at this time, but this should hopefully clarify how far Leclerc is from returning to the Rangers' bullpen. He was eligible to return from the disabled list Thursday, but it seems like he still has a little ways to go.

McHugh (elbow) remains without a timetable for throwing off a mound, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McHugh's original timetable had him returning to action after about six weeks, but that goal is a distant memory at this point. It's unclear what the next steps are while his rehab process is stagnating, but the Astros don't seem to expect him back with the team until the second half of the season. More information should be revealed once he's able to get back on track.

Axford (shoulder) fired a scoreless inning for Triple-A Nashville in Thursday's 13-3 win over Fresno, recording a strikeout.

Axford has looked excellent in three rehab appearances, giving up just two hits over 3.1 scoreless innings while notching four strikeouts. As per Jane Lee of MLB.com, Thursday's outing was slated to be the 34-year-old's final outing with the Sounds. If his Triple-A performances are any indication, he appears ready to face big-league bats for the first time in 2017.

Lee (2-1) has struggled to a 5.46 ERA and 1.95 WHIP through his first seven starts of the season with Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles' No. 10 prospect is having a tough time in his first go at the International League. Opposing hitters have tallied a .341 BAA while knocking the left-hander out early in a number of starts. Lee, who was hunting for a big-league job during spring training, obviously has quite a bit of work to do before he's ready to tackle MLB competition.

Crockett owns an impressive 2.04 ERA and 1.08 WHIP through 15 appearances this season with Triple-A Columbus.

The 25-year-old failed to make the big-league club after appearing in 103 games for the Indians over the past three years. Crockett has posted a 3.25 ERA over 63.2 innings of MLB service, but space for a left-hander specialist in the organization's major-league bullpen simply isn't available right now.

Borucki has been placed on a strict pitch count in his recent starts for High-A Dunedin, SB Nationt reports.

The reason for the recent restriction placed on Borucki is unspecified, but it may be a simple case of preserving the prospect's arm. The southpaw tossed just 68.2 frames over his first three professional seasons but last year Borucki racked up 135.2 innings for Low- and High-A combined, giving the Jays good reason to be careful with him. Through eight starts in 2017, Borucki owns a 4.11 ERA and 1.31 with 41 strikeouts over 35 innings.

Since being activated from the minor-league DL, Smith (elbow) has logged two scoreless appearances for Triple-A Buffalo.

Smith will work his way back into form as he hopes to make his MLB debut at some point in 2017. He owns a stellar 2.23 ERA and 192:45 K:BB over 114 minor-league games (169.2 innings). With the Jays' stable of pitchers dealing with numerous health problems, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Smith break into the majors sooner rather than later.

Barnes allowed two hits and struck out five over two innings in Thursday's 8-3 loss to the Athletics.

Barnes had been elevated to the eighth-inning role earlier this season, but hadn't pitched dependably since that promotion and now finds himself getting mop-up work. Of late, manager John Farrell has been going by feel and matchups in high-leverage spots. Barnes' two-inning stint was the best he's looked in a month. He threw 29 of his 39 pitches for strikes, a promising sign for the right-hander, who is at a career-low 59.6 strike percentage this season. Barnes will return to high-leverage duty if he can keep the ball in the zone.