-
Damien Magnifico RP | PIT
Orioles' Damien Magnifico: Dealt to Orioles
Magnifico was traded to the Orioles on Thursday in exchange for an International Signing Bonus Slot.
MASN's Roch Kubatko adds that Magnifico was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after being added to Baltimore's 40-man roster. Magnifico had been in the Brewers' organization since 2012, but was designated for assignment earlier in the week to clear a spot on the 40-man for fellow reliever David Goforth. The newly acquired Magnifico figures to slot into Triple-A Norfolk's bullpen.
-
Matt Barnes RP | WAS
Red Sox's Matt Barnes: Picks up second win Thursday
Barnes (2-0) worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless inning and earn the win in Thursday's 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh.
The win was the second in three outings for Barnes, who has been untouchable in the eighth-inning setup role. He's struck out seven and allowed four baserunners over 5.2 innings.
-
Craig Kimbrel RP | KC
Red Sox's Craig Kimbrel: Picks up save in comeback win
Kimbrel collected his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning during Thursday's win over Pittsburgh.
Kimbrel allowed a single but was otherwise spotless and needed just 16 pitches to secure the win. He was shaky in his previous appearance and allowed three base runners and a run before collecting the save, so Thursday's tidy outing was relieving. With Boston set to pile up the wins, Kimbrel projects to have another solid campaign.
-
Joe Jimenez RP | ATL
Tigers' Joe Jimenez: Sent back to minors
Jimenez was optioned to Triple-A Toledo following Thursday's game against the Twins.
This comes as somewhat of a surprise, as the highly regarded prospect threw a scoreless inning during his only big-league appearance after being called up earlier in the week. The Tigers purchased the contract of William Cuevas, who will take Jimenez's spot on the 25-man roster and give the Tigers a long-relief option, something much needed after an 11-5 loss to the Twins depleted Detroit's bullpen. He'll be someone to keep an eye on moving forward, as the 22-year-old is seen by many as the team's closer of the future.
-
Nick Martinez SP | TB
Rangers' Nick Martinez: Backup for Saturday's start
Martinez could start Saturday's matchup with the Mariners if Andrew Cashner (shoulder) is not ready, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Cashner is expected to start Saturday's contest after logging five innings in his most recent rehab start, but Martinez seems to be the backup plan in case any extraneous circumstances arise. The 26-year-old will likely fill a long-relief role if he doesn't fill in as a spot starter.
-
Brian Johnson RP | BOS
Red Sox's Brian Johnson: Turns in dominant start for Pawtucket
Johnson (head) allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out eight over 6.2 innings with Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday, MassLive.com reports.
A line drive struck Johnson in the head during his first start of the season, but he avoided a concussion and was cleared to return to the mound five days later. Manager John Farrell said earlier this month that Johnson was the No. 3 depth starter behind Kyle Kendrick and Henry Owens, but a case can be made that Johnson has already leaped Kendrick (nine earned runs allowed in his first start) at least. Johnson will almost certainly get a major-league opportunity at some point this season, assuming he stays healthy.
-
Liam Hendriks RP | CHC
Athletics' Liam Hendriks: Touched up for pair of runs Wednesday
Hendriks gave up two earned runs on three hits and one walk over one inning in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Royals.
The 28-year-old righty entered the game with the luxury of an 8-0 lead but ran into trouble, sandwiching a free pass to Raul Mondesi and a double to Mike Moustakas around a flyball out by Alex Gordon. A subsequent infield single by Lorenzo Cain and bloop hit by Eric Hosmer accounted for the two runs that Hendriks allowed, and to his credit, he was able to limit further damage by retiring Drew Butera and Brandon Moss with Cain and Hosmer on to end the inning. It was the first rocky outing of the season for the reliever, who'd pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and notched four strikeouts over his first pair of appearances.
-
John Axford RP | MIL
Athletics' John Axford: No firm date to resume throwing
Axford (shoulder) still doesn't have a firm date on when he can resume throwing and will also need to undergo strengthening exercises, John Hickey of Bay Area News Group reports.
The veteran reliever, thought to be a potential closer candidate alongside Santiago Casilla and Ryan Madson at one point, is yet to throw a pitch in the regular season due to his shoulder strain. Without a timetable for when he can even start throwing, his return date appears to be at least a week away at the earliest.
-
Brent Honeywell RP | LAD
Rays' Brent Honeywell: Excels in second start
Honeywell (1-1) recorded eight strikeouts and gave up just one earned run on one hit, a solo home run, and three walks over seven innings in Double-A Montgomery's 5-2 win over Birmingham on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old now has a sparkling 20:4 K:BB over 13 innings, along with a 2.08 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and .100 BAA. Honeywell has had little trouble confounding hitters at the Double-A level between a 10-start stint in 2016 and his first two trips to the mound this season, racking up a total of 73 whiffs over 72.1 innings during that span.
-
Brad Boxberger RP | CHC
Rays' Brad Boxberger: Working out daily at Tropicana Field
Boxberger (back) is working out daily at Tropicana Field as part of his ongoing rehabilitation, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The veteran reliever resumed a throwing program on April 5, but he isn't expected back before the end of the month. When active, Boxberger is likely to slot in as an eighth-inning option for manager Kevin Cash that can also close out games on days when Alex Colome is unavailable.