MLB Player News

Andriese tossed six innings against Miami on Wednesday, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out six.

He received no decision in the eventual loss after leaving with the game tied. The six strikeouts marked Andriese's best performance in that category among his four starts in the majors this year -- he'd whiffed just 11 in 21.1 innings coming in. He's missed bats in the minors quite consistently over the last two seasons, so there's some promise here, but expectations should be tempered despite his sparkling 2.63 ERA. His unsustainably excellent BABIP and HR/FB rate in this small sample are sure to see some painful course correction.

Harvey (groin) played catch Wednesday for the first time since undergoing sports hernia surgery on May 2, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports.

The oft-injured young pitching prospect entered spring training having just recovered from an elbow issue and a fractured leg before starting to deal with groin issues. He underwent sports hernia surgery to repair the issues, but the amount of downtime he's had since early in spring training led Orioles manager Buck Showalter to suggest that Harvey's arm strength and conditioning is nowhere near game-ready. Harvey will likely continue on a gradual throwing program in order to build up arm strength in hopes of a potential return to the mound in the second half of the season.

Duffey (2-3) allowed five runs on nine hits over 6.2 innings but still managed to capture the victory Wednesday against the Royals. He also struck out five and walked two.

Kansas City scored all five runs versus Duffey in the fourth inning, but Minnesota answered with one in the bottom half of the frame and two more in the fifth to give Duffey a 6-5 lead. After throwing seven shutout innings versus Cleveland on May 15, Duffey has allowed 11 runs in the last 12.1 innings. He owns a 3.93 ERA and .272 batting average against in 36.2 frames this season. His next start will be Tuesday versus Oakland.

Loup (elbow) seems to be close to returning from the disabled list, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Manager John Gibbons hinted at Loup's return Wednesday, saying that he could be the player who joins the roster when the Blue Jays decide to go back to a seven-man bullpen. The left-hander hasn't allowed a run in two rehab appearances with Triple-A Buffalo, so he seems to be back in good health. There hasn't been any official move yet, but there is some speculation that Loup could be activated within the next few days.

Boxberger (abdomen) is expected to make his fifth rehab appearance with Double-A Montgomery on Wednesday night, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 27-year-old reliever will take his act to a new setting, and could be in line for at least one more appearance over the weekend with the Biscuits. Boxberger has generated mixed results to date in his four prior trips to the mound with High-A Charlotte and Triple-A Durham, giving up two runs over 3.2 innings, but also striking out six. If the Rays are satisfied with Wednesday's performance, there's a chance that it could be the final rehab outing for the closer before rejoining the big league club.

Venditte was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday Barry Davis of Sportsnet reports.

Venditte will head back to Triple-A to make room for Devon Travis on the big league roster. The 30-year-old had a 4.05 ERA and 1.95 WHIP in his short bullpen stint with the Blue Jays.

Coulombe was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

The lefty reliever had a rocky first outing with the A's, but he settled down over his next two appearances, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks. However, with Jed Lowrie and Zach Neal coming back to the big league club Wednesday, Coulombe's spot on the roster was in jeopardy to begin with. He'll head back to Triple-A Nashville, where he figures to continue to work out of the bullpen.

Neal was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, Joe Stiglich of CSN California reports.

Neal was expected to join the major league club prior to Wednesday's game after being announced as the probable starter, and now the move has officially been made. The 27-year-old has been dominant as a starter with the Sounds, holding a 5-1 record with a 2.53 ERA and 0.95 WHIP through seven starts, although his 4.5 K/9 leaves something to be desired. He'll look to translate the strong numbers he posted in the minors into his first major league start, where he'll face a strong Mariners lineup.

Luetge was designated for assignment by the Angels on Wednesday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Luetge did not appear in any game action after being called up to the majors Sunday. This move created space for infielder Kaleb Cowart on the roster.

Manager Paul Molitor said Tuesday that he plans on using Brandon Kintzler and Fernando Abad late in games moving forward with May struggling in a setup role, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The writing was on the wall for May's removal from the setup job -- Molitor brought him in in the third inning Monday after Ricky Nolasco was chased early. May has given up at least one run in five straight appearances (10 runs total in 3.1 innings), with his ERA ballooning from 1.89 to 5.64 in the span of two weeks. Glen Perkins (shoulder) recently suffered a setback, and May could return to the back-end mix eventually, but regaining the skipper's trust will take time.