MLB Player News

Colome faced four batters and struck out three of them en route to his 10th save of the season Wednesday against Toronto.

Remember when Colome was just an interim closer, the man at the head of a committee with Brad Boxberger on the DL? Well, 16 appearances into 2016, Colome's putting up the best results we've ever seen from him in his first campaign as a full-time reliever. He's struck out a mighty impressive 24 batters in 17.1 innings while keeping runners off the bases (0.87 WHIP) and limiting the long ball. All in all, he's been spectacular, and multi-strikeout outings like his last three will help build his case to retain the closer job even when Boxberger returns from his rehab assignment, which could be within the next week.

Devenski will move back to the Bullpen after making four consecutive starts for the Astros.

The Astros have gone with six starters recently, and Devenski will be the odd man out as they adjust back to a traditional five man rotation. The decision to delegate the rookie right-hander to the bullpen makes sense considering he is coming off an outing in which he gave up six earned runs in two innings.

Hendriks (elbow) is still experiencing soreness when playing catch, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

With the soreness still lingering a little over a week after Hendriks hit the DL, it's starting to sound like he will be out well beyond the minimum 15 days. The 27-year-old was struggling mightily to open the season, allowing 15 earned runs in his first 11 appearances (16.1 innings). His stuff played up really well in the bullpen last year, but the uncertainty regarding a possible return date makes him a justifiable drop in AL-only leagues.

Boxberger (abdomen) will make his second rehab appearance Wednesday for High-A Charlotte, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 27-year-old closer was able to complete an inning Sunday in his initial appearance, topping out at 92 mph on his fastball. He continues to target a late-May return to the big league club, with Wednesday's outing serving as another step in that direction.

Moore will have his next start pushed back from Saturday to Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

With the southpaw having failed to get past the fifth inning in his last trio of starts, manager Kevin Cash opted to give his struggling pitcher extra time before taking the hill again. The official reason for the move is to split up the rotation's two lefties-- Moore and Drew Smyly-- who have pitched back-to-back since April 9. However, with Moore particularly struggling with his command, it also provides the 26-year-old with extra time on the sidelines to work on his mechanics. "I think it's the same as any pitcher that's struggling, along the lines of Chris Archer, it's the lapses in command," pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "But that's something that, I don't want to say plagued him, but it's been an issue from day one." Moore did not express dissatisfaction with the change that will now see him face off against the Marlins on Monday, and used the extra time between starts to get in an extended bullpen session Tuesday.

Webb surrendered only one hit in a scoreless eighth inning in Tuesday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

The 30-year-old reliever has now turned in four straight scoreless appearances since giving up five hits and three runs (two earned) over 1.2 innings over a pair of outings in late April and early May. He also escaped with just some residual swelling when a line drive struck off his glove, hitting him on the side of his jaw. Webb has been effective for the short stretches of work he's been tabbed for, pitching no more than 1.1 innings in any trip to the mound this season. He's in the midst of a solid stretch, having lowered his ERA almost two full runs to 3.75 over his last four appearances.

Smith is battling lingering forearm soreness and he could require another stint on the disabled list if his condition does not improve, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.

This is concerning news for Smith as the former shutdown reliever has been battling forearm issues since spring training and he has needed significant rest between appearances since coming off the DL in early May. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports that Smith will be evaluated following his next outing, at which point his status should come into focus a bit more.

Smith has pitched just three times since being activated off the disabled list two weeks ago, WEEI.com reports.

Since making his debut May 3, Smith has gone six days and five days, respectively between appearances. He said he's still feeling the effects of a forearm injury that cropped up during spring training. "Sometimes I feel great the next day," he told WEEI.com. "Sometimes there may be a hint of something there. They told me that's what happens with these types of injuries, so we're just taking it day by day." Signed as high-leverage-situation reliever with a wipeout slider, Smith considers himself a work-in-progress at this point of the season.

Robertson threw two perfect innings in a non-save situation against the Astros on Tuesday.

He struck out two while pitching in a tie game. He only needed 21 pitches to record his six outs, so the extended appearance should not impact his availability for Wednesday.

Kelly (shoulder) is expected to start Saturday against the Indians, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

The right-hander seemed the most likely candidate for the start with Sean O'Sullivan designated for assignment and Eduardo Rodriguez still experiencing knee issues, and manager John Farrell all but confirmed that Kelly will indeed get the nod. Kelly remains difficult to trust, but he did turn in a strong performance in his most recent start with Triple-A Pawtucket, tossing 6.1 scoreless frames while striking out 10. He's issued a total of three walks in his three rehab starts (14.1 innings).