MLB Player News
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Cole Sulser RP | TB
Rays' Cole Sulser: Up from Durham
The Rays recalled Sulser from Triple-A Durham on Saturday.
With Colin Poche (shoulder) headed for the IL and Erasmo Ramirez now off the 40-man roster, Sulser and Hunter Bigge will come up to plug the gaps in Tampa Bay's bullpen. Sulser hasn't found much success in the majors this season, giving up five earned runs over 5.2 innings between the Rays and Mets, though he's posted a 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP across 12 frames since reporting to Durham in July.
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Hunter Bigge P | TB
Rays' Hunter Bigge: Back in majors
The Rays recalled Bigge from Triple-A Durham on Saturday.
Bigge will come up from the minors alongside Cole Sulser in order to replace Colin Poche (shoulder) and Erasmo Ramirez in the bullpen. The 26-year-old Bigge has given up just one run in 7.1 MLB innings this season and owns a 2.25 ERA in Triple-A, though he figures to work in middle relief while with the Rays.
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Erasmo Ramirez RP | MIN
Rays' Erasmo Ramirez: Dropped from 40-man
The Rays designated Ramirez for assignment Saturday.
Just five days after joining the active roster, Ramirez will now lose his spot on the 40-man after allowing two runs and striking out six batters while walking four in 4.2 innings. The 34-year-old cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A when he was DFA'd by Tampa Bay in May, though he may be claimed by another bullpen-needy team this time around.
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Colin Poche RP | NYM
Rays' Colin Poche: Shelved with shoulder injury
The Rays placed Poche on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left shoulder inflammation.
Poche has allowed five earned runs over 6.1 innings since the start of August, and he hasn't pitched in a game since Tuesday. He'll now be shelved until at least mid-September, and the Rays will promote Hunter Bigge and Cole Sulser from Triple-A Durham to help make up for the loss to their bullpen.
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Ian Hamilton RP | ATL
Yankees' Ian Hamilton: Scratched from rehab outing
Hamilton (lat) was scratched from his scheduled rehab appearance at Double-A Somerset on Friday due to back spasms, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Hamilton has been on the injured list since mid-June due to a right lat strain and would have likely been making his final minor-league appearance before rejoining the Yankees' bullpen. Instead, his activation will almost certainly be delayed, and there's no telling how far away he is from a return.
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Tommy Kahnle RP | DET
Yankees' Tommy Kahnle: Extends scoreless streak
Kahnle earned a hold against St. Louis on Friday, retiring the only batter he faced on three pitches.
Kahnle was brought in to face Brendan Donovan one batter after Jake Cousins served up a solo homer to reduce New York's advantage to one run. Kahnle did his job, getting Donovan to ground out. The brief outing marked the 18th in a row in which Kahnle did not allow an earned run. Over that stretch, the veteran reliever has hurled 16.1 innings, allowing six hits and posting a 15:7 K:BB.
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Scott Alexander RP | SF
Athletics' Scott Alexander: Looks good in bullpen session
Alexander (shoulder) threw approximately 20 pitches in the bullpen before Friday's game against the Rangers and looked good, the Associated Press reports.
The veteran southpaw was throwing to manager Mark Kotsay, who served as a stand-in for a left-handed hitter and therefore had a first-hand look at how Alexander performed. Kotsay said after the session that he and the training staff would evaluate Alexander's recovery from the activity over the weekend to determine the left-hander's next steps. Given his experience and the fact he's a reliever, Alexander could conceivably return from the injured list without the need for a rehab assignment.
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Seranthony Dominguez RP | CHW
Orioles' Seranthony Dominguez: Collects eighth save
Dominguez gave up a run on two hits in the ninth inning Friday to record his eighth save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Rockies. He struck out two.
Brendan Rodgers got hold of a hanging slider and slugged a one-out solo shot off Dominguez, but the right-hander didn't let Colorado get any closer. It's the fourth homer he's served up in his last seven appearances, a sign that his run of high-leverage success may not last much longer, but Dominguez has also converted all five of his save chances during that stretch. Since being traded to the Orioles, he's posted a 3.00 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 19:4 K:BB in 15 innings.
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Jhoan Duran RP | PHI
Twins' Jhoan Duran: Notches 19th save
Duran gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his 19th save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Blue Jays.
A leadoff single got erased on a game-ending double play, and Duran generated plenty of weak contact while firing eight straight pitches at 100 mph or over to begin the frame. The Twins' closer is prone to occasional lapses and was scored upon four times in 11 August appearances, but he also posted a 15:1 K:BB in 9.2 innings on the month.
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James McArthur RP | KC
Royals' James McArthur: High-leverage struggles return
McArthur (5-6) took the loss Friday, giving up one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning as the Royals fell 3-2 to the Astros.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, McArthur got the call and gave up a one-out single to Jake Meyers, setting the stage for Jose Altuve to walk it off with a double. With Lucas Erceg (hand) not 100 percent, the closer role is up for grabs again in Kansas City, at least in the short term, but McArthur may not be in the mix for save chances despite his 1.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 12 innings in August.