MLB Player News

The Rays transferred Uceta (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

Uceta has been on the injured list all season due to a right shoulder impingement, and he was recently shut down for another 2-to-3 weeks due to strain of the same shoulder. The move to the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise given that development, and Uceta now won't be eligible to be reinstated until late May at the earliest.

Sousa (oblique) is likely to be activated from the injured list Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Sousa was cleared to begin a rehab assignment April 11 and has since made three appearances in the minors, posting a 9:1 K:BB across 3.2 shutout innings. The 31-year-old lefty will presumably take on a high-leverage role after posting a 2.84 ERA in 50.2 innings last season, and he could be in the mix for saves while Josh Hader (biceps) is on the IL.

GM Ross Atkins announced Friday that Hoffman could still see occasional save chances but will no longer be the primary closer as the Blue Jays shift to a committee approach, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manager John Schneider was noncommittal about Hoffman as Toronto's closer earlier this week after the reliever near blew his fourth save of the season, so it's not a major surprise the club is making a change. It doesn't appear to be a full demotion for the 33-year-old right-hander, who recorded 33 saves with a 4.37 ERA during the 2025 regular season, but it also wouldn't be surprising for him to get some work in lower-leverage spots. Hoffman has surrendered nine earned runs with a 24:6 K:BB across 10.2 innings this year. Louis Varland was the only other player mentioned as a potential closer, but the Blue Jays are also expected to utilize some other arms for the ninth inning.

The Orioles optioned Espada to Triple-A Norfolk on Friday.

Espada spent 48 hours with the big club but didn't get into any game action. The 29-year-old has a 5.40 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and 7:9 K:BB across 10 innings with Norfolk this season.

The Orioles activated Kittredge (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Kittredge was diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation in early March and has yet to make his 2026 season debut. He pitched in six games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk, registering an ugly 15.19 ERA, 2.81 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB across 5.1 innings. Kittredge figures to work in a setup role for Baltimore.

The Mariners acquired Cummings from the Rays on Friday in exchange for Casey Legumina, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cummings was a seventh-round pick by Seattle in 2023 and was sent to Tampa Bay as part of the Randy Arozarena trade in 2024. Cummings pitched at three different levels of the minors last season, logging a 3.29 ERA and 6.7 K/9 across 123 innings.

The Rays acquired Legumina from the Mariners on Friday in exchange for Ty Cummings, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Legumina was designated for assignment by Seattle earlier this week after posting a 4.63 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB across 11.2 innings out of the Mariners' bullpen. The right-hander owns a career 5.83 ERA spanning 83.1 innings.

The Twins reinstated Funderburk from the paternity list Friday.

Minnesota optioned Kendry Rojas to Triple-A St. Paul to open a spot on the 26-man roster for Funderburk, who owns a 2.00 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 8:7 K:BB across nine innings this season. Funderburk has also recorded four holds and one save.

Pearson (elbow) permitted one run on one hit and four walks over two innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday.

Pearson hit some bumps in the road in his recovery from an offseason cleanup surgery on his pitching elbow, but he's finally ready for game action. Given that he threw 53 pitches in his first rehab outing, it seems Pearson will be stretched out as a rotation option for the Astros. That means his rehab assignment will take longer, though the club could alter plans and activate him as a reliever if a need arises in the bullpen.

Bednar earned a save against the Red Sox on Thursday, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

Bednar was called upon to protect a 4-2 lead after Cam Schlittler tossed eight innings for New York. Bednar breezed through his frame, setting down the side in order on 11 pitches (eight strikes). The veteran closer was shaky at times early in the campaign and had a 5.40 ERA through his first seven outings, but he's since logged four consecutive scoreless appearances, during which he's given up just one hit and registered a 5:1 K:BB over four frames. Bednar is tied for second in MLB with seven saves on the campaign.