MLB Player News

Kauffmann was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque after the Rockies' 9-5 win over the Giants in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader.

Kauffmann was called up ahead of the day game, pitching four innings in relief of opener Brent Suter. The right-hander earned the win, allowing one unearned run on two hits and three walks while striking out four. Matt Carasiti was recalled from Albuquerque to replace Kauffmann in Colorado's bullpen prior to the nightcap.

Carasiti was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque prior to Game 2 of the Rockies' doubleheader with the Giants.

Carasiti will join Colorado after they defeated San Francisco 9-5 in the day game. The right-hander will replace Karl Kauffmann in the bullpen as the latter heads to Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Carasiti has produced an inflated 7.06 ERA over 21.2 innings in 14 appearances with the Rockies this year.

Romero (knee) is still dealing with weakness and instability in his left knee but will throw a bullpen session Sunday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Romero hit the injured list with left patellar tendinitis in early September. The fact that he's ready to throw a bullpen session suggests he has plenty of time to return before the end of the year, though the Cardinals have no incentive to rush him given that they've long since fallen out of the playoff picture.

Palencia was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Palencia was optioned to Iowa on Friday but will return due to Michael Fulmer (forearm) landing back on the injured list. Palencia posted a 4.09 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 22 innings in his first big-league stint.

Fulmer was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain.

Fulmer suffered an apparent setback, as he returned from the same issue on Monday. This will almost certainly end his regular season, though it's possible he could return for the postseason if he can get healthy.

Alexander will be the opener for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Alexander has been the first pitcher on the mound on seven previous occasions this season. Only once did he throw more than one inning in that role, and he never threw more than 1.2 frames. Expect a similarly brief outing Saturday before he turns the ball over to a bulk reliever, with Jakob Junis the most likely candidate.

Almonte (knee) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday that he said went well, and his goal is to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers in October, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte has been out of action since injuring his right knee while pitching against Colorado on Aug. 11. The righty reliever said in an interview with SportsNet LA this week that he's not yet 100 percent and is taking a measured approach to rehab in order to prevent a setback. Almonte is slated to toss another bullpen session soon, which could help determine whether he's ready to face hitters. The Dodgers' last regular-season contest will take place Oct. 1, so Almonte isn't likely to provide help to the team's bullpen until the playoffs, if at all.

Kauffmann was called up by the Rockies on Saturday.

Peter Lambert (biceps) hit the injured list in a corresponding move, so it's possible Kauffmann takes Lambert's place in the rotation down the stretch. He isn't the scheduled starter for either half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, but he could potentially appear in a multi-inning relief role.

Lambert was placed on the 15-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis Saturday.

Lambert technically has time to return before the end of the season, but the timing of the injury makes it quite likely that he's done for the year. If that's the case, he'll end his age-26 season having recorded a 5.36 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 11 starts and 14 relief appearances. Karl Kauffmann was called up to take his place on the roster.

Suter will be the first pitcher on the mound for the Rockies in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

The Rockies haven't officially termed Suter an "opener," nor have they announced which reliever will handle the bulk innings behind him, but it's almost certain that's what this will be, rather than a conventional start. Suter does have starting experience from early in his career, but he hasn't thrown more than two innings in any of his 51 appearances this season.