MLB Player News

The Pirates optioned Bolton to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The transaction clears a 26-man roster spot for Luis Ortiz, who is joining the Pirates' starting rotation Tuesday against the Rockies. Bolton allowed three earned runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings of relief with the Bucs.

Cabrera (1-0) allowed a hit and two walks while striking out one in 1.1 innings, earning the win Monday versus the Cubs.

Cabrera was the first reliever in after a short outing from Miles Mikolas. Cabrera did his job well, and the Cardinals pulled ahead while he was in the game, giving him his first win of the season. The southpaw has seen mostly low-leverage spots so far, but he's also picked up two holds in his last five outings, which suggests he may be working his way up the leverage ladder. He has a 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 21:7 K:BB through 14.1 innings this season.

Helsley retired all four batters he faced and earned a save over the Cubs on Monday.

Helsley fired 17 of 23 pitches for strikes and faced no danger while finishing off the 3-1 win. After blowing his last two save chances, he converted his first one since April 12. The 28-year-old has lowered his season ERA to 3.14 with five straight scoreless innings.

Chargois (oblique) will throw an inning for Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, Noah Berger of FishStripes reports.

Chargois will get a chance to throw in Triple-A as he works his way back from the oblique strain he suffered April 10. The right-hander will likely need a couple more rehab appearances with a chance to return to the Miami bullpen by the end of the week.

Varland (hand) has rejoined the Brewers and is expected to be activated from the injured list soon, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Varland is done with his rehab assignment and while he is not yet back on the active roster yet, it sounds like that's imminent. The Rule 5 pick has been out since mid-April after taking a comebacker off his pitching hand.

Ferguson has left the Dodgers in order to be with his wife who is due to give birth to the couple's first child, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ferguson won't be placed on the paternity leave list until Tuesday, so the Dodgers will play a man short Monday. The reliever should be back for the weekend series versus the Padres.

The Reds claimed German off waivers from the White Sox on Monday and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville.

German had been designated for assignment by the White Sox and has now found a new home. The 25-year-old has a big arm as evidenced by his 16 strikeouts in 11.1 innings this season at the Triple-A level. However, his nine walks and 7.15 ERA also points to how erratic he can be. The Reds will attempt to coax the most out of the reliever.

VerHagen (2-0) earned the win Sunday over the Tigers, striking out three over two perfect innings.

JoJo Romero would have typically been in line for the win, but the official scorer deemed VerHagen more effective in his multi-inning appearance despite entering after the Cardinals took the lead. Over his last six outings, VerHagen has given up one run on three hits and four walks with eight strikeouts in 7.2 innings. He's been solid for the season as well with a 3.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 21:7 K:BB while adding four holds across 18 innings. The right-hander fills a versatile role in the Cardinals' bullpen, which has included some setup work early in 2023.

Uceta (ankle) began a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Syracuse and allowed two unearned runs on no hits and four walks over 1.1 innings.

The fact that Uceta was cleared to go out on a rehab assignment less than two weeks after landing on the 15-day injured list suggests his left ankle sprain isn't a major concern, but the Mets will want to see a sharper minor-league appearance or two from him before activating him. He threw only 13 strikes during his 32-pitch appearance Thursday.

Tonkin (3-1) picked up the win in Sunday's extra-innings victory over the Orioles, striking out one over two perfect innings of relief.

The 33-year-old has made a remarkable return to the majors this season after last seeing time on an MLB roster in 2017 with the Twins. Tonkin has a 1.89 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB through 19 innings, and while his role in the Atlanta bullpen limits his fantasy value, he's already tied his career high in wins and could end up vulturing a few more before the campaign is through.