MLB Player News

The Dodgers recalled Bickford from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Despite being optioned to Triple-A just two days ago, Bickford is eligible to rejoin the big club after the Dodgers placed fellow reliever Brusdar Graterol (elbow) on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. Bickford is likely to see most of his work in low-leverage spots during his upcoming stint in the majors.

The Dodgers placed Graterol on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Phil Bickford was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to join the bullpen as a replacement for Graterol, who hadn't pitched in any of the past three days while managing the elbow issue. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Graterol had been scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, but the Dodgers elected to deactivate him a day later after he apparently didn't look as sharp in the workout as the team had hoped. With Craig Kimbrel's job security as the Dodgers' closer on shaky ground, Graterol would have been a candidate to factor into the mix for saves, but Evan Phillips now looks to be the clear next man up for the job if manager Dave Roberts elects to make a change at the back end of the bullpen. It's unclear when Graterol might be ready to return from the IL, but he'll undergo an MRI on Friday that could shed more light on his outlook moving forward, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.

The Reds transferred Hoffman (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday.

Since Hoffman hadn't pitched for the Reds since July 23, he'll be eligible to return from the IL in late September, though it's unclear if he's on track to make a full recovery from his right forearm injury before the season ends in the first week of October. Hoffman's move to the 60-day IL clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville.

The Reds selected Cruz's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Perhaps no September call-up has had a more interesting path to the big leagues than Cruz, who was drafted by the Royals as an infielder in 2007. He transitioned to a full-time pitching role in 2011 and bounced around between affiliated ball, the independent ranks and foreign leagues over the last decade before finally getting his first promotion to the majors at 32 years old. The right-hander will likely be ticketed for a low-leverage role out of the Cincinnati bullpen after compiling a 2.89 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 66:19 K:BB in 56 innings at Louisville.

Jansen notched a save against the Rockies on Wednesday, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in one inning.

Jansen came on in the ninth inning with Atlanta holding a 3-0 lead. The veteran closer made things interesting by serving up a two-out walk followed by Michael Toglia's first major-league homer, but he was able to get the final out to seal the save. Jansen began August by allowing only one run over his first eight innings, but he finished the month by yielding four runs over his final 1.1 frames. Despite the recent rough outings, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker indicated faith in Jansen following the game, saying, "I'm not worried about him. He bounced back after a tough outing and got a save," per David O'Brien of The Athletic.

Diaz earned a save against the Dodgers on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning.

Diaz faced a daunting task in going up against Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith with a one-run lead in the ninth inning, but he needed only nine pitches to set the trio down in order. In doing so, he extended his streak of successful save conversions to 19, with his last blown save coming in late May. Over 33 games since that meltdown against the Giants, Diaz has allowed only two runs over 33.2 innings while posting a 66:7 K:BB.

Hader allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Wednesday against the Giants.

Hader was removed from the closer role Aug. 20. Nevertheless, with Nick Martinez unavailable, Hader was called upon to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning. After allowing a leadoff single, Hader retired the next three batters to record his 30th save of the campaign and first since July 29. It remains unclear whether this outing will convince the Padres to reinstate Hader as the closer, or if he will have to string together multiple positive performances to see consistent opportunities in the ninth inning once again.

Pallante (6-4) got the win after he pitched three innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and three walks while striking out one in Wednesday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Reds.

Pallante entered the game in the bottom of the 11th inning with the score tied, pitching two scoreless frames before the Cardinals busted the game wide open in the top of the 13th. He entered the bottom of the 13th with a 5-2 lead, allowing the baserunner to score from second on a Jake Fraley single before getting the final two outs of the contest. Pallante has now produced a 0.77 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 18 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in his last eight appearances.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said Smith (lat) will begin a rehab assignment in the minors Sunday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith has been sidelined since late July with a right lat strain and will likely require at least two appearances in the minors before the Mets are comfortable bringing him back from the 15-day injured list. Prior to being deactivated, Smith collected 14 holds and posted a 3.51 ERA in 41 innings out of the New York bullpen.

Almonte (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte threw off flat ground late last week, and Wednesday's throwing session marks the first time that he's been cleared for mound work since landing on the injured list Aug. 7. It's not yet clear when the right-hander will be able to begin a rehab assignment, but he's made good progress in his recovery over the last few days.