MLB Player News

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Wednesday that Kempner will require surgery for his sprained right elbow, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The Marlins aren't expected to provide further details until the operation is performed, but Kempner will presumably require Tommy John or internal brace surgery (or a hybrid of the two), which will keep him out for the rest of the 2026 season and most, if not all, of the 2027 campaign. The 25-year-old righty was placed on the injured list July 12 and had initially taken the rest-and-rehab approach for his treatment plan, but he apparently wasn't progressing as well as the Marlins had hoped. He'll close the season with a 2.92 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 14:4 K:BB in 12.1 innings over nine appearances with the big club.

Mlodzinski will start Wednesday's game against the Marlins in Miami.

Mlodzinski rejoined the rotation last week after the Pirates shut Mitch Keller down for the season Aug. 3 due to a right arm teres major muscle injury. While making his first start since May 25 in last Friday's 6-4 loss to the Mets, Mlodzinski dropped to 6-4 on the season while yielding five earned runs on seven hits and one walk across three innings. He threw 63 pitches in that outing but should be able to push up into the 70-to-80 range Wednesday as he builds back up following his extended stay in the bullpen.

Suarez (elbow) will advance his throwing progression on flat ground Thursday, Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal reports.

He's still not ready to throw off a mound yet, but that could be around the corner if Suarez feels good with his flat-ground progression. The veteran reliever has been shelved for nearly two months with right elbow inflammation and has multiple boxes to check before a potential return date becomes clearer.

The Padres reinstated Morgan (knee) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

San Diego didn't have room in its bullpen for Morgan and will stash him at Triple-A now that he's healthy again after he had been on the shelf for about six weeks due to left knee inflammation. Morgan provided a 4.50 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 26:13 K:BB in 22 innings over 18 appearances for San Diego prior to landing on the IL.

Maton has been diagnosed with a partial patellar tendon tear in his right knee, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Maton is on the 15-day injured list for the third time this season with a nagging knee issue that had previously been labeled as tendinitis. Further testing revealed structural damage, and it puts his status for the remainder of the season very much in doubt. Maton was given a platelet-rich plasma injection back on July 21, and a decision will be made within the next 1-to-2 weeks as to whether Maton will push to return sometime in September or shut things down.

The Rockies reinstated Criswell (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Colorado placed Criswell on the IL shortly after he sustained a right shoulder strain following his first appearance coming out of the All-Star break, but he made a relatively quick recovery. He tossed a scoreless inning in his lone rehab appearance with Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday and will wind up sticking around with the affiliate, as the Rockies didn't have room for him in the big-league bullpen.

Halvorsen (1-1) earned the win over Kansas City on Tuesday, issuing one walk over one scoreless and hitless inning.

Halvorsen was traded to the Dodgers on July 20, and he spent his first few weeks in the organization with Triple-A Oklahoma City as he continued to work his way back from a shoulder injury. The righty reliever was called up Monday and didn't exactly get a soft landing spot for his first appearance with the Dodgers, as he entered in the top of the 10th inning Tuesday with the task of preventing the Royals' automatic runner at second base from scoring. Halvorsen was up to the challenge, keeping the score tied while maneuvering around a two-out intentional walk. It remains to be seen how much high-leverage work the 26-year-old will get with his new team, but he's certainly in a better position to succeed now that he's away from Coors Field, and he's an intriguing addition to Los Angeles' bullpen given his ability to hit triple digits with his fastball.

Webb recorded his eighth save of the season in Tuesday's 8-6 win over the Nationals, giving up one hit and striking out two in 1.1 scoreless innings.

After Ryan Zeferjahn let the Nats creep closer in the eighth inning, Webb was called in to put out the fire and got the final out of the frame before handling the ninth. Webb hasn't been tagged for a run since June 20, with his scoreless streak standing at 20.2 innings with a 0.87 WHIP and 21:7 K:BB, and he's converted all six of his save chances during that span. Daniel Palencia (elbow) isn't looking especially sharp during his rehab assignment, and Webb is making a strong case to hang onto the closer role for the Cubs even after Palencia comes off the IL.

Criswell (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday, pitching around a hit and a walk to log a scoreless frame.

Criswell landed on the 15-day injured list nearly a month ago with a right shoulder strain. He could require another rehab outing or two before rejoining the Rockies' bullpen.

Fairbanks struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his 18th save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Pirates.

The veteran closer converted his fifth straight save chance while extending his scoreless streak to seven appearances and seven innings -- a stretch in which he's allowed just one hit with a 10:2 K:BB. Despite his recent form, on the season Fairbanks is saddled with a 6.03 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 37.1 frames with 18 saves in 21 opportunities.