MLB Player News

General manager David Stearns indicated Sunday he expects Nelson (shoulder) to pitch for the Brewers in 2018, but that is unlikely to occur prior to September, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Stearns presented a similar sentiment in late June but never provided as specific a window for Nelson's potential return. The 29-year-old has yet to throw off a mound so there's no real indication how likely a return in 2018 may be, since he will need multiple weeks to build up his stamina after not pitching in over 10 months. Nelson being sidelined through the rest of the 2018 season appears to be a real possibility, and he seems unlikely to make a significant fantasy impact at this point.

Zagurski was designated for assignment by the Brewers on Sunday.

Zagurski struggled in two appearances since having his contract purchased June 28 and allowed seven runs on five hits and two walks for an unsightly 63.00 ERA. The 35-year-old left-hander could return to Triple-A Colorado Springs if he clears waivers, but he seems unlikely to garner another look from the Brewers given his performance this season and sub-par major-league track record.

Bass was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with an illness, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic Chicago reports.

Bass had his contract purchased from Triple-A Iowa in early June and has allowed only two runs (one earned) over 14.1 innings since being promoted. James Norwood was recalled from Iowa to give the Cubs' bullpen an additional arm.

Smith was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith had his contract selected by the Mets on June 22 but hasn't made an appearance in over a week. The 24-year-old returns to Las Vegas -- where he had 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 30 innings -- to make room for Sunday's starter Chris Flexen.

Hudson recorded two outs en route to his second hold Saturday against the Angels.

Josh Fields (shoulder) and Pedro Baez (biceps) remain on the disabled list, making Hudson the Dodgers' de facto right-handed setup man. The 31-year-old owns a 3.34 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 8.7 K/9 over 35 innings this season, and he should continue to see opportunities to rack up holds until the bullpen returns to full strength.

Jansen struck out two in a perfect ninth inning against the Angels on Saturday en route to his 24th save of the season.

Jansen blew a save chance Friday, his first blown save since April 17, but bounced back in impressive fashion, retiring the side in order on 13 pitches. His early-season struggles seem like a distant memory at this point as Jansen has his ERA and WHIP down to 2.34 and 0.94, respectively. He's given up a total of four earned runs in his last 30.2 innings.

Arano gave up a hit and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his second save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Pirates.

He's now closed things out in consecutive appearances, and Seranthony Dominguez worked a scoreless eighth inning in front of Arano to pick up the hold. Manager Gabe Kapler hasn't made any announcement about a change at closer, so Dominguez could return to ninth-inning duties soon enough, but Arano seems to be getting a chance in the role and has so far looked comfortable. His 2.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 35:9 K:BB in 32 innings certainly suggest he's ready for whatever high-leverage role he's entrusted with.

Garcia was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with right forearm inflammation, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Garcia has been dealing with the issue for most of the week and went through tests prior to Saturday's game against the Angels, prompting the move to the disabled list. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but the 27-year-old should be sidelined though the All-Star break, at least.

Venditte was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Saturday's game against the Angels, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Venditte has dominated his time with Oklahoma City this season -- 1.93 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 32 appearances -- but has allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over 4.1 innings with Los Angeles. The 33-year-old returns to the majors with Yimi Garcia (forearm) heading to the 10-day disabled list.

Garcia has been battling a sore elbow and hasn't pitched in a game since Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.

Garica will test the elbow Saturday to determine the next step for the Dodgers, with a trip to the disabled list a clear possibility. The 27-year-old has a 5.21 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 16 strikeouts across 19 innings during his stints in the majors this season.