MLB Player News

Boxberger struck out one in a scoreless inning of work to earn his 18th save of the season Tuesday against the Marlins.

Boxberger worked efficiently in this one, throwing seven of 11 pitches for strikes as he sat down the side in order. He blew consecutive save opportunities last week, but he's bounced back with a pair of scoreless outings. Boxberger still has a 3.49 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, and will need to enjoy some sustained success to hang on to his job title.

Ottavino (3-1) was tagged with the loss Tuesday, allowing a run on one hits and three walks while striking out two over 1.2 innings against the Giants.

Ottavino inherited a one-run lead and a bases-loaded, one-out jam when he came on in the seventh and allowed just one to score, but then found himself in more trouble in the eighth. After a strikeout to start the frame, the 32-year-old allowed a single and three walks (one intentional) to allow the winning run to come home. This will likely prove to be just a blip on the radar, as Ottavino has been terrific this season, allowing an earned run in just three of his 33 appearances en route to a 1.00 ERA and 56:14 K:BB over 36 innings.

Hand struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday to earn the save against the Rangers, giving up two hits without issuing a walk.

Hand threw 18 pitches (13 strikes) to retire the Rangers and secure his 22nd save of the year. Hand had been scored upon in three of his previous four appearances (with two blown saves), so Tuesday's outing was a nice return to form. The lefty is 22-for-26 in save opportunities with a 2.75 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 57:15 K:BB in 39.1 innings.

Edwards (shoulder) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Tuesday and could soon advance to a rehab stint, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Edwards tossed a bullpen session Sunday without issue and the team is having him get in at least one more before determining the next steps. The flamethrowing righty has been out since late May, so he'll probably need a few minor-league rehab outings before returning to the MLB roster. When Edwards does rejoin the Cubs, he should resume his high-leverage role in the late innings.

Underwood was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Underwood was effective over four innings Monday in his major-league debut, but he was only needed for the lone spot start, so the Cubs decided to send him back to Iowa in order to continue starting every five days. He will garner consideration the next time the club needs to bring up an arm from the minor-league ranks.

Vizcaino (shoulder) expects to be activated from the disabled list Sunday when first eligible, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Vizcaino is going to have to make it through the rest of the week without issue if he hopes to return Sunday, but he said his shoulder has improved of late, and he will test things by playing catch Tuesday.

The Braves optioned Sims to Triple-A Gwinnett after Monday's game, according to 680 The Fan.

Sims was just called up over the weekend, but he will be replaced by a fresh arm in Matt Wisler after being tagged for two earned runs while throwing an inning in Monday's contest. Sims has been shuffled between Triple-A and the majors all season, so he will likely be back with the big club again at some point this summer.

Poncedeleon is listed as Triple-A Memphis' probable starter for Tuesday's game against Colorado Springs.

Poncedeleon was a candidate to join the big club to start Monday against the Indians in place of the injured Michael Wacha (oblique), but that assignment ultimately fell to John Gant. With Gant tossing seven scoreless, one-hit innings to claim the victory in the outing, he'll likely receive at least one more turn through the rotation. As a result, Poncedeleon will continue to make regular starts for Memphis, where he has posted a 2.45 ERA and 80:38 K:BB across 66 frames this season.

Hernandez has been confirmed as the Miami starter for Tuesday's game against Arizona, MLB.com reports.

As anticipated, Hernandez will re-enter the rotation in place of Jose Urena, who was placed on the disabled list last week with right shoulder inflammation. Marlins manager Don Mattingly expressed optimism that Urena would be activated from the DL near his eligibility date of July 1, but the right-hander's impending return won't necessarily close the door on Hernandez's starting opportunities. The Marlins revealed Monday that Caleb Smith was dealing with a Grade 3 lat strain, an injury that will likely require a multi-month absence, if not end his season. Hernandez sports an underwhelming 5.12 ERA and 14:12 K:BB in 31.2 innings this season, but if he can deliver a quality showing Tuesday, he'll have the inside track to filling Smith's spot in the rotation once Urena is back in the fold.

Alexander gave up two hits over a scoreless inning en route to his seventh hold of the season in Monday's 2-1 win over the Cubs.

Alexander has looked like a different pitcher since returning from the minors May 9, posting a 2.01 ERA with 19 strikeouts and six holds over 22.1 innings. With Tony Cingrani (shoulder) still mending on the disabled list, Alexander has taken over as the Dodgers' top left-handed option out of the bullpen.