MLB Player News

Barco could be used as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Yohan Ramirez in Thursday's game in Cincinnati, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

The Pirates recalled Barco from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, but he went unused in relief during the team's 3-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. With Ramirez likely to be limited to one or two innings Thursday in his first big-league start, Barco will be the freshest arm in the Pittsburgh bullpen and is one of the few options who's capable of covering multiple frames. Barco has handled a swingman role at Triple-A for most of the season, posting a 4.87 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 49:23 K:BB in 44.1 innings.

Treinen (elbow) will face live hitters Wednesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Treinen landed on the injured list in late June due to right elbow inflammation, but the good news was that an MRI did not show signs of structural damage. He was cleared to play catch before the All-Star break and is ready to take the next step in his rehab by throwing off a mound. The Dodgers should have a better sense of Treinen's recovery timeline once the veteran right-hander is cleared to embark on a rehab assignment.

The Cubs selected Woodford's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday.

Woodford elected to enter free agency July 17 after being DFA'd by the Cubs six days earlier, but he opted to remain in the organization on a minor-league contract. He's now back with the big club, with the Cubs designating Andrew Wantz for assignment in a corresponding move. Woodford has appeared in 17 games between the Cubs and Brewers this season and has a 7.46 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB across 25.1 innings.

Fairbanks recorded his 15th save Wednesday against the Phillies, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Fairbanks entered the ninth with a two-run lead and retired the side in order on 13 pitches (10 strikes) to secure his 15th save of the season. The veteran closer has now converted saves in consecutive appearances and has recorded at least one strikeout in nine of his last 10 outings. Despite the swing-and-miss upside he's shown, Fairbanks has allowed eight runs (seven earned) across 9.1 innings during that 10-appearance stretch and still has an ugly 6.96 ERA over 36 appearances this year.

The Nationals optioned Schultz to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

The move comes after the Nationals' 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, when Schultz gave up three earned runs on four hits while striking out one batter in two-thirds of an inning. The 28-year-old right-hander will return to Rochester, where he has a 2.30 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 15.2 innings.

Ramirez will serve as the Pirates' opening pitcher for Thursday's game against the Reds, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Thursday will mark the first start of Ramirez's seven-year MLB career. He'll likely pitch one or two innings before turning the game over to Hunter Barco, who is expected to work in bulk relief, per Demilio. Ramirez has submitted a 3.21 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 62:33 K:BB across 56 innings this season.

The Reds optioned Franco (elbow) to Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.

Franco will report back to Triple-A after he served as the Reds' 27th man for Wednesady's doubleheader with the Guardians. He was active for Game 2 of the twin bill and worked in bulk relief in the Reds' 2-0 victory, earning his first big-league win while striking out two and allowing one hit and two walks over 3.2 scoreless frames before exiting in the seventh inning due to right elbow discomfort. He'll likely undergo further testing before the Reds have a better idea regarding the extent of his injury, but Franco could be at risk of landing on the injured list if he isn't ready to go for his next turn through the rotation.

Assad will start Thursday's game in St. Louis, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Shota Imanaga had been listed as the starter for Thursday's series finale, but he and the other Cubs starters will be pushed back in order to bake in some extra rest. Assad went three shutout innings out of the bullpen in his last appearance Saturday in Pittsburgh, so he'll be taking the ball on four days' rest. The righty hasn't made a start in nearly three weeks, so he won't have a full workload at his disposal.

Garcia worked around a walk and struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth inning to secure his second save of the season in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Pirates.

While facing off against Pittsburgh's Nos. 2 through 5 hitters, Garcia navigated a fairly stress-free 17-pitch frame to sew up the win. He could be in the mix for more closing opportunities in the short term, as manager Torey Lovullo told Jack Sommers of SI.com after the game that Paul Sewald -- who leads the team with 24 saves but blew two of his last three chances -- will be moved into a lower-leverage role for the time being. Rather than settling on a designated closer, Lovullo indicated he plans to play the matchups in the ninth inning, so the left-handed Garcia may be deployed primarily against left-handed-heavy portions of the lineup late in games. Lovullo mentioned Jonathan Loaisiga as another pitcher who might factor into the late-inning picture, and Juan Morillo and Kevin Ginkel could also be part of the mix.

The Padres designated Waldron for assignment Wednesday.

The Padres needed to clear room for Jeremiah Estrada's (knee) return from the injured list, and because he doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, Waldron was dropped from the 40-man roster to facilitate the transaction. Waldron was a serviceable back-end starter for the Padres in 2024 but has seen his effectiveness wane in the two seasons since while also missing considerable time due to injuries. In 10 appearances (three starts) for San Diego this season, Waldron turned in a 7.16 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 32.2 innings.