MLB Player News

Yarbrough was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Yarbrough will be placed on waivers and if he goes unclaimed, he'll either report to Triple-A Oklahoma City or elect free agency. He is the odd man out on the major-league roster after the team acquired infielder Amed Rosario from the Rays via trade Monday. Yarbrough has produced a respectable 3.74 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 39 strikeouts over 67.1 innings in 32 appearances with Los Angeles this season.

The Reds optioned Zulueta to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Zulueta has made a nice impression during his brief time with the Reds, yielding just one run with a 4:2 K:BB across five relief innings. He has minor-league options remaining, however, and the team is taking advantage. Zulueta should be back with the big club sooner rather than later.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Monday that he will not use Williams in back-to-back days for the time being, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Williams made his season debut with the Brewers on Sunday against the Marlins after recovering from multiple stress fractures in his back, working around one hit and one walk to toss a scoreless frame. That means Williams will unavailable Monday against Atlanta should a save chance arise. With Trevor Megill (back) landing on the injured list Monday, Joel Payamps, Hoby Milner and Elvis Peguero could be in the mix for some opportunities on days Williams is unavailable.

Alzolay (forearm) has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa and sent to Chicago to be examined following a setback, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Alzolay didn't recover well from his last rehab appearance at Iowa on Saturday, prompting the move. The reliever went more than two months between game appearances due to a flexor strain and lasted just three outings before a setback, which isn't a great sign. More should be known about Alzolay's status later this week.

The Brewers placed Megill on the 15-day injured list Monday with a lower-back injury, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

Megill will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, but the team has already deemed it bad enough to require a stint on the IL. Between this injury and Devin Williams' return to the closer role, fantasy managers can no longer rely on Megill as a source of saves.

Estevez, when asked Monday what his role with the Phillies would be, responded, "I'm down for whatever, man," Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Estevez was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Saturday, with pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri going the other way. Estevez saved 20 games and produced a 2.38 ERA and 0.74 WHIP prior to the move, but his new manager Rob Thomson typically preferred a committee approach. Estevez may well be ahead of both Jose Alvarado (13 saves) and Jeff Hoffman (nine saves) on the closer depth chart, but his share of the ninth inning will likely be smaller than it was in Los Angeles.

The Phillies optioned Rucker to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.

He'll give up his spot on the 26-man active roster and in the Philadelphia bullpen to right-hander Carlos Estevez, whom the Phillies acquired from the Angels over the weekend. Rucker has spent most of the season recovering from a right hand arterial vasospasm, but the Phillies brought him back from the 60-day injured list Friday. The righty didn't end up making any appearances out of the bullpen over the weekend in the Phillies' series with the Guardians, however.

The Dodgers acquired Kopech, right-hander Oliver Gonzalez and utility player Tommy Edman (wrist) on Monday in the three-team trade involving the White Sox and Cardinals, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. The White Sox received infielder/outfielder Miguel Vargas, infielders Alexander Albertus (undisclosed) and Jeral Perez and a player to be named later or cash considerations, while the Cardinals acquired Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Kopech has offered a mixed bag in a full-time move to relief in 2024, striking out 59 across 43.2 innings but also walking 24 and posting a 4.74 ERA. The Dodgers will hope to fix his control and home-run issues, and if they can, he has the potential to be a dominant late-inning weapon. Kopech is also under team control for 2025. John Brebbia should be the favorite for saves in the White Sox's bullpen for now, though he could also be traded ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

The Mets recalled Gage from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday.

The Mets are swapping left-handed relievers on the 26-man active roster, with Gage taking the spot of Jake Diekman, who has been designated for assignment. Gage holds a 3.42 ERA and 34:14 K:BB over 26.1 innings at the Triple-A level in 2024 and collected a 1.83 ERA in 16 appearances at the big-league level between 2022 and 2023.

The Mets designated Diekman for assignment Monday.

Diekman has often been used in high-leverage situations by the Mets this season, even picking up a save less than a week ago. However, he's allowed 10 runs over his last 7.1 innings and has issued 24 walks across 32 frames overall. The Mets could find another team willing to take on Diekman via trade, but they would likely need to eat some of what remains of his $4 million salary in order to facilitate a deal. Diekman's contract also contains a $4 million option for 2025 that vests if he makes 58 appearances this season. He's already made 43 appearances in 2024, which may further deter teams from dealing for the 37-year-old southpaw.