MLB Player News

Backhus (elbow) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Backhus will make his return to the major-league roster after missing nearly two months of action while nursing left elbow inflammation. The southpaw made five appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley during his minor-league rehab assignment, tossing 4.2 innings of one-run ball while striking out seven batters. Backhus will provide Philadelphia with another left-handed option out of the bullpen to go with Jose Alvarado and Tim Mayza.

The Phillies optioned Lazar to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following Sunday's 6-2 win over the Mets, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Lazar will return to the Triple-A level after he surrendered two runs on three hits while striking out four batters over four innings in three appearances with the Phillies following his call-up Tuesday. Philadelphia is expected to activate left-hander Kyle Backhus (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Monday to take Lazar's spot in the bullpen.

The Phillies designated Wilson for assignment following Sunday's 6-2 win over the Mets, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

After being called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, Wilson made one appearance during his brief stay with Philadelphia, tossing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. If Wilson ends up going unclaimed off waivers, he'll have the option of sticking around in the Philadelphia organization and reporting back to Triple-A or electing free agency.

Alvarez did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Rays, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six over four innings.

Alvarez turned in another effective start, with the lone run against him coming in the third inning when Tampa Bay strung together consecutive doubles. The left-hander set a season high with his six punchouts. After tossing 90 pitches in his June 9 start, Alvarez has been limited to under 70 in each of his last two starts. He has yet to complete five innings in any outing, limiting his chances to qualify for wins unless he's working behind an opener. Alvarez owns a 3.34 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 37:12 K:BB across 32.1 innings and is lined up to face Baltimore on the road in his next outing.

Dotel (lat) tossed a bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.

According to general manager Ben Cherington, Dotel's fastball sat around 96 mph during the session, just a couple ticks behind his season-long average (98.2). The Pirates placed Dotel on the 15-day injured list June 13 due to a right lat strain, but he looks on track to avoid an extended absence and could be ready to rejoin the Pittsburgh bullpen by late June.

Bachar earned the save Sunday against the Giants, working a scoreless ninth inning with one walk in a 2-1 victory.

With Pete Fairbanks having recorded a save each of the previous two days, Bachar was entrusted with a one-run lead in the ninth inning Sunday. He successfully closed the door after working around a leadoff walk to Rafael Devers to secure his first save of the season. While he isn't a regular fixture in the ninth inning, Bachar has been one of Miami's steadier relievers lately, allowing just two runs over his last 13 innings. He now owns a 3.02 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 46:16 K:BB across 41.2 innings on the season.

Santillan earned the save in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Yankees, striking out one over two perfect innings.

Santillan was impressive Sunday, turning in his first multi-inning effort of the season to lock down his fifth save. After a rough stretch earlier this year, Santillan's now turned in seven straight scoreless appearances, allowing just four hits while striking out six across seven innings in that span. Overall, his ERA sits at 5.10 with a 1.40 WHIP and 28:13 K:BB across 30 innings.

The Rockies placed Castano on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right pectoral strain.

Castano will be eligible to return from the shelf July 3, but given the nature of his injury, he may need more than the minimum amount of time on the IL to make a full recovery. The 26-year-old had been occupying a low-leverage role in the Colorado bullpen since being promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 21, recording one win and no holds or saves while pitching to a 3.93 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across 18.1 innings in nine appearances.

The Rockies selected Brebbia's contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday.

He'll be joining the big-league bullpen as a replacement for right-hander Blas Castano (pectoral), who was moved to the 15-day injured list. The 36-year-old Brebbia caught on with the Rockies on a minor-league deal in late May and was highly effective over his seven appearances for Albuquerque, striking out 10 over nine scoreless frames. Brebbia could quickly settle into a high-leverage role in a Colorado bullpen that's lacking dependable arms.

The Diamondbacks optioned Abner to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Since Abner was unlikely to be available out of the bullpen for at least a couple of days after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings and 44 pitches Saturday, the Diamondbacks opted to send him to Triple-A. Arizona recalled lefty Kohl Drake from Reno in a corresponding move, giving the bullpen a fresh arm capable of covering multiple innings.