MLB Player News

Romero (knee) is still dealing with weakness and instability in his left knee but will throw a bullpen session Sunday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Romero hit the injured list with left patellar tendinitis in early September. The fact that he's ready to throw a bullpen session suggests he has plenty of time to return before the end of the year, though the Cardinals have no incentive to rush him given that they've long since fallen out of the playoff picture.

Palencia was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Palencia was optioned to Iowa on Friday but will return due to Michael Fulmer (forearm) landing back on the injured list. Palencia posted a 4.09 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 22 innings in his first big-league stint.

Fulmer was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain.

Fulmer suffered an apparent setback, as he returned from the same issue on Monday. This will almost certainly end his regular season, though it's possible he could return for the postseason if he can get healthy.

Alexander will be the opener for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Alexander has been the first pitcher on the mound on seven previous occasions this season. Only once did he throw more than one inning in that role, and he never threw more than 1.2 frames. Expect a similarly brief outing Saturday before he turns the ball over to a bulk reliever, with Jakob Junis the most likely candidate.

Almonte (knee) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday that he said went well, and his goal is to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers in October, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte has been out of action since injuring his right knee while pitching against Colorado on Aug. 11. The righty reliever said in an interview with SportsNet LA this week that he's not yet 100 percent and is taking a measured approach to rehab in order to prevent a setback. Almonte is slated to toss another bullpen session soon, which could help determine whether he's ready to face hitters. The Dodgers' last regular-season contest will take place Oct. 1, so Almonte isn't likely to provide help to the team's bullpen until the playoffs, if at all.

Kauffmann was called up by the Rockies on Saturday.

Peter Lambert (biceps) hit the injured list in a corresponding move, so it's possible Kauffmann takes Lambert's place in the rotation down the stretch. He isn't the scheduled starter for either half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, but he could potentially appear in a multi-inning relief role.

Lambert was placed on the 15-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis Saturday.

Lambert technically has time to return before the end of the season, but the timing of the injury makes it quite likely that he's done for the year. If that's the case, he'll end his age-26 season having recorded a 5.36 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 11 starts and 14 relief appearances. Karl Kauffmann was called up to take his place on the roster.

Suter will be the first pitcher on the mound for the Rockies in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

The Rockies haven't officially termed Suter an "opener," nor have they announced which reliever will handle the bulk innings behind him, but it's almost certain that's what this will be, rather than a conventional start. Suter does have starting experience from early in his career, but he hasn't thrown more than two innings in any of his 51 appearances this season.

Williams struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 35th save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Nationals.

The right-hander's Airbender changeup was in peak form, as Carter Kieboom, Ildemaro Vargas and Luis Garcia all went down swinging against the pitch. Since the beginning of August, Williams has posted an elite 1.76 ERA, 0,65 WHIP and 23:4 K:BB through 15.1 innings while collecting three wins and nine saves in 17 appearances as he establishes himself as one of the premier closers in baseball.

Gibaut allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn a hold in Friday's 5-3 win over the Mets.

Gibaut entered with two runners on and none out in the bottom of the seventh and pitched out of the danger to record his team-high 22nd hold. He's made 68 appearances, tying him for third in the majors, and has a 3.07 ERA over a career-high 70.1 innings.