MLB Player News

The Nationals reinstated Weems (lower leg) from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Weems landed on the IL on July 26 due to shin splints in his right leg. He didn't end up needing a rehab stint, and the 31-year-old right-hander will return to the Nationals' bullpen for their weekend series against the Angels. Right-hander Joan Adon was optioned to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.

Faedo will serve as the Tigers' opener during Saturday's game against the Giants, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Saturday will mark Faedo's fourth start of the season and his second of August. He was able to last 1.2 frames during his most recent opening assignment and will likely pitch a similar amount of innings against the Giants before handing the ball to Brant Hurter, who is expected to pitch in bulk relief.

The Mets optioned Young to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Young's demotion opens up a spot on the 26-man roster for Reed Garrett (elbow), who was activated from the 15-day injured list. After being claimed off waivers from the Giants on July 17, Young joined the Mets a few days later and posted a 1.29 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across seven innings out of the bullpen. The southpaw will be a leading candidate for a call-up the next time the Mets are in need of a fresh relief arm.

The Mets activated Garrett (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Garrett has been out of major-league action since July 10 due to inflammation in his right elbow. In his last rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three in one inning. Before landing on the IL, Garrett recorded eight holds and four saves across 36 major-league outings with a 3.64 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across 42 innings. To make room on the 26-man roster for Garrett, the Mets optioned Alex Young to Syracuse.

Graveman (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Saturday marks Graveman's first time throwing off a mound since he underwent surgery on his right shoulder during the offseason. He was only able to throw 10 pitches during his first bullpen session, but it's certainly a positive step toward a potential return late in the season.

Smith (0-4) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk over one-third of an inning, taking the loss Friday versus the Cardinals.

Smith put two runners on base and Chris Stratton allowed both of them to score. Prior to Friday, Smith had posted a seven-inning scoreless streak. He has a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings since the start of July, but he remains in a low-leverage role even with the overall struggles of the Royals' bullpen. Overall, Smith is at a 4.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB with one save, eight holds and one blown save across 37 innings this season.

The Mariners optioned Bazardo to Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Just two days after coming up from the minors, Bazardo will be sent back down to Triple-A without appearing in a game. Troy Taylor was selected from Double-A Arkansas to fill the open roster spot.

Kittredge allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning, earning his major-league-leading 30th hold of the season in Friday's 8-5 win over the Royals.

Kittredge has been one of the best setup men in the majors this year, which has helped the Cardinals rely on the bullpen to find success. He's on a 7.1-inning scoreless streak since the All-Star break, adding five holds and a blown save in that span. For the year, Kittredge has pitched to a 3.02 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 49:15 K:BB while adding one save, five blown saves and a 1-4 record over 50.2 innings.

Liberatore (3-3) allowed one walk and struck out three over three scoreless and hitless innings to earn the win Friday over the Royals.

Liberatore allowed nine runs over his first 3.2 innings following the All-Star break, but he's bounced back with 6.2 scoreless innings and a 9:2 K:BB over his four appearances in August. The southpaw has been a multi-inning reliever and occasional spot starter for the Cardinals this year. He's now at a 4.76 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 53:22 K:BB through 62.1 innings, but it doesn't look like he'll find a path to a regular starting role any time soon.

Manager Bob Melvin said Friday that Walker will serve as the Giants' closer going forward, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Walker has been dominant out of the bullpen this season, posting a 2.24 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across 60.1 frames while typically handling the seventh inning for the Giants. With the struggling Camilo Doval now in Triple-A Sacramento, Walker will become San Francisco's go-to reliever in save situations and is worth rostering in all fantasy formats.