Varland struck out one in a perfect seventh inning during Friday's loss to the Royals.

He fired 12 of 14 pitches for strikes in his Toronto debut. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Twins, Varland entered the game with his new team down 5-1, but he should quickly slot into a high-leverage role for the Jays, joining Yariel Rodriguez, Seranthony Dominguez and Yimi Garcia (elbow) as right-handed setup options in front of closer Jeff Hoffman.

The Royals designated Hatch for assignment Saturday.

Hatch will be jettisoned from the Royals' 40-man roster after giving up two run in one inning during his season debut Friday. Jonathan Bowlan was also optioned off the active roster Saturday to make room for Ryan Bergert and Bailey Falter.

The Royals optioned Bowlan to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Bowlan will depart Kansas City's bullpen to help make room for new additions Ryan Bergert and Bailey Falter on the active roster. Bowlan owns a 4.73 ERA and 1.35 WHIP through 26.2 innings in the majors, though he may return to the Royals down the stretch if the big club needs a fresh arm.

The Dodgers optioned Gervase to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Gervase will lose his place in the Dodgers' bullpen in order to make room for Blake Snell (shoulder), who returned from the injured list ahead of his start Saturday against the Rays. Gervase surrendered three earned runs over 6.1 innings during his time in Tampa Bay and could make his Dodgers debut later in the year when the team is in need of a fresh reliever.

Lawrence (elbow) has been throwing side sessions at the Pirates' spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.

Lawrence is making slow progress in his bid to return from the 60-day injured list. He'll face live hitters next and will also likely need a rehab assignment before being activated.

Mayza (lat) has been completing side sessions at the Pirates' spring training facility, MLB.com reports.

Mayza has been throwing for nearly a month, but this activity marks progress in his rehab. He'll still need to face live hitters and complete a rehab assignment before being activated from the injured list.

Santana (3-3) was the pitcher of record in Friday's 17-16 loss to the Rockies after he retired just one batter and allowed five earned runs on four hits and one walk.

Called upon to protect a four-run lead in the ninth inning, Santana struck out the first batter he faced but then allowed the next five runners to reach while serving up two home runs in the process. Despite the disastrous outing, Santana has been excellent this season, as Friday's outing marked the first time he's allowed multiple earned runs in his last 20 appearances. He should still be projected to earn the majority of save chances after the departure of David Bednar ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, but his effectiveness in the role will be worth monitoring.

Hanifee (3-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while retiring only two batters to take the loss in Friday's 5-4 defeat to the Phillies.

After starter Jack Flaherty allowed just one run across six innings, the Detroit bullpen allowed four runs (three earned) in only two innings to let the game slip away. Hanifee was right in the middle of the collapse, and he allowed his first earned run since July 2, snapping a streak of nine appearances in which he allowed just two unearned runs. The righty still has a solid 3.10 ERA overall this season, and he should remain a key piece of a Detroit relief corps that added several reinforcements before the trade deadline.

Smith (3-4) came away with the win against the Twins on Friday after tossing two perfect innings while striking out three batters.

Smith was dispatched in the ninth inning to keep the game tied at 2-2, and his efforts were rewarded after Kyle Manzardo walked off the Twins in the 10th with an RBI single. Smith appears to be the next man up at closer for the Guardians with Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31 as part of MLB's sports-betting investigation. In 21 appearances since the beginning of June, Smith boasts a 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 27:7 K:BB across 21.2 innings.

Kittredge tossed a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts to earn a hold in Friday's 1-0 win over the Orioles.

Kittredge was traded from the Orioles to the Cubs on Wednesday, and he was sharp in his Chicago debut facing his former team. The righty now has eight holds this season to go along with a strong 3.34 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 34 strikeouts across 32.1 innings. Kittredge won't be closing games for the Cubs, as Daniel Palencia has emerged in that role, but the former will slot in as a valuable setup man along with Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Taylor Rogers in a revamped Chicago bullpen.