MLB Player News

Moreta (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

Moreta was placed on the IL on Aug. 4 due to soreness in his lower back, and Friday will mark the beginning of the final stage in his recovery process. The Pirates haven't indicated how long they plan on keeping Moreta in the minors, but it's possible he returns ahead of their next homestand Monday.

Perez will serve as the Athletics' opener Friday versus the Orioles, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Luis Medina had been listed as the probable starter for Oakland, but he will instead operate in bulk relief. Perez, 26, has made only two appearances this season in the majors and carries a career 5.71 ERA.

Toronto optioned Jackson to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.

Jackson allowed three earned runs over five innings of relief during his two-week stay on the Blue Jays' major-league roster. Trevor Richards (neck) has been activated from the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Toronto activated Richards (neck) from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Richards missed the minimum 15 days because of neck inflammation. He'll return to the Blue Jays' bullpen Friday night against the Reds, holding a strong 2.98 ERA with 83 strikeouts through 54.1 innings this year.

The Cubs claimed Uceta off waivers from the Mets on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

After being DFA'd by the Mets on Wednesday, Uceta will now look to earn a spot in the Cubs' bullpen. Though he's been injured for most of the year, Uceta has been decent when healthy, allowing one run in 4.2 innings in Triple-A and throwing three scoreless innings for the Mets in April.

Hernandez (1-8) allowed a run on one hit over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss and a blown save Thursday versus the Mariners. He did not strike out or walk a batter.

Taylor Hearn was called upon to protect a two-run lead in the eighth inning, but he put two of the three batters he faced on base. Hernandez relieved him and immediately gave up a three-run moonshot to Julio Rodriguez. Hernandez has allowed nine runs (eight earned) over 5.1 innings in August, and he has two holds and a blown save without converting a save chance this month. He has one save, 12 holds, a 4.47 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 70:20 K:BB through 58.1 innings this year. Should the Royals have any leads to protect down the stretch, it's likely the save chances will be distributed on a committee basis.

Weissert was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

Weissert will provide the Yankees with a fresh relief arm as they begin a series this weekend against the rival Red Sox. He holds a 3.60 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 20 relief innings this season in the majors.

Clarke (elbow) was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Clarke wound up requiring just a minimum stay on the IL and rejoins the Royals' bullpen after skipping a rehab assignment. The right-hander has been used in high-leverage spot by Kansas City this season and could even be in the mix for some saves down the stretch.

Gott gave up two hits and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Thursday to record his first save of the season in a win over the Cardinals.

With Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley both having worked three of the prior four days, manager Buck Showalter had to get creative at the end of a 4-2 game, and Gott received the call in the ninth. The right-hander made things interesting by giving up a couple singles, but he then struck out Paul Goldschmidt to end the night. Drew Smith was needed in the seventh to get out of a jam with two on and nobody out, suggesting he's still viewed as the higher-leverage option, but Gott has earned his place in the late-inning mix with a 12-appearance scoreless streak during which he's posted a 12:3 K:BB through 11.1 innings.

Harvey gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning Thursday to record his 12th hold of the season in a win over the Red Sox.

Making his second appearance since being activated from the injured list earlier in the week, Harvey handled setup duties while Kyle Finnegan continues to close for the Nationals. With Finnegan having converted eight straight save chances over the last month or so, Harvey may not work back into the ninth-inning mix down the stretch, but his 2.98 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB through 42.1 innings on the season still give him fantasy value in deeper formats.