MLB Player News

Alvarado (elbow/hand) is expected to pitch Tuesday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

He faced live hitters Friday and is ready to get back into game action. Alvarado recently dealt with cramping in both hands in addition to the elbow inflammation that initially landed him on the shelf. Craig Kimbrel has three saves and two blown saves in his last 10 appearances, but he has generally been pretty excellent this season, so Alvarado may not get many save opportunities once he is activated.

The Rays optioned Fleming to Triple-A Durham on Sunday.

Fleming came off the 60-day injured list Saturday and surrendered two runs on five hits over three innings during his return. He'll now head back to the minors to clear a spot for Osleivis Basabe's promotion. Fleming holds a 4.70 ERA and 1.45 WHIP through 51.2 innings this season and could return to the Rays' bullpen down the line.

Burdi (abdomen) has moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Iowa, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

He gave up two earned runs while striking out two batters in 1.1 innings across two rehab appearances in the Arizona Complex League. Given that Burdi has minor-league options remaining, he could be activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A once his rehab assignment is officially over.

Boxberger (forearm) will start a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

He has faced hitters in live batting practice and is ready to begin pitching in games. Boxberger has been on the shelf with a forearm strain since mid-May, so he could require a longer rehab stint than the typical reliever, but he will likely make it back before the end of the month if he avoids setbacks.

Duarte is up as the Reds' 27th man for Sunday's doubleheader against the Pirates.

He has a 4.08 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in 17.2 innings in the majors this season. Duarte will likely return to Triple-A Louisville after Sunday's twin bill.

Lange was not used in a save opportunity during Saturday's win over the Red Sox, with the save instead going to Jason Foley.

The Tigers led 6-1 in the eighth inning, but when that dropped to 6-2 and Boston put two runners on, Detroit turned to Jason Foley to record five outs. Lange hasn't pitched since Monday and his last save came back on July 23. Since then, the righty has walked 10 batters in just 4.1 innings, and those control issues could be costing him his grip on the closer role.

Rodriguez has been shut down from throwing due to recurring pain in his right hip, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez has been on the injured list since the end of July, and manager Alex Cora said there's a chance Rodriguez's setback could keep him sidelined for the rest of the season. A clearer return timeline should emerge as Rodriguez recovers, but he will not be pitching in games anytime soon.

Marte was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday.

Marte pitched 2.2 innings over the past three days, so the Phillies will send him down in favor of a fresh arm for the bullpen. He gave up three earned runs while striking out five in five innings over four August appearances. Luis Ortiz was recalled in a corresponding move.

Merryweather (4-0) tossed a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win Saturday against the Blue Jays. He walked one and struck out two.

Through his first five appearances of the season, Merryweather had an unsightly 12.71 ERA. Since then, the righty has managed a 2.31 ERA across 46 appearances (46.2 innings). The strong, consistent play has made Merryweather a reliable relief option who typically pitches in front of closer Adbert Alzolay.

Ortiz was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley prior to Sunday's game against the Twins.

The 27-year-old reliever has a 3.94 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 16 innings in the big leagues this season. He has operated as a high-leverage reliever at Triple-A, but Ortiz should be limited to lower-leverage opportunities while up with the big club.